Year: 1865

| bate courts of their respective counties,


semi-annCally at the January and July


terms of saii courts, all freedmen, free ne


groes and mulaisoes, under the age of eigh-
teen. 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 pro-
bate court to order the clerks Of said courts


to apprentice said miners to some compt-


tent and suitable persons, on such terms as


the court may direct, having particular
| care to the interest of said minor Pro-
vided, that the former owner of said minor


shall have the preference, when, in the opin
| ion of the court, he or she shall be suitable
| person for that purpose.


SEC. 2. Be Il 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 to
| have the charge and care Of said minor, and
| fully to protect the interest of said minor.
| The said court shall require the said master
| or mistress to execute bond and security,
| PAYABLE to the State of Mississippi, cOndi-
! toned that he or she shall furnish said mi
nor with sufficient 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 wears old and will conform to any
| law that NAV hereafter be passed for the re-
| gulation of the duties and relation of master
| and apprentice; Provided, That said appren-
tice shall be bound by indenture in case of
males, until they are twenty-one years old.
SEC. 3. BE Il further enacted, That in the
management and control of said apprentices,
i chalT hovs IN.
| infiict such moderate corporal chastisement
as A father or guardian is allowed to inflict
on his or her child or ward at common law;
Provided, That in no case shall cruel or In
human punishment be inflicted.


SEC. 4. BE It further enacted, That if any
apprentice shall leave the employment of
his or her master or mistress, without his or
| her consent, said master or mistress may
pursue and recapture said apprentice, and
| bring him or her before any justice of the
peace of the county, whose duty it shall be
| to remand said apprentice to the service Of
| his or her master or MISTRESS and in the
event ola refusal on the part of said appren-
| tice to 30 return, then said justice shall COM
| nit said apprentice to the Jail of said county,
| on failure to give bond, until the next term
of the county court and 1t shall be the duty
| Of said court, at the first term thereafter, to
| investigate the said case, and if the court
shall be of opinion that said apprentice left
the employment of his master or mistress
without good cause to order her or him to
be punished, as provided for the punishment
! of hired freedmen, as may be from time to
time provided for by law, for desertion,
until he or she shall agree TO return TO his or
her master or mistr1lE Prorided, That the
| court may grant continuances, as IN other
cases and provided further, that if the
court shall believe that the said apprentice
shall have good cause to quit his said master
or mistress the court shall discharge said
| apprentice from said indenture and also
| enter Judgment against the master or mis-
tress. for not more than one hundred dollars
| for the use of said apprentice, to be collected


on execution, as in other cases.


SEC. 5. Be IL further enacted, That if any
| person entice away any apprentice from his
! or her master or mistress, or shall knowing
| " employ an apprentice, or furnish him or
| her food or clothing without the written
| consent of his or her master or mistress, or
shall sell or give said apprentice ardent
spirits without such consent, said person so
offending shall be deemed guilty of high


misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction
thereof before the county court, be punished


as provided for the punishment of persons
enticing from their employer hired freedmen,
| free negroes or mulattoes.


SEC. 6. Be II further enacted, That 1t shall


be the duty of all civil officers of their re-


spective counties, to report any minors with
| in their respective counties, TO said probate
court. who are subject to be apprenticed


under the provisions of this act, from time


to time, as the facts may come to their


knowledge; and it shall be the duty of said


court, from time to time, as said minors shall


be reported to them or otherwise come to their
knowledge, to apprentice said minors as


herein before provided.


SEC Z. Be IL further enacted, That IN case


the master or mistress of any apprentice


shall DESIRE he or she may have the privl-


lege to summon his or her said apprentice


to the probate court, and thereupon, with


the approval of the court, he or she shall be


released from all liability as master or mis-


tress of said apprentice, and his said bond


shall be Cancelled; and it shall be the duty


of the court forthwith to re-apprentice said


minor and in the event any master of an


apprentice shall die before the term of ser
! vice of said apprentice shall close, it shall


be the duty Of the court to give the prefer


ence. in re-apprenticing said minor, to the


widow or other member of said masters


family: Porided, That said widow or other


member of said family shall be a suitable


person for such purpose.


SEC. 8. BE It further enacted, That in case


any master or mistress OF any apprentice,


bound to him or her under this act shall be
! about to remove, or shall have removed to


anv other State Of the United States by the
| laws Cf which such apprentice may be an IN


habitant thereof, the probate court of the


proper county may authorize the removal OF
such apprentice to such State, upon said mas
| ter or mistress entering into bond, with secu-


rity, in a penalty to be fixed by the judge,
| conditioned that said master or mistress will,
upon such removal, comply with the laws of
such State in such cases; Prorided, That said
! master shall be cited to attend the court at
which such order is proposed to be made,


and shall hare right to resist the same by


next friend or otherwise.


SEC. 9. Be II further enacted, That it shall
| be lawful for any freedmen, free negro or


mulatto, having a miner child or children,
| to apprentice the said minor child or chill


dren as provided for by this act.


SEC. TO- Be Il further eRdded, That IN all


cases where the age Of the freedman, free ne
| groor mulatto cannot be ascertaiBed by record


testimony, the judge Of the county court


shall fix the age.


| SEC H. BE Il further enacted, That this act


take effect and be in force from and after It's


gassage.-[ Approved Nov. p, 1860


How ONE PLANTER FILLS HIS PLANTA-