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or suffer such slave to be about his house or land during the space of one hour or longer, such person shall forfeit and pay at the rate of two dollars for every hour such slave shall be by him so entertained or permitted or suffered to be about his house or land, one-half of which shall be for the use of the party aggrieved, provided prosecution for the same be begun within three months, otherwise to the use of the informer, provided prosecution for the same be commenced within twelve months after such offence.

SEC. 2. No master of a vessel coming into this District, and entering to trade therein, shall suffer any slave to frequent his vessel or come on board, or shall conceal such slave on his or other vessel. If any slave shall be kept concealed on board any vessel coming into and trading within this District for the space of one hour or longer, the master or commander of such vessel shall forfeit and pay at the rate of three dollars for ever hour such slave shall be suffered to frequent his vessel, or shall be kept or concealed on board his vessel, to the party owning such slave: provided, however, it shall and may be lawful for any master or commander of such vessel to hire any slave. from an inhabitant of this District to work on board his vessel.

SEC. 3. Any free negro harboring or entertaining any slave unlawfully absenting himself from his master or owner, shall forfeit twenty dollars, one-half to the use of the party aggrieved.

SEC. 4. Any slave knowingly harboring or entertaining any slave unlawfully absenting himself from his master or owner, for and during the space of one hour or longer, shall, on conviction before any justice of the peace, be punished by whipping with a number of stripes not exceeding thirty-nine, in the discretion of such justice.

SEC. 5. If any person shall encourage any slaves to meet in companies on his premises, unless on lawful occasions, he shall forfeit twenty dollars.

SEC. 6. The owner of any premises discovering thereon any slaves not belonging to him, unless such slaves be sent by their owners, on lawful occasions, shall warn such slaves to go home to their masters or owners; and if such slaves refuse or delay so to do, the said owner of the premises may punish them by whipping, not exceeding thirtynine stripes.

SEC. 7. Any person who shall trade, barter, or deal with any slave belonging to any inhabitant of this District, without the consent of the master or owner of such slave, shall forfeit thirty dollars,

one-half to the United States and the other to the use of the master or owner of the goods sold or bartered. If the goods so traded or bartered exceed in value fifteen dollars, the owner thereof may also have and maintain an action against the person dealing with such slave for any damages sustained by him.

SEC. 8. Any person permitting and authorizing any slave belonging to him in his own right, or possessed by him in the right of another, to go at large, or hire himself within this District, except during ten days at harvest, shall forfeit twenty dollars for every month such slave shall be permitted to go at large, or hire himself.

SEC. 9. Any person who shall hire a slave by contract with such slave, except during ten days at harvest, shall forfeit twenty dollars per month; provided, that any person may permit his slave, being a pilot, to hire himself in such capacity, and any person may employ as a pilot any slave known or generally reputed to be a pilot.

SEC. 10. Any person who shall permit an insane, aged, or infirm slave owned by him, or under his control, to go at large, without adequate provision for his support, or shall suffer any slave belonging to him to become burdensome to other persons, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding fifty dollars. Such person may also be required by the criminal court to enter into a recognizance, with sufficient security, in the sum of one hundred dollars, that such slave shall not become burdensome to other people. If any person shall, by sale, gift, or otherwise, dispose of any insane, aged, or infirm slave, either such person, or the donee or vendee accepting the same, may be proceeded against as the owner of such slave under this section.

SEC. 11. If any slave shall run away, or abscond from the service of his master or owner, contrary to the will of such master or owner, such running away or absconding shall not be deemed or taken to be a departing and remaining at large, within the meaning of any section of this chapter.

CHAPTER 46.

OF RUNAWAY SLAVES.

SECTION

1. Runaway slaves may be arrested; proceedings to be had thereon.

2.

SECTION 1. Any runaway slave may be arrested and taken before a justice of the peace, who may commit such runaway slave to the custody of the marshal of this District. It shall be the duty of said marshal, when any runaway slave shall be committed to his custody, to advertise the same, for a reasonable time, in some newspaper published in Washington City, within ten days after such commitment, giving a particular description of the clothing, person, and bodily marks of such runaway.

SEC. 2. If the master or owner of such runaway slave, or agent of such master or owner, shall not apply for such runaway, and prove his title to the same, within the space of sixty days from the date of the first advertisement as aforesaid, and pay, or secure to be paid, all such legal costs and charges as have accrued by reason of apprehending, imprisoning, and advertising such runaway, it shall be the duty of the marshal to carry such runaway before the judge of the criminal court, with his commitment. Such judge shall examine and inquire, by such means as he shall deem most advisable, whether such suspected runaway be a slave or not; and if he have reasonable grounds to believe that such suspected runaway is a slave, he may remand him to jail, to be confined for such further time as he may think right and proper. If such judge shall have reason to believe that such suspected runaway is the slave of any particular person, he shall cause such notice to be given by the marshal to such supposed owner as he may think advisable. But if the said judge shall not have reasonable ground to believe such suspected runaway to be a slave, he shall order him to be released. If no person shall apply for such suspected runaway, after he has been remanded as aforesaid, within the time for which he may have been remanded, and prove his title, the marshal shall, at the expiration of such time, discharge him.

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SECTION 1. All slaves now within this District, or hereafter brought therein in accordance with the provisions of law, and the future. descendants of female slaves, shall be slaves during their natural lives, unless manumitted and set free according to law.

SEC. 2. No slave shall be permitted, within this District, to carry any gun or other offensive weapon off his master's land, without a license from such master; if any slave offend against the provisions of this section, he may be carried before any justice of the peace, and by him ordered to be whipped, not exceeding thirty-nine stripes. Such gun or other offensive weapon shall be forfeited to him who shall seize the same and carry such slave before such justice.

SEC. 3. Any slave selling intoxicating liquor, or keeping entertainment at any muster ground, or other public place, without the order or permission of his owner in writing, shall be liable to be apprehended and punished, in the discretion of any justice of the peace, twenty stripes.

SEC. 4. The value of a slave condemned and executed, or reprieved for sale and transportation, shall be paid to the owner out of the treasury; such value shall be the cash price for which he would sell at public sale, with a knowledge of the crime for which he was condemned. It shall be fixed by the criminal court and entered of record, and paid by the marshal to the owner. If such slave be a slave only for a term of years, or for the life of another person, he shall be valued accordingly.

SEC. 5. A slave brought into this District contrary to law, or who, in passing through it, or temporarily sojourning in it, committed the offence for which he is condemned, shall not be valued by the criminal court, or paid for out of the treasury; nor shall a slave be so paid

for who may be condemned for an offence, in the commission of which his owner was either principal or accessory, and convicted thereof.

SEC. 6. A negro shall be a competent witness for or against a negro in any criminal proceeding, and shall be a competent witness in any civil case to which only negroes are parties, but not in any other case.

SEC. 7. No negro shall be entitled to the privilege of voting at elections, or of being elected or appointed to any office of profit or

trust.

SEC. 8. Slaves shall be deemed personal estate.

SEC. 9. Every person who has any negro blood, shall be deemed to be a negro within the meaning of any section of this Code, unless otherwise specially provided.

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