Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-04

sum of two dollars Cor the use Of the poor
Iof his county or corporatic6.
And ii any waterman or watermen, be.
ing tree, shall hereafter be Diet, cted in
burning or stealing rails, or other wood al.
ready Cut, cutting locust or other trees,
stealing grain o. any kind. livestock of a..
! ny kind, or other thing whatsoever, and be
convicted thereof, before any justice OF the
lpeace, having jurisdiction OF the case,
shall forfeit and pay to the over Of the
property so stolen, cue or burnt, treble
the value thereof, to be fxed by the judg-
nent Of tire justice before whom such oifen..
Ter may be convic,esi, upon such ey dcnce
as To him shall be convincing (which JUS
tice is hereby required 20 issue execution
agaiost the goods and chattles of the offen-
dec, ia favor oi the owner OF any such sto.
len property, for the amount Of such judg-
ment AID cosIs of,pfosecution,. directed to
any sheriff, or constable, who shall exc.
cute and return the same, aud be liable to
the same remedies and fines for neglect OF
duty as in case of o;her executions. And
the said offender or Offenders, shall suffer
such other pains and punishments as are
| by law for srch offences mxds and provid-
ed. But when the testimony OF the owner
Of he properly, so stolen, cut or burnt, shall
be necessary 10 the conviction, of the oiten.
der or offenders, the same course shall be
pursued, except that the forfeFere OF three
] times the value shall be paid to the msgis-
trate who issued The execution or oGecuti.
ons for the use OF The poor of his county or
lcorporation. And when any slave CT slaves
shall be convicted of any or eiiner of the
aforesaid offences, the owner of, or person
hiring the said slave or siav.s, shall for.
tei' and payto the owner ofthe property so
stolen, cut or burnt, the iull and equal val
ue thereof-to De ascertained and recover
ed. against such owner or person hiring,
as in the case of free person and the
said slave or slaves shall receive twenly
lashes on his or their bare backs for the
first offence--and, for the second offence,
the same forfeiture shall be incarred by
such master or person hiring, and double
the number of lashes inflicted upon such of
fender--and, for the third offence, as we'll
as for every succeeding offence, three times
he said forteituTes snail be paid by such
master or person hir:rg, and tue same num-
Der of lsshes shall be inflicted as tor the Sc.
cond offence. Butwheu the testimony of the
owner OF the property, 80 stolen, cut or
burnt, shall be necessary 20 the conviction
Of the sad slave or slaves, the iurfci.urcs
shall be paid as in the case Of a free per-
son. for the use OF the poor.
And be it further enacted, That all per-
sons who shall hereafter load any boat, in
whole or in part, shall grant 70 the head
man of the boat manifest OF sucn loading,
giving particular description OF the quail
ty OF zach article, and whether in b,gs
boxes, barrels, hogs-beads and SO forth,
and sh all keep copy of the said manifest;
and the said headnan of t.e boat shall de-
liver 10 the said Inspector of boats his mani
test, before he shall diligently and minute
ly examine the said boats, and compare
the articles found on board with the mani
IfesA which manifest shalt be filed Ia the
lsaidVpspector's Office and, ii ne shall find
pb1y afticle OH board of any boat. not con-
<aine9 in the SAID manifest, the necessary
tprovlsions and furniture of the said boas
excepted, he shall take from On board als
isY<h articles into his custody, anu advertise
l<he same, giving true description there
OF, tor the space of six weeks In some one
of the pubic prints in Richmond to be sold
for cash Provided tb2t perishable aru.-
cles may be sold immediately tor cash and
advertised afterwards-and prov Eed, mat
owners of such arucies, proving their right
to the same, within the space OF six ,nonths
after the date of the advertise ment shall
have such articles, If claimed before the
sale, or the money arising FROM the safe,
il claimed afterwards, aud before the cad
of the said space of six nonths--the said
owner paying the expences OF advertising
the. same--sll monies arising irom such
sales, and remaining in the hapns OF me
sad inspector after the space OF SIX mouins
snail bs by h'm paid into the public lIea.
|sury for the use on the Commonwealth.
And when any free negro or mulatto shall
give manifest OF any loading put On board
of any boat, he or she snail OBTAIN a Ger
tifcate from some respectable white per.
son, certifying the truth OF the manifest,
and his or ner right to the property there
in mentioned which certificate shall &C.
company the said manifest and the per.
son granting such certificate shal's geep
copy thereof.
And be it further enacted, that it shall be
Che duty OF every navigator II boat on the
sad river and its branches when he shall take
on board any species Of property, for sale or
transportation, which he claims as his own, to
get a certificate from some respectable per-
SON in the neighboarhoodJ where he shall take
the same, Stang the quantity and the partca-
lar kind ofproperty SO shipped.
And be it further enacted, that, in future,
every free waterman who sbsli receive OF
board of his boat or other vessel any produce,
goods, wares or merchant &c, and shall en-
oezzle she same, or any part thereof. to the
value of dollars and upw ards, shall be dee
M Il lf., nF tain