384 HISTORY OF THE [book iv. 
(Civil or military officers to suppress such assemblies.) 
XXII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid. That 
all officers, civil and military, shall be, and are hereby, empowered 
and required, to enter into any plantation, settlement, or other places 
to disperse all such unlawful assemblies, and to suppress and prevent 
all unlawful drummings or other noise, as before mentioned ; any law, ; 
custom or usage to the contrary notwithstanding. 
(Overseers, &c. who suffer such assemblies, to be imprisoned.) 
XXIII. And whereas it has been found by experience, that rebel¬ 
lions have been often concerted at negro dances, and nightly meetings 
of the slaves of different plantations, when such slaves are generally 
intoxicated; and as it has been found also, that those meetings tend 
much to injure the healths of negroes; Be it thererefore enacted by the 
authority aforesaid, That if any overseer, or in his absence, any book¬ 
keeper, or other white person, having the care and management of any 
plantation or settlement, shall suffer any slaves to assemble together, 
and beat their military drums, or blow their horns or shells, every 
such overseer, book-keeper, or other white person so offending, shall 
for every such offence, upon conviction thereof, upon an indictment 
in the supreme court of judicatuse, or before the justices of assize, 
suffer six months imprisonment, without bail or mainprize : Provided 
information is made, upon oath as aforesaid, before one of his ma¬ 
jesty’s justices of the peace, within five days after the commission of 
such offence: And provided always nevertheless, that nothing herein 
contained shall be construed to prevent any master, owner, or propri¬ 
etor, of any plantation or settlement, or the overseer thereof, from 
granting liberty to the slaves of such plantation or settlement only, 
for assembling together upon such plantation or settlement, and play¬ 
ing and diverting themselves in any innocent amusements, so as they 
do not make use of military drums, horns, or shells ; but that they 
shall and may grant such liberty when and as often as they please, any 
thing in this, or any other act, to the contrary notwithstanding : Pro¬ 
vided, that such amusements are put an end to by twelve of the 
clock at night. 
