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confine, or assist in shipping, embarking, receiving, detaining, or con fining on board any ship, vessel, or boat, any person or persons for the purpose of his, her, or their being carried away, conveyed, or removed as a slave or slaves; or for the purpose of his, her, or their being imported, or brought as a slave or slaves, into any island, colony, country, territory, or place whatsoever, or for the purpose of his, her, or their being sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as a slave or slaves; then and in every such case, the persons so offending shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of piracy, felony, and robbery, and being convicted thereof shall suffer death without benefit of clergy.—and loss of lands, goods, and chattels, as pirates, felons, and robbers upon the seas ought to suffer. § 9.

Persons dealing in slaves, or exporting or importing slaves; or shipping slaves in order to exportation or importation; or fitting out slave ships; or embarking capital in the slave trade; or guaranteeing slave adventures; or shipping goods, &c. to be employed in the slave trade; or serving on board slave ships as captain, master, &c. surgeon, &c.; or insuring slave adventures; or forging instruments relating to the slave laws, declared guilty of felony, &c.-And (except in such special cases as are by this act permitted) if any persons shall deal or trade in, purchase, sell, barter, or transfer, or contract for the dealing or trading in, purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of slaves, or persons intended to be dealt with as slaves; or shall, otherwise than as aforesaid, carry away, or remove, or contract for the carrying away or removing of slaves or other persons, as or in order to their being dealt with as slaves; or shall import or bring, or eontract for the importing or bringing, into any place whatsoever, slaves or other persons, as or in order to their being dealt with as slaves; or shall otherwise, than as aforesaid, ship, tranship, embark, receive, detain, or confine on board, or contract for the shipping, transhipping, embarking, receiving, detaining, or confining on board of any ship, vessel, or boat, slaves or other persons, for the purpose of their being carried away or removed, as or in order to their being dealt with as slaves; or shall ship, tranship, embark, receive, detain, or confine on board, or contract for the shipping, transhipping, embarking, receiving, detaining, or confining on board of any ship, vessel, or boat, slaves or other persons, for the purpose of their being imported or brought into any place whatsoever, as or in order to their being dealt with as slaves; or shall fit out, man, navigate, equip, despatch, use, employ, let or take to freight or on hire, or contract for the fitting out, manning, navigating, equipping, despatching, using, employing, letting, or taking to freight or on hire, any ship, vessel, or boat, in order to accomplish any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have herein before been declared unlawful; or shall knowingly and wilfully lend or advance, or become security for the loan or advance, or contract for the lending or advancing, or becoming security for the loan or advance of money, goods, or effects, employed or to be employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have hereinbefore been declared unlawful; or shall knowingly and wilfully become guarantee or security, or contract for the becoming guarantee or security, for agents employed or to be employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have hereinbefore been declared unlawful,

or in any other manner to engage, or contract to engage, directly or indirectly therein, as a partner, agent, or otherwise; or shall knowingly and wilfully ship, tranship, lade, receive or put on board, or contract for the shipping, transhipping, lading, receiving, or putting on board of any ship, vessel, or boat, money, goods, or effects, to be employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have herein before been declared unlawful; or shall take the charge or command, or navigate, or enter and embark on board, or contract for the taking the charge or command, or for the navigating or entering and embarking on board of any ship, vessel, or boat, as captain, master, mate, surgeon, or supercargo, knowing that such ship, vessel, or boat is actually employed, or is in the same voyage, or upon the same occasion, in respect of which they shall so take the charge or command, or navigate or enter and embark, or contract so to do as aforesaid, intended to be employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have hereinbefore been declared unlawful; or shall knowingly and wilfully insure, or contract for the insuring of any slaves, or any property or other subject matter engaged or employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have hereinbefore been declared unlawful; or shall wilfully and fraudulently forge or counterfeit any certificate, certificate of valuation, sentence, or decree of condemnation or restitution, copy of sentence or decree of condemnation or restitution, or any receipt (such receipts being required by this act) or any part of such certificate, certificate of valuation, sentence or decree of condemnation or restitution, copy of sentence or decree of condemnation or restitution, or receipt as aforesaid; or shall knowingly and wilfully utter or publish the same, knowing it to be forged or counterfeited, with intent to defraud his Majesty, or any other person or persons whatsoever, or any body politic or corporate; then and in every such case the persons so offending, and their procurers, counsellors, aiders, and abettors, shall be felons, and shall be transported for a term not exceeding fourteen years, or shall be confined and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding five, nor less than three years, at the discretion of the court before whom such offenders shall be tried. § 10.

