a team, &c. Penalty negligently or wilfully leave the same to go at large in any such highway, street, lane or gangway, shall pay a like fine of five dollars, to be recovered as aforesaid, in an action to be brought against the owner or the person having the care thereof as aforesaid, at the election of the plaintiff. 1813 22. Town may li An act relating to Theatrical Exhibitions. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That the town-councils cence the- of the several towns in this State be and they are hereby atrical authorized and empowered to licence, regulate, and as ances, &c. they shall find expedient, prohibit and suppress theatrical perform Penalty cence. forming performances, rope and wire-dancing, and all other public shows and performances, in their respective towns: and that when such exhibitions shall be licenced by the town-council of any town, they shall be subject to such regulations and restrictions as shall be prescribed by said town-council, who are hereby further authorized to appoint constables, or other proper officers, (at the expence of the person or persons to whom said licence is granted,) whose duty it shall be to prevent riots, and all disorderly behavior, and to execute the orders of said council. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after for allow the passing of this act, all and every person or persons ing such without li- who shall allow of any such exhibitions as aforesaid, without licence, in any house or room to him or them belonging, or under his or their control, shall forfeit and pay as a fine for every such offence, the sum of fifty dollars; For per- and that all and every person or persons, acting or perwithout. forming in any such exhibitions, without licence, shall forfeit and pay as a fine, for every such offence, the sum of two hundred dollars; which sums may be sued for and recovered by action of debt, in the name of the towntreasurer of the town in which such offence is committed, in any court of competent jurisdiction, one half thereof for the use of the informant, and the other half for the use of the town. Fee for licence. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said town-councils to demand and receive of such person or persons to whom licences may be granted by virtue of this act, a sum not exceeding twenty dollars for the same; which sums shall be paid by said town-council into the town-treasury of said town where such exhibitions shall be permitted. 1766 '74 An act relative to Slaves, and their manumission and support. 7984 85 '98, 1804 122. brought SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and the authority thereof it is enacted, That for the future no ne- No slave gro, mulatto or indian slave shall be brought into this to be State; and if any slave shall hereafter be brought in, he or into the she shall be and hereby is rendered immediately free, so far State, &c. as respects personal freedom and the enjoyment of private property, in the same manner as the native indians: Pro- Proviso. vided nevertheless, That this act shall not be deemed to extend to the domestic slaves or servants of citizens of other States or of foreigners travelling through the State or coming to reside therein; nor to servants or slaves escaping from service or servitude in other States, or in foreign countries, and coming of their own accord into this State. ing slaves SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any person Penalty shall bring into this State any slave or slaves with the in- for bringtent that they may thereby become free, or shall be into the aiding or abetting therein, he or she so offending shall State. forfeit and pay the sum of three hundred dollars for each slave so brought in, to be recovered by action of debt, one moiety thereof to and for the use of the State, and the other moiety to and for the use of the person who shall sue for the same. cealing SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any person For conshall conceal any negro or mulatto slave, or shall in any slaves. manner assist such slave in escaping from the lawful authority of his or her master, the person so offending shall forfeit and pay the sum of three hundred dollars, to be recovered by action of debt, one moiety thereof to and for the use of the State, and the other moiety thereof to and for the use of the person who shall sue for the same. ing off SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That if any person or For foreipersons shall forcibly or fraudulently, by themselves or bly carryothers, carry off or transport, or attempt to carry off or slaves. transport, from this State, any person bound to slavery by the laws of this State, against such slave's consent, such carrying off or transporting, or attempt to transport or carry off, shall operate against the person or persons so On proof offending, as a total defeasance and forfeiture of all their right, title and claim to such slave. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That upon due proof thereof, being made by such slave, or any other person in his or emancipa- her behalf, before any justice of the peace or warden, that slave to be ted. Certificate consent to such an attempt has been made as aforesaid; it shall be the duty of said justice to give under his hand and seal, a statement of the facts attending such transportation, and a certificate of the total emancipation of said slave, by virtue of which statement and certificate the said slave shall for ever thereafter be liberated and emancipated from the claim and power of the persons concerned in said attempt. