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The Statutes at Large of South Carolina

EDITED, UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE, BY David J. McCord

VOLUME SEVENTH, CONTAINING THE ACTS RELATING TO CHARLESTON, COURTS, SLAVES, AND RIVERS.

COLUMBIA, S.C. PRINTED BY A.S. JOHNSTON. 1840.

NOTICE.

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As it is an age when our institutions are likely to be misrepresented, the Editor thinks it proper to call the attention of the reader to the fact that all laws on the subject of slaves, from the year 1690 to 1751, included between the pages 343 and 426, of this volume, expired before the revolution. If the false philanthropist of the day chooses to quarrel with any enactments during that period, let him recollect that they were British, not American Law; and that the free people of South Carolina have no cause to blush at any enactment of theirs.

ACTS RELATING TO SLAVES.

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AN ACT FOR THE BETTER ORDERING OF SLAVES.

I. Be it enacted, by his Excellency, William, Earle of Craven, Palatine, and the rest of the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of this Province, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and it is herby enacted by the authority of the same, That no person whatsoever shall send or give leave to any negro or Indian slave, under his or their care, charge or ownership, to go out of their plantations, unless such as usually wait on their persons, without a ticket, or one more white men in their company; in which ticket shall be expressed their names and numbers, and also, from and to what place they are intended for, and time, on penalty of forty shillings, and paying for taking up such slave as a runaway; and whosoever shall not endeavor to apprehend any negro or Indian slave, coming into their plantations aforesaid, or where they have care or charge, (except such as have tickets before excepted as aforesaid,) and apprehending any, shall not punish them by moderate whipping, shall forfeit forty shillings; and if any negro or Indian slave shall offer any violence, by striking or the like, to any white person, he shall for the first offence be severely whipped by the constable, by order of any justice of peace; and for the second offence, by like order, shall be severely whipped, his or her nose slit, and face burnt in some place; and for the third offence, to be left o two justices and three sufficient freeholders, to inflict death, or any other punishment, according to their discretion; Provided, such striking or conflict be not by command of or in lawful defenceof their owner’s persons.

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