Seamen, &c. serving on board such ships guilty of misdemeanour.And (except in such special cases, or for such special purposes as are by this act permitted) if any persons shall enter and embark on board, or contract for the entering and embarking on board of any ship, vessel, or boat, as petty officer, seaman, marine, or servant, or in any other capacity not herein before specifically mentioned, knowing that such ship, vessel, or boat is actually employed, or is in the same voyage, or upon the same occasion, in respect of which they shall so enter and embark on board, or contract so to do as aforesaid, intended to be employed in accomplishing any of the objects, or the contracts in relation to the objects, which objects and contracts have hereinbefore beeu declared unlawful; then, and in every such case the persons so offending, and their procurers, counsellors, aiders, and abettors, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour only, and shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. § 11*

Saving the option to sue for penalties in the vice-admiralty courts.

*But see Exemptions, page 886.

Provided always, that nothing in this act contained, making piracies, felonies, robberies, and misdemeanours of the several offences aforesaid, shall be construed to repeal, annul, or alter the provisions in this act also contained, imposing forfeitures and penalties, or either of them upon the same offences, or to repeal, annul, or alter the remedies given for the recovery thereof; but the said provisions and enactments, forfeitures, and penalties, shall in all respects be in full force, it being the intent and meaning of this act, that the right and privilege heretofore exercised of suing in vice-admiralty courts, for the forfeitures or penalties, shall remain in full force as before the passing of this act; and the jurisdiction of the said vice-admiralty courts, in all cases of forfeitures and penalties imposed by this act, is hereby confirmed. § 12.

Nothing herein shall prevent persons from purchasing slaves in any island, &c. belonging to his Majesty, provided such slaves shall be cmployed in the same island, &c.-Provided always, that nothing in this act shall prevent or be construed to prevent any persons from dealing or trading in, purchasing, selling, bartering, or transferring, or from the contracting for the dealing or trading in, purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of any slave or slaves lawfully being within any island, colony, dominion, fort, settlement, factory, or territory belonging to or in the possession of his Majesty, in case such dealing or trading, purchase, sale, barter, transfer or contract shall be made and entered into with the true intent and purpose of employing or working such slave or slaves within such and the same island, colony, dominion, fort, settlement, factory, or territory, in which they, he, or she may lawfully be at the time of the making or entering into any such dealing or trading, purchase, sale, barter, transfer, or contract. § 13.

Such slaves may be removed coastwise, or by land, to any other part of the same island, &c. Where there are two or more islands comprised in the same colonial government, proprietors of slaves may remove them to any island within the government, the governor granting licence for that purpose.-Provided always, that nothing in this act shall prevent any person from carrying away or removing by land or coastwise, or from contracting for the carrying away or removing by land or coastwise, of any slaves, lawfully being in any part of any island, colony, dominion, fort, settlement, factory, or territory belonging to or in the possession of his Majesty, to any other part of the same island, colony, dominion, fort, settlement, factory, or territory: Provided always, that where two or more islands are comprised in the same colonial government, nothing in this act shall prevent any proprietor of slaves, lawfully being in any one of such islands, from carrying away or removing such slaves to any other island, within the same government, for the purpose of cultivating any estate or plantation belonging to such proprietor himself, provided that such special purpose for the removal shall previously be made to appear to the satisfaction of the governor or lieutenant-governor, or other person having the chief civil command within such government, who thereupon shall grant a licence for such removal, specifying therein the special cause thereof; but before any slave or slaves shall, by virtue of any such licence, be so removed or embarked on board of any ship or vessel, such clearances or permits, and such certificates shall be obtained as are hereinafter mentioned and directed in regard to domestic slaves attending on their owner or master or his family by sea. §14.

His Majesty in council may authorize, until July 31, 1827,* the removal of slaves from any British island in the West Indies to another British island there, in case it shall appear that such removal is essential for the welfare of the slaves; and such stipulations and conditions shall be established for the benefit of such slaves as his Majesty in council shall think fit.-Provided also, that it shall be lawful for his Majesty, by any order or orders, with the advice of his privy council, to authorize, until the 31st of July, 1827, and to the end of the next ensuing session of parliament, and no longer, the removal of any slaves from any island in the West Indies belonging to his Majesty, to any other island in the West Indies belonging to his Majesty, in case it shall be made appear to his Majesty and his council, that such removal is essential to the welfare of the slaves proposed to be removed: also, it shall be lawful for his Majesty, by any such order or orders, to make such stipulations, conditions, and regulations for the benefit of such slaves, in the island to which they may be removed, as to his Majesty, with the advice of his council, may seem meet, and to take security in double the value of the slaves so to be removed (such value. to be estimated according to the price of slaves in the island) by bond or recognizance to be entered into by the person on the application of whom such licence may be granted, with two sufficient sureties, for the due observance of all such stipulations, conditions, and regulations; and all orders in council so issued shall be laid before both houses of parliament within six weeks next after the commencement of each session. § 15.

