248 



British Lesishitioii 



lliat purpose between such slave and liis 

 owner, notice of such intended manumis- 

 sion sliall, by the owner of such slave, be 

 given in writing to tlie protector and 

 guardian of slaves, who, on behalf of the 

 said slave, siiall be bound to ascertain that 

 such owner lias good right and title in the 

 law, and is competent to effect such manu- 

 mission. 



SI. That, in ease any such deed of ma- 

 numission as aforesaid shall be executed 

 \oluntariIy and without any valuable con- 

 sideration passing to the owner or other 

 person eti'ecting such manumission, the 

 slave or sluvcs so to be manumitted shall, 

 before the actual execution of any such 

 deed, appear before the said protector 

 and guardian of s'aves, or before the 

 conmiandaiit of the quarter in which such 

 slave may lia|)pen to be resident. 



35. That every clergyman of the establish- 

 ed church of England, and every minister 

 of the kirk of Scotland, and every priest 

 or minister professing the Roman Catholic 

 religion in the said island, and every other 

 person, being a public teacher of religion 

 ■within the said island, shall, and is hereby 

 authorized to, transmit or deliver under his 

 Land to the commandant of tlie quarter in 

 which he niay be lesident, ceriificates set- 

 ting forth the names or name and places or 

 place of abode of any slaves or slave, who, 

 in tlic judgment and belief of the party so 

 certifying, may be sufficiently instructed 

 in the principles of religion to understand 

 the nature and obligation of an oath. 



36. That no person shall henceforth be 

 rejected as a witness, or considered as in- 

 competent to give evidence in any court 

 of civil or criminal justice in the said 

 island, by reason of his or her being in a 

 state of slavery, if the person or persons 

 producing or tendering him or her as a 

 witness, shall produce and exhibit to the 

 court a certificate under the hand of the 

 said protector and guardi-rin of slaves, that 

 Kiich proposed witness is registered in the 

 before-mentioned book. 



37. That the salary of the protector and 

 guardian of slaves shall by him be taken 

 and received in lieu and in full satisfaction 

 of all facs, perquisites of office. 



38. That the said protector and guardian 

 of slaves shall twice a year deliver to the 

 governor or acting governor for the time 

 being of the said island, a report in writing, 

 exhibiting an account of the manner in 

 which the duties of such his office have 

 been performed during the half-year next 

 preceding the date of such his re[)ort. 



39. That if ihe protector and guardian 

 of slaves, or any commandant of any 

 quarter in the said island, or any other 

 person, shall wilfully and fraudulentiy 

 make, or cause or procure to be made, 

 any erasure or interliiiealion in any of the 

 books, records, or returns, hereinbefore 

 required to be made; the persoa or per- 



[ April I, 



sons so offending shall be, and be deemed, 

 adjudged, and taken, to be guilty of a 

 misdemeanor. 



40. That any of the people railed Qua-' 

 keis wiio may be resident in the saij' 

 island, being required to take any of the 

 oaths p: escribed by this present order, 

 may, and they are hereby authorized, to 

 make their, his, or her, solemn affirmation 

 in lieu of such oaths. 



41. 'J hat any person wlio may be con- 

 victed of any act hereby declared to be 

 a misdemeanor, ,»liall, if of free condition, 

 be and become liable to a fine not exceed- 

 ing five hundred pounds, and not less than 

 fifty pounds, sterling English money, or to 

 imprisonment for any time not exceeding 

 six months, nor less than one month, or both 

 to tine and imprisonment. 



•12. That, if any person shall be twice 

 convictcil, before any tribunal in the said 

 island, of inflicting upon any slave any 

 cruel or unlav<fiil punishment, the person 

 so convicted shall, in addition to the pe- 

 nalties hereinbefcue mentioned, be de- 

 clared by the court, before which such 

 second conviction may take place, abso- 

 lutely incapable in tKe law to be the 

 owner or proprietor, or to act as the mana- 

 ger, overseer, or superintendant, of any 

 slaves or slave within the said island. 



43. That the governor or acting gover- 

 nor of the said island, shall, within one 

 month next after the present order shall 

 be received by him, make known the 

 same by proclamation. 



Bif flic King. — A Proclamation. 

 George R. 



Whereas it has been represented to us, 

 that the slaves in some of our West India 

 Colonies, and of our possessions en the 

 Continent of South America, have been 

 erroneously led to believe, that orders had 

 been sent out by us for their emancipation : 

 And whereas such belief has produced 

 acts of insui)ordination, which have ex- 

 cited our highest displeasure. We have 

 thought fit, by and with tlie advice of our 

 Privy Council, to issue this our Koyal Pro- 

 clamation : And we do hereby declare 

 and make known, that the slave population 

 in our said colonies and possessions will be 

 undeserving of our protection if they 

 shall fail to render entire submission to the 

 laws, as well as dutiful obedience to their 

 masters : And we hereby charge and coiu- 

 niand all our governors of our said West 

 India colonies and possessions, to give the 

 fullest publicity to this our proclamalioii, 

 and to enforce, by all the legal means in 

 their power, the puuishuient of those who 

 may disturb Ihe tranquillity and peace 

 of our said colouies and pu^sessions. 



Given at our Court at Carlton House, 

 this loih day of March, 1824, and in the 

 6ih year of our reis;n. 



Gud save the Kinff. 



VARIETIES, 



