The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-18
yIRGINIA'S BLUE LAWS.
TINE srBIyoBsr AND cRUEL CODE
or COLONIAL DAYS.
ua slave. were Punished for various vi
fenees-Ear Cropping and br"n"'"s
were not Uncommon.

,,.,, laws Of colonial Virginia, Is Noiuine
:, oycr ave hundred pages 0ncluding ta-
10 ~ assemblies. statutes contents ~c')'
hound IN leather. and printed at GLASGOW
scotland in 1859. one hundred and thirty
o. x,ars ago. It's title is Virginia LaNz ,
---rr-~---ff- -ITrIdTcmcni q an the AcIs o.
',..,mblv in Force and Use, and II was
evidently prepared under official super.
VISION Tor use in the colony though i
hears no official imprimatur. 49,,
n. co,eiserinr these old laws IL is pu'
.se.r iuetice 10 say that they were
5rihYfabic 10 the spirit OF the as'' ~"
vvbich thcv were in fun accord anu ,,
q, rougiec the peculiar enaclmc".' "a
.xrenfionally cruel and tyranhlcai ~ -
>1 ,h,o,rh the colonial period ~ VII
~" - ms a very severe and strlh-
pent code for the conirol OF a.. In
-,.ante especially when these were III
&c or negroes. and the white COW 80
.1..,.or,ed from England anu sou 80
,nrros az years, had 10 undeIso ..,,
- that dlncrid from actuaI
80 ~ chiefly. In its limited penou' ~
ssr, slavery existed In the colony D'iV' S
80 arst importation OF AI'i0s''', ia
Ter thaf date the colonial Aie""." 80,
he apily presented IN "A pie'uis - ,n,ict
- ,.here "A crop-cared "m'e CONF
,~,.,,-sarod swine; where req lnu, s.
,.+t.o with an iron collar aiouhu n''
49,, ,'orraed tobacco. and where DionN'
s~N..od African mutilated ana
.1,,.o~sa lmued lamely win MS ny
,,,op- mo Indian corn. In iNa""y -,
rvalter Scott gives us glimpse Oh -
- .'.,,ory in the reign of klcharo -
',s ,be soIneherd. with brass eoiia'
..,1dcred about lis neck bearlns TINS
.rrirfion. "Gurth, the son OF DO -. .
q, he born thrail Of Cedric OF hV'nSi
80, vshie with the swineherd was the
fool or Jester. Wamna, having s D,r.ion
,Ifsr NJ silver. with like descIl
'yiiaI' - Nv a Virginia statute OF
80 ar, runaway negro or Indian slave,
-, hoing taken up, was 10 be DENVER Gu
IN, constable TO constable unth ne
,..,cbed his owner, and 10 receive iasheS
ON his bare back. not eXceeulns INN -
zinc AZ every transfer; but where 'he
a,sror was unknown the runaway was
- Do transmitted I'm ike manner TO the
,,,blic goal al Williamsburg, ana NV -
af,er due advertisement IN the virginia
Gazette. if no owner came FOR MN ne "a We,
"a he hired out. first having an HVn -
lar fastened around his neck DeStinS <. 'l vi
isttere "P. c." the initials OF PUBIC 1doi'
Ear-Cropping.
Ear-cropping was more imparually au,
ninigtored 10 all colOrs. and 10 pohu anu
IRE. alike. who were guilty OF CERTAIN VI
fences. as hog-stealiug perjury anu 'nS
me and the prescribed appurteuances OF
n,'o,,, comfy gaoi we're pillory, a whip
ring-post and stocks, together ~lth
duckng-stool at some convenient place,
81 the county court saw fit, for the cool
ine of common scOds In case OF hos
stealing for instance. the criminal wa
laebed on hia bare back. then stood II
she pillory for two hours, with his ear
nailed thereto, at the end OF when uin'
his ears were to be cut loose from th'
nails. The third offence OF hos-steaiihi
incurred the penalty Of death Wlthou
berent of clergy, and this extreme pehaI'!
was inflicted for horse-steallns' mousse
breaking and house-burning.
Servants Of all cOlOrs as well as negro
and Indian slaves. paid with their skins
I'm all cases where fines were imposed or
others. and these others also received
iashes. If they failed To pay their fines
and had no property to satisfy the I'm
positions Christian White servants cOul'
be whipped by their masters or employ
crs. but mot naked without an orde
from the county court" and il appears
that even tradesmen. workmen. or me
ehanics or other hired wOrkmen refused
tracts made i'm England and elsewhere
were regarded and treated as servants
and fn case of Il strike where me
chanics or ohter hired workmen refuse'
TO work-every striker was required Il
work two days without wages for ever
day he was absent from his work. beside
according such other satisfaction TO hi
EMPLOYER as the court should determine
All tramps. or wandering laborers an
workmen. were declared rogues and vaga
bonds. who were 90 be arrested by al
magistrates and sent from constable I
constable. with lashes on every transfe
tas in case Of runaway slaves, Till the
were returned 10 their proper parishes
where they were required TO give securit!
Tor good behavior and betake themselVe
at once 10 lawful labor; or, falling ]
this, they were TO be hired out 10 IN
highest bidders for the benefit of the
wives and children. In case they were
such 81 repute that nobody would III
them. every one was TO receive thir'
lashes on his bare back, ana be on
charged. with continuing liability TO II
same punishment for every otence
vagrancy
Runawayz Outlawed.
IN any case where a runaway sla'
lurked in the woods and swamps' KUN
hogs and committing other depreciation
he was outlawed. and any person mig
sqawfully kin and destroy him H. III CO
recting his slave any master gave DIG
bv reason OF which the slave died, j
bodv could be punished or prescott
therefor II was also declared that a
negro. or other slave, preparing, eNhip
ing or administering any medicine VIM
ever should be adiudged guilty OF felon
and suffer death without beneht OF ciett
-,.bis provision, however, wnb 50 M
gated AZ 10 relieve from the penalty a
slave who acted In obedience 10 |
orders OF his master. II no malicious
tent appeared and no harm ensued
10 steal slave chat IL. from virgil
master in the colony was capital erin
All servants imported. nevertheless. We
ipso facto slaves, unless they were chr
tlan whites or proved that they were %
lively free I'm England, or in the count
from which they came. by an act OF ]
slaves and their increase could be attat
ed 10 any lands and tenements SETTLE
conveyed or devised In fee-tail or
life or lives, and go as part Of the freeho
There was much legislation by Govern
and council. or by the House of Burgess
for the encouragement or protection
colonial home production, but special
tentlon Is called only TO the high tariff
imported slaves toward the latter part
the last century. In 1857 the import d.
had reached 30 per ccntum al Valorem
Unless in a case OF contesting claimai
there was precious little scrutiny In q
lier colonial times, into the title where
any one obtained or held his slave. \
only negroes and mulattoes, but India
and even whites Gin some cases. w
made slaves by no regular process VIII
ever. The later laws irresishbiy raise