book: II. c II A p. XIII. 323 



fov a maintenance. A liberty of this fpecies is baneful to fo- 

 ciety ; and it fecms to be the proper objeft of legiflature, to make 

 thefe afts of private bounty fubfcrvient to, inftead of leaving them 

 fnbverfive of, the publick good. 



From five to ten acres of ground might very well be fpared upon 

 any planter's edate. Five acres of good foil are abundantly fuffici- 

 ent for one fuch freed Negroe. It may be faid, that fuch a condi- 

 tion, tacked to thefe grants, would hinder men from rewarding their 

 faithful flaves with liberty ; but, on the other hand, in a publick 

 view, it is better that the Negroe (hould continue an honeft and in- 

 duftrious flave, than to be turned into an idle and profligate free- 

 man. All however that is here meant is, that, in imitation of the 

 Antigua law, all thofe freed-men, who have neither lands to culti- 

 vate, nor trade to follow, fliould be obliged to enrol themfelves 

 in fome white family, as domefticks ; a lift fhould annually betaken, 

 and regiftered, of all the clafles, and their occupations annexed to 

 their names. 



I come now to fpeak of the Mulattoes and other calls, who (in 

 common parlance) all pafs under that appellation. Upon enquiry of 

 the aflembly, in the year 1762, into the devifes made by laft wills to 

 Mulatto children, the amount in reality and perfonalty was found in 

 value between two and three hundred thoufand pound. Thev included 

 four fugareftates, feven penns, thirteen houfe?, befides other lands un- 

 fpecified. After duly weighing the ill confequences that might befall 

 the colony, by fuffering real eftates to pafs into fuch hands, a bill 

 was palled, " to prevent the inconveniencies arifing from exorbi- 

 " tant grants and devifes made by white perfons to Negroes and the 

 «« iflue of Negroes, and to reftrain and limit fuch grants and devi- 

 •' fes;" this bill enaded, that a devife fcom a white perfon, to a 

 Negroe or Mulatto, of real and perfonal eftate, exceeding in. value 

 2000 /. currency, Ihould be void. It has been objefled by many, • 

 and with great warmth, to this law, " that it is oppreflive in it's , 

 " effeft, tending to deprive men of their right to difpofe of their 

 " own effedts and acquifitions, in the manner moft agreeable to 

 ** their inclinations". It may not be improper, therefore, to exa- . 

 mine a little into the fair flate of the queflion. That it is repug- ■ 

 nant to the fpirit of the Englifli laws, is readily granted, andfois 

 . ' T t 2 Negroe ^ 



