The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-05

winch thc.way ipeculltor may attempt TO IN
troduce them TO annunciatc the law that no
expedient cvkGfeJ,sr fhal fauttfy the yiftation !.
that no plea of mcdtated ,rA,ovai lhou.d f.rvc
the inhabitant of another fate, and no plea of
dsjesnf, marriage, or d-pie, ihould fcrccn Viz
ginian from the penalties of the law, whole
forms he profeiies to obferve, Whit he violates
its fpirit ! In fact is it no. polite and ;un TO
adept the fubeantial proviiioIss of the following
OH, Which pailsd the Houfe Of Delegates on
ihuriday, Ayes ioo, Nays so; and which has
been irnt to the Senate fer their concurrence
BILL 10 PREVENT SLAVES BEING Bao'r
INTO TnIs COMMONWEALTH.
BIZ !. rnGiFed, That laves on which (b,,,
hcreafter 5e brought within this commonwealth
and Kept therein one whole ycar together, or
10 long at different times, rs tha amount TO one
year, the owner OF any fuch fave being OF full
age, sha' forfeit all right and claim TO fuch fave,
Wi''ch 'hal hfoiutcly ovcrieers( 2)ofthe
poor of any IS county ur corporation, who thall
aPprrhend fact. fave. IN trait for the poor o.
the laid county. Eycry Fave who illall 10 be-
come veiied IN the ovcIfeer3 of the poor, il,lll
be By them fold by public auction, at the court
monte OF the county, on foinc court day, for
ready moaey, which :hall re applied towards
lchcning the poor rate for fuch county.
Every perfon hereafter bringing layes into
this commonwealth, contrary 70 this act, .hnll
foifs,: & pay the fun Of 400 (Al dollars for eve
ry Have 10 fold or bought ha.f OF which for
feiturc ihall be 10 ihs ue of him or them that
viii iue FOR the fame, and the other halls 70 The
ME OF the commonwealth, to he recovered hy
action of debt or information, in any court os
record Propided aizua2s, and il is TO be- uu9-,,-
foo1, That nothing contained in tl,i. al Ilali b.
fo conftrued, as to deprive perion who NAV
he ole
his rehdence therein. OF any ieryaut or iervants
he may bring with him for attendance (5) and
Proy''ded gL'o, that this aSt ihsi not be 60 con-
ftrucd AS TO repeal an act paned 1T the iaft feC
, lion, entitled, " An aGt authorizing the removal
of Iiavcs from the county of Alexandria in the
Diitriet Of Columbia, into this commonwealth. !"
Any fave who hath been or hereafter IhslI
DC brought into this fate, contrary 70 law, or
who ihsii be paiJing thro' this fate by land or
water, who may commit capital crime, and be
tried and executed therefor within this COM
monwcalth, ha not DC paid for out of the pub
lie trea.ury;(6) nor !hall any fave he paid for out
of the public treafury, who fIall be convicted
and executed for the commiIion of a crime, in
the preparation OF which, the owner of tuch
Alve, ,hall, III the opinion of the court before
whom fuch fave ihaIl b. tried, be either p.ia-
cipal or acceflary O. before the fact (s)
And be it further enacted, that every overfecr
of the poor within this commonwealth, lhall, in
addition to thu oath now prefcribed BY law
take the following "J, A. B. do foiemuly
fwear (or affirm, as the cafe may be) that will,
10 the utmoft of my power, enforce all laws to
prevent the further Introduction of naves into
this commonwealth So help me Gcd."
d1d be il further eNal7ed, That in any action
or profccuticn by the OvercerS of the poor, in
virtue Of this act, if they ihail be cat, they ihall
not be liable to pay any COTS out of their ndiv-
dual ettates, but the COTS NAH be paid ont of
the levy inpoied By the oyericera of the poor
on the tithabe: within their iuriidGion.
All and every act and acts, claufe or claufes
OF acts, containing any thing within the purview
of this act, fhall be, and the fame are reby re-
pealed.
This act Hall commence AID be in force from
and after the firit day of July next.
NOTES
~ The reader will agree with me in the opinion,
though he may fmie at tle friyoty OF the criticin
that this cauie of the bill is gramnatic ally CORE
II haves" be the nonnape cafe we enquire in vain
Tor its appropriate verb. 1t NOT iha! forfeit be-
eauie owner" is the no,nina,ve to it, Perhaps the
claufe might properly be exprefcd in the following
manner " That zcber-7c, any ilave 1a be hereafter
brought into the commonwealth &c.
pr1IoitiUii every iucii fave
ihould become free according the IN feet of the
law OF 1875 |. was contended by thore who were
IN i2vor ot this provon that it ihould be made the
itrcu interet OF ione peron at leaf to erec,e the
law that would be more inter neti in the ex-
ecrtion than the ave himief " ho would fee that zn
information aganit MS nlaer the indfpenGbIc in
trumeIit OF his emano patton & that no motive,
OF ufcent potency could be held Torch to any eher
man, to TIE Glame ard odiun of turning an
nioriner. Thole who advocated the prelent proviii
on OF the law exPatiated upon the mchevous confe-
q'ences OF Pariidi emancipation they declared that
much CT the odiurn which accompanies the cha
raetcr OF the infor1er aries from the feh avarice
Which commonly actuates his condue that this opi
MON would not purdue the man who appeared 10 b..
diicharging his Official duty, from regard to public
intere!t and shat the appreciation and fympathy Of
the world would 90 along with every oyerIeer OF the
poor who efened the burthens of the parih by leen-
ing at the fame time the number Of emanciuatsd
blacks.
81 The fr copy Of the bill had specification Of
might be carried from end of the rate TO the other
Should power be given to the overieer Of III. !
pariih into which he was FRI carried, go al pur-
INT oi INN to other pariiheS: Should the power
OF experimenting him Be given the cverieer of tr
parlh where he that time to be found: 70 VIVA,
overieer in ia2 ihoud this power be giYen1 The
words Of the bill intended TO remove every doubt
of this kind.
(D 200 dollars was the fine 6rit 1pulaed in the |
BILL IL was itated however that the fin; ought 10 be
greater, as many naves worth more than thar
FUN and tAat the fire ought to be 70 much greater
than the value Of the fave 70 ncrese the riks and
ltt.tast In ckab1 e f.. Il.