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tofore by law made and acknowledged before the mayor of the city of Philadelphia, and by him registered, and that all persons whom it may concern shall be entitled to have a copy or abstract of said register.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the fees of the said register shall be the same as were usually taken by the mayor of the said city, until it shall be otherwise provided by act of assembly. (Passed 8th of April, 1785. Recorded in Law Book No. 2, p. 522.)

AN ACT to prevent the importation of convicts into this Commonwealth.

SEC. 1. Whereas, it hath been represented to this house by the United States in Congress assembled, that a practice prevails of importing felon convicts into this State, under various pretences, which said felon convicts, so imported, have been sold and dispersed among the people of this State, whereby much injury hath arisen to the morals of the same, and others have been greatly endangered in their lives and property: for remedy whereof,

SEC. 2. Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That, from and after the first day of May next, no captain or master of any vessel, or any other person or persons, shall knowingly or willingly import, bring or send, or cause or procure to be imported, brought or sent, or be aiding or assisting therein, into this commonwealth, by land or water, any felon convict, or person under sentence of death, or any other legal disability incurred by a criminal prosecution, or who shall be delivered or sent to him or her from any prison, or place of confinement in any place out of the United States.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every captain or master of a vessel, or any other person, who shall, as aforesaid, import, bring or send, or cause or procure to be imported, brought or sent, or be aiding and assisting therein, into this commonwealth, by land or water, or who shall, as factor or agent of the person or persons so offending, or as consignee, sell, or offer for sale, any such person as above described, knowing him or her so to be, shall suffer three months' imprisonment, without bail or mainprize, and shall forfeit and pay, over and beyond the costs of prosecution, for every such person so brought, imported or sent, or caused or procured so to be, or sold or offered for sale, fifty pounds, law

ful money of Pennsylvania, one half thereof to the commonwealth, and the other half to him or her who shall sue or prosecute for the same, which said penalty shall be recovered by action of debt, or information, in any court of record; and the defendant, or person sued, or implicated therefor, shall be ruled to give special bail, in like manner, and under the same rules, as is usual in actions of debt founded on contract.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every person who shall offend against this act, or any thing herein contained, shall, on conviction thereof, be adjudged and ordered to enter into a recognizance, with sufficient sureties to convey and transport, within such reasonable time as shall be ordered and directed by the court, to some place or places, without the bounds, limits, and jurisdiction of the United States, every such felon, convict, or other person of the description aforesaid, which he or she shall have been convicted of having brought, imported or sent, or having been aiding or assisting therein, into this commonwealth, against the true intent and meaning of this act, or of having so as aforesaid sold, or offered for sale; and in default of entering into such recognizance, with sufficient sureties, as aforesaid, he or she shall be committed to gaol, there to remain without bail or mainprize, until he or she shall enter into such recognizance, with such sureties, as aforesaid, or until he or she shall cause every such person so as aforesaid by him or her imported, brought or sent, or that he or she shall have been aiding or assisting in the importing, bringing or sending, into this commonwealth, against the true intent and meaning of this act, or that he or she shall have been convicted of having so as aforesaid sold, or offered for sale. (Passed 27th March, 1789. Recorded in Law Book No. 3, p. 497.)

AN ACT concerning the education of German redemptioners, who are minors.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all masters or mistresses of German redemptioners who are minors, and who shall arrive at the port of Philadelphia after the passing of this act, shall give to the said redemptioner six weeks' schooling for every year of his or her term of servitude. And it shall be the duty of the register of German passengers to insert the same fully in their indentures. (Passed 19th March 1810. Recorded in Law Book No. 12, p. 97.)

AN ACT for regulating the importation of German and other passengers.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That every master or captain of any ship or vessel importing passengers into this commonwealth shall give or cause to be given unto each of such passengers a bill of lading in the common form, for all such goods, wares and merchandize belonging to such passengers, respectively, as they require no access to during the voyage, and shall be put into the hold of the same ships or vessels respectively in which they are respectively passengers, or in any other ship or vessel, by the master, captain or merchant hired to carry the goods, wares and merchandize of such persons; but for all such goods, wares and merchandize as the passengers respectively shall have between decks in their own charge, the master or captain shall not be obliged to give bills of lading, or be answerable for any loss, damage or embezzlement thereof. And if any master or captain shall refuse or neglect to give a bill of lading in the cases herein before directed, he shall, for each and every offence, forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred dollars, to be recovered and appropriated as is hereinafter provided and directed.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every passenger brought in any ship or vessel into this commonwealth, as aforesaid, on paying or tendering to the master, captain, owner or consignee of such ship or vessel his or her freight, if a single person, and also if married or having children, the freight of his or her family, the full sum for which he or she agreed in Europe, either in the coin or specie in his or her contract mentioned, or in lawful money of the United States equivalent thereto, and the fee of one dollar, as is provided in the twenty-first section of the health law of the port of Philadelphia, shall be immediately discharged from such ship or vessel, and all his or her goods, wares and merchandize on board thereof, to him or her, in good order delivered on shore without any further cost or charge of landing them; and any master, captain, owner or consignee refusing to accept such tender, and to put on shore the person by whom or on whose behalf the tender was made, with all his or her goods, wares and merchandize, as aforesaid, shall for each and every offence forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars, to be recovered and appropriated as is hereinafter provided and directed; and, moreover, shall be liable to be sued by the injured