Convict slaves may be transported from a British island to a foreign settlement.-Nothing in this act shall prevent the transportation to any foreign colony or place, of any slaves that shall have been convicted in any court of record, in any present or future British island or colony, of any crime to which the punishment of transportation shall be annexed by the law of such island or colony; but in every such case a copy of the judgment or sentence, certified by the court, shal! be put on board in the ship or vessel in which any such convict shall be transported. § 16.

Domestic slaves may accompany their masters, under certain regulations. Nothing in this act shall prevent any slave, who shall be really the domestic servant of any person, from attending his owner or master, or any part of his family, by sea, to any place whatever; nevertheless, under the following regulations; that is to say, first, the name and occupation of every such domestic slave shall be inserted in or endorsed upon the clearance or permit to depart, by or in the presence of the collector, comptroller, or chief officer of customs from which such ship or vessel shall clear outwards, who shall, without fee, certify under his hand, that the slaves so embarked or carried were reported to him as domestic servants; secondly, the master or owner of any such domestic slaves shall obtain from the registry of the colony, an extract, certified by the registrar thereof, showing that such domestic slaves have been duly entered in the slave registry of the said colony, by their names and descriptions therein specified, which extract and certificate shall always be on board the ship or vessel in which any such domestic slaves are carried; and upon such slaves being brought

• Continued, 9 Geo. IV c. 84. till 31 July, 1829, but not renewed.

into or landed in any British colony, the extract and certificate of their registration in the colony from which they may have come, shall be forthwith produced to the collector or principal officer of customs, and a copy thereof shall be by him delivered to the registrar of slaves in the colony into which they may be brought; and if the domestic slaves shall be again removed from the colony into which they may have been so brought, previous to the next period for making returns of slaves therein, the collector shall, previous to the embarkation of such domestic slaves, return to the party requiring it the original extract and certificate of registration delivered into his office, to be kept on board the ship or vessel in which such domestic slaves may be carried; and if the regulations herein contained be not complied with, the owners of the said slaves shall forfeit £100 for every slave, and the master or other person having the charge of such ship or vessel shall in every such case forfeit £100 for every domestic slave so unlawfully taken on board.* § 17.

Slaves may be employed in navigation, under certain regulations.— Nothing in this act shall prevent any slaves from being employed in navigation, in numbers not exceeding in any one vessel or boat those usually employed in navigating such vessels or boats; nevertheless where they shall be designedly so employed in navigating from any British island, colony, plantation, or territory, the regulations prescribed for the transit of domestic slaves as aforesaid shall be duly observed. § 18.

As also in fishing, or other their ordinary occupations.-Nothing in this act shall prevent any slaves from being employed in fishing, or any other his ordinary business upon the seas; nevertheless, where they shall be so employed in the course of a navigation designedly undertaken from any British island, colony, plantation, or territory, the regulations prescribed for the transit of domestic slaves as aforesaid shall be duly observed. § 19.

Slaves may be employed in the military and naval services.-Nothing in this act shall prevent any slaves from being put on board any ship or vessel by the order of his Majesty's commander-in-chief, either by sea or land, in any island, colony, plantation, or territory belonging to or under the dominion of his Majesty, in order to be employed in his Majesty's military or naval service, and from being by such order so employed, however or wheresoever the said service may require. § 20.

Slaves in vessels in distress may be assisted.-Nothing in this act shall prevent the transhipping and assisting at sea any slave or slaves which shall be in any ship or vessel in distress. § 21.

The manner in which captured slaves shall be disposed of.—All slaves and all persons treated, dealt with, carried, kept, or detained as slaves, which shall be seized or taken as prize of war, or liable to forfeiture under this act, shall, for the purposes only of seizure, prosecution, and condemnation as prize or as forfeiture, be considered, treated, taken, and adjudged as slaves and property, in the same manner as negro slaves have been heretofore considered, treated, taken, and adjudged when seized as prize of war, or as forfeited for any offence against the laws of trade and navigation; but the same shall be condemned as

But see the end of this Chapter.

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