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That nothing shall be of slave's deemed evidence of the consent of a slave to be transbe transported out of the State, except a certificate of two or more justices of the peace or wardens in the town where such slave may reside, to the following purport, viz: ported. Previso. Penalty for transporting slaves. We the subscribers, justices of the peace in the town of county of and State of RhodeIsland and Providence Plantations, do hereby certify, that a slave, about fore belonging to years of age, hereto and usually serving in this town, hath appeared before us at two several times, three days asunder, in the absence of owner, and under no apparent restraint or duress, hath fully at each time declared of the town of state of consent to be sold to ; and to be forthwith carried to said town to reside with the said Witness our hands this in a state of day of Provided always, That in case any slave shall become criminally and notoriously unfaithful, and the owner thereof shall allege and make proof of the same, at the court of general sessions of the peace in the county where such slave may reside, the said court, after hearing said slave by his counsel, said slave being present in court, may authorize and empower the said owner to transport said slave to any part of the United States. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall transport, or cause to be transported out of this State, any slave or slaves contrary to this act, the person so of fending shall forfeit and pay the sum of three hundred dollars for every slave so transported, to be recovered by action of debt, one half to and for the use of the State, and the other half to and for the use of the person who shall sue for the same; provided that nothing herein contained Proviso. shall be deemed or taken to extend to the masters or owners of domestic servants or slaves, being citizens of other States, or foreigners travelling through this State, or coming to reside therein; nor to the masters or owners of servants or slaves escaping from service or servitude in other States, or in foreign countries, and coming of their own accord into this State. born after 1784, free. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That no person born Persons within this State on or after the first day of March, A. D. 1784, shall be deemed or considered a servant for life, or a slave; and that all servitude for life or slavery of children to be born as aforesaid in consequence of the condition of their mothers, be and the same is hereby taken away, extinguished and for ever abolished. how sup SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That every child born Childres on or after the said first day of March, A. D. 1784, whose of slaves, mother is or shall be a slave, shall be supported and main- ported. tained by the owner of the mother, until such child arrive at the age of twenty-one years, provided the owner of the mother shall during that time hold her in slavery. blacks, SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That other children of Children black or colored parents, born on or after said first day of other of March, A. D. 1784, whose parents are unable to support how supthem, shall be supported and maintained by the towns ported." where they are legally settled: Provided nevertheless, That the respective town-councils may bind out such children as apprentices at any time after they arrive at the age of one year, and before they arrive at the respective ages of twenty-one, if males, and eighteen, if females. Proviso. age of 30, supported. SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That all persons hol- Slaves unden in servitude or slavery, who shall be emancipated by der the those who claim them, shall be supported in the same emancipamanner as other paupers, if they shall become chargea- ted, how ble; provided they shall be at the time of their emancipation under the age of thirty years, and of sound body and mind; to be judged of and determined by the towncouncils of the towns in which they may reside: and that Over that all persons holden in servitude or slavery, who may not be age, how of the description last mentioned, and shall be manumitted or emancipated by their owners, or who shall not be supported, Appeal allowed. Terms of emancipated according to the provisions of this act, shall be maintained and supported at the cost and charge of their owners, their heirs, executors or administrators, if they shall ever become chargeable to the town or towns in which they shall reside. SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That any person or persons aggrieved by any decree or judgment of the town-council of any town, under this act, or by the refusal of any town-council to exercise the powers hereby vested in them, may appeal to the supreme judicial court, for the same county, at any term within thirty days next after such decree, judgment or refusal, and the decree or judgment of said supreme judicial court upon such appeal shall be final. SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the party apappeal. pealing shall file reasons of appeal in the clerk's office of said court ten days before the sitting of the court appealed to; and cause the clerk of the town-council from whose decree or refusal the appeal shall be made, to be cited five days before the sitting of said court, by leaving with him a copy of said reasons of appeal. 1770. Disorderly houses negroes to up, &c. And such An act for breaking up Disorderly Houses, kept by Free Negroes and Mulattoes, and for putting out such Negroes and Mulattoes to service. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That upon complaint being made kept by to any town-council in this State of any free negro or mube broken latto who shall keep a disorderly house, or entertain any person or persons at unseasonable hours, or in an extravagant manner, such town-council be and they are hereby empowered to examine into the truth of the complaint, and if they shall find such free negro or mulatto guilty of the same, they may, if they think proper, break up from negroes housekeeping such negro or mulatto, and bind out such bound out. free negro or mulatto to service, for any term not exceeding two years: that the wages of every free negro or mulatto so bounden out, which shall remain after the expiration of his servitude, and which shall not have been expended in maintaining him and his family, be paid to such negro or mulatto, unless the town-council shall deem it most for the interest of the town, and of such negro or mulatto, to reserve the same for the maintenance of himself and his family. Wages, how ap plied. |