American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1865-12-07

| MalaHoeS.
Sec. /. Be it enacted by the Legisla
lure of the State of Mississippi, That i,
shall be the duty Of all sheriffs, justices
of the peace, and other civil officers Of
The several counties in this State, TO re
port to the Probate Courts of their re-
spectiye counties, semi~annually. at the
January and July terms of said courts,
all freedmen. free negroes and mulattoes,
under the age of eighteen, within their
respective counties, beats or districts, who
are orphans, or whose parent or parents
have not the means, or who refuse to
provide for and support said minors, and
thereupon it shall be the duty of said
Probate Court, TO order the clerk OF said
court to apprentice said minors to some
competent and suitable person, on such
terms as the court may direct, having q
particular care to the interest of said
minor. Provided, that the former own
err of said minors shall have the prefer
ence, when in The opinion Of the court,
he or she shall be suitable person for
the purpose.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That the
said court shall be fully satisfied that the
person or persons to whom said minor
shall be apprenticed, shall be suitable
person 10 have the charge and care OF
said minor, and fully to protect The in
terest Of said minor. The said court shall
require the said master or mistress to ex-
ecule bond and security; payable to the
State of Mississippi, conditioned that he
or she shall furnish said minor with suf-
ficient food and clothing, to treat said
minor humanely, furnish medical atten>
ton in case of sickness; teach or cause
to be taught him or her to read and write,
if under fifteen years old, and will con
folm to any law that ma! be hereafter
passed for tie regulation of tbe duties
and relation Of master and apprentice
Provided, that said apprentice shall be
bound by indenture, in case Of males
until they are twenty.one years old.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That in
the management and control Of said APP
said master or mistress shall
have power to iuhict such moderate cor
poral chastisement as father or guar
dian is allowed to ilnict on lis or her
child or ward at common law Provd-
ed, that in no case shall cruel or inhu'
man punishment be inflicted.
Sec 4. BE it further enacted, That
If any apprentice shall leave the employ
ment of his or her master or mistress,
without his or consent. said master or
mistress may pursue and capture said APP
prentice, and bring him or her before any
Justice of the peace Of the county, whose
duty shall be to remand said apprentice
to the service of bis or her master or mis-.
tress; and in the eveIt Of refusal on the
part of said spIrentce so TO return, then
said justice shall commit said apprentice
to the Jail Of said county, and on failure
to give bond, until the next term of the
county court; and it shall be the dEty
of said court, at the first term thereafter,
to investigate said case, and if the court
shall be Of opinion that said apprentice
left tie employment Of his or her mas
ter or mistress without good cause, 10 or
der him or her to be punished, as pro-
vided for the punishment Of hired freed
men, as may be from time TO time pro-
yided for by law, for desertion, until be
or she shall agree TO return TO bis or her
master or mistress Provided, that the
court may grant continuances, as in oth~
er cases; and provided further, that II the
court shall believe that said apprentice
had good cause to quit bis said master or
mistress, the court shall discharge said
apprentice from said indenture, and also
enter judgement against the master or
mistress, for not more than one hundred
dollars for the use and benefit Of said APP
prentice, to be collected Oh execution as
in other cases.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That
if any person entice away any aPpren-
lice from his or her master or mistress,
or knowingly employ an apprentice, or
furnish him or her food or ciot.dDg. with
out the written consent of his or her mas