party in action of trover and conversion, or of false imprisonment, as the case may require; but it shall and may be lawful for the master, captain, owner or consignee of any ship or vessel, importing passengers into this commonwealth, as aforesaid, to keep and detain any such passengers, who are unable to pay their freight on board the same ship or vessel wherein they were respectively imported, for the space of thirty days next after their arrival opposite to the city of Philadelphia, in order that they may have time to find out relations or friends who may discharge their freight, or to agree with some person or persons who shall be willing to pay the same in consideration of their servitude, for a term of years, agreeably to custom; and every indenture, whereby any such passenger shall be bound to serve his or her master or mistress, shall be acknowledged before the mayor of the city of Philadelphia, or in case of German passengers, before the register of German passengers, according to law; but no master, captain, owner or consignee of any ship or vessel shall separate any husband and wife, who came passengers in any such ship or vessel, by disposing of them to different masters or mistresses, unless by mutual consent of such husband and wife; nor shall any passenger, without his or her consent, be disposed of to any person residing out of this commonwealth, under the penalty of one hundred dollars for each and every offence, to be recovered and appropriated as is hereinafter provided and directed; and moreover, every indenture in such case made without the mutual consent of the husband and wife, as aforesaid, shall be void, and the master or captain of such ship or vessel shall, during the term of thirty days, well and sufficiently provide, for each and every passenger so retained and kept on board, good and wholesome meat and drink, and other necessaries and accommodations, at the proper cost and charge of the owner of such ship or vessel; but if any passenger shall continue on board any such ship or vessel after the expiration of the aforesaid term, the master or captain thereof shall provide for such passengers, at their cost and charge respectively, all necessaries and accommodations, as aforesaid, to be added to the accounts of such passengers respectively, and recovered with their freights, and shall remove on shore all sick persons whose diseases are not pestilential or contagious, and women, near the time of labor, to some convenient house, without delay, and there provide them with necessary accommodations and nursing, the expense whereof shall be charged to such passengers respectively, to be added to and recovered with their freights. If, however, there shall be any

sick persons on board of any such ship or vessel who cannot be removed without danger, the master or captain may and shall make as convenient accommodation on board the ship or vessel for such sick persons as circumstances will admit of, or as the health officer and port physician, upon application or complaint to them made, shall order and direct.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any ship or vessel with passengers as aforesaid shall arrive or continue at the port of Philadelphia after the first day of December in any year, the captain, master, owner or consignee of such ship or vessel shall at his or their own proper cost and charge, under the penalty of five hundred dollars, to be recovered and appropriated as hereinafter provided, remove on shore the said passengers to some convenient house, and there provide them with fuel and good and wholesome meat, drink and other necessaries and accommodations; the expense of the meat and drink, after the expiration of thirty days, to be charged to such passengers respectively, to be added to and recovered with their freights.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall be the duty of the captain or master of any ship or vessel importing German passengers, within fifteen days after his arrival at the port of Philadelphia, to report to the register of German passengers the names and ages of all passengers who may have died during the voyage, and also those who may have died after their arrival and before their discharge from such ship or vessel; and every captain or master, failing to comply with the provisions of this section, shall forfeit and pay the sum of three hundred dollars, to be recovered and appropriated as hereinafter provided.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from the time any ship or vessel shall have put to sea, all the goods, wares and merchandize of the passengers aforesaid on board thereof, who have not paid for their passages at the place from whence they sailed, shall stand a lawful pledge for the freight-money of such passengers, until the same shall be fully paid and satisfied.

And it shall be lawful for the master, captain, owner or consignee of any such ship or vessel, at any time after thirty days from the arrival of such passengers within this commonwealth, to apply to any two aldermen or justices of the peace for the city or county where such passengers shall be landed, for an execution against the goods, wares and merchandize of such passengers, and the said aldermen or justices are hereby em

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