377 
appendix.] WEST INDIES. 
(Persons mutilating slaves fined and imprisoned.) 
(Mutilated slaves , in certain cases , declared free.) 
(Justices to inquire into such mutilations and prosecute the offenders.) 
(Ovoners sued for costs.) 
X. And, in order to prevent any person from mutilating or dis¬ 
membering any slave or slaves, Be it further enacted by the authority 
aforesaid. That if any master, mistress, owner, possessor, or other 
person whatsoever, shall, at his, her, or their own will and pleasure* 
©r by his, her, or their direction, or with his, her, or their know- 
3 edge, sufferance, privity, or consent, mutilate or dismember any 
slave or slaves, he, she, or they, shall be liable to be indicted for each 
offence in the supreme court of judicature, or in any of the assize 
courts of this island ; and, upon conviction, shall be punished by 
fine, not exceeding one hundred pounds, and imprisonment, not ex¬ 
ceeding twelve months, for each and every slave so mutilated or dis¬ 
membered 5 and such punishment is declared to be without prejudice 
to any action that could or might be brought at common lav;, for re¬ 
covery of damages for or on account of the same : And, in very 
atrocious cases, where the owner of such slave or slaves shall be con¬ 
victed of such offence, the court before whom such offender shall have 
been tried and convicted, are hereby impowered, in case they shall 
think it necessary, for the Future protection of such slave or slaves, 
to declare him, her, or them free, and discharged from all manner or 
servitude, to all intents and purposes whatsoever: And, in all such 
cases, the court are hereby impowered and authorised, if to them it 
shall appear necessary, to order and direct the said fine of one hundred 
pounds to be paid to the justices and vestry of the parish to which the 
said slave or slaves belonged, to the use of the said parish, the said 
justices and vestry, in consideration thereof, paying to such of the 
said slave or slaves so made free, the sum of ten pounds per an¬ 
num, for his, her, or their maintenance and support during life; and 
in case any slave « r slaves shall suffer any before described mutila¬ 
tions, such slave or slaves, on his, her, or their application to any 
justice of the peace, the said justice of the peace shall be, and is here¬ 
by directed, required, and empowered, on view, and certain convic¬ 
tion of the fact, to send such slave or slaves to the nearest work-house 
where such offence shall be committed,'and «ucb slave or slaves shall 
be there safely kept, and carefully attended, at the expense of such 
Vol. II. 3 s 
