Board of Trade, Whitehall, The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a Despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Charleston, enclosing copy of an Amended Law of South Carolina relating to Coloured Seamen, a copy of which is annexed. (Copy.) SECT. 1.-Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, that free negroes and persons of colour, brought into this State in any vessel not bound to any port in this State, but which shall be driven into any port of this State by stress of weather, or compelled to enter the same by mutiny, or any other cause which makes said entry involuntary on the part of those controlling the said vessel, shall be and the same are hereby declared from and after the passing of this Act, exempt from the operation of an Act entitled "An Act more effectually to prevent free negroes and other persons of colour from entering into this State, and for other purposes," passed on the 19th day of December, 1835, and all other Acts subjecting such persons to imprisonment: Provided always that such free negroes and persons of colour so brought into any port of this State shall remain on board the vessel in which they shall be introduced, or in such other place as may be selected for their accommodation by the mayor or chief magistrate of the nearest municipal corporation. SECT. 2.-That from and after the passing of this Act, whenever any free negro, or person of colour, shall come into this State in any vessel not P. L driven into a port of this State by stress of weather, or compelled to enter by mutiny, or other cause which makes such entering involuntary on the part of those controlling said vessel, as a cook, steward, mariner, or in any other employment on board such vessel, it shall be the duty of the master, owner, or person having control of such vessel, immediately on his arrival in port, to report to the mayor, or other chief municipal officer of such port, and if there be no such municipal officer, then to the nearest magistrate, the name, description, and capacity, of any such free negro or free person of colour, and shall enter into bond to the mayor or other chief municipal officer or magistrate as aforesaid, in the penal sum of five hundred dollars, with two sufficient sureties, being freeholders, in the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars each, conditioned that each and every such free negro or coloured person shall remain on board of such vessel, and shall in all respects obey the laws of the State, and ordinances and regulations of the city or town; and such bonds shall be deposited with such mayor or chief municipal officer, or magistrate, to be sued upon in case such condition shall not be observed and performed; and in case of suit and recovery upon any such bond, half the amount recovered shall go to the informer, and half to the city or town treasury. SECT. 3. That a compliance with the requisitions of this Act on the part of the master, owner, or person in controul of any vessel entering into any port of this State, within twelve hours after entering such port shall exempt the free negroes and persons of colour as aforesaid, in such vessel, from the provisions of the 2nd Sect. of the Act aforesaid, entitled "An Act more effectually to prevent free negroes and other persons of colour from entering into this State, and for other purposes:" provided such free negroes or other persons of colour shall so remain on board said vessel; but on failure of the master, owner, or person in control to comply with said regulations, or having complied therewith, on failure of said free negroes and persons of colour to remain at all times on board such vessels, the said bond shall be forfeited, and the said free negroes and persons of colour shall be as heretofore subject in all respects to the provisions of the Act aforesaid. SECT. 4.-That it shall be the duty of the sheriff of the district in which such port is situated, on the arrival of any such vessel as aforesaid, to go on board the same, and ascertain whether the above provisions have been complied with, and in case he shall find that such requisitions have not been complied with, he shall be entitled to receive from the captain of such vessel a fee of twentyfive dollars for each free negro or person of colour found therein: Provided, that in case there be no sheriff residing at such port, it shall be the duty of the chief municipal officer of such port, and if there be no such municipal officer, then it shall be the duty of the nearest magistrate to perform the duties required of the sheriff by this section. In the Senate-house, the 20th day of December, 1856, in the 81st year of the sovereignty and independence of the United States of America. (Signed) JAMES CHESNUT, Jun., President of the Senate. (Signed) JAMES SIMONS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. War-Office, Pall-Mall, 6th February, 1857. 2nd Regiment of Life Guards, Cornet and SubLieutenant Henry William Lee-Jortin has been permitted to retire from the Service by the sale of his Commission. Dated 6th February, 1857. ་ 1st Dragoon Guards, Captain James Robert Steadman Sayer to be Major, by purchase, vice Briggs, who retires. Dated 6th February, 1857. Lieutenant Thomas John Mitchell to be Captain, by purchase, vice Sayer. Dated 6th February, 1857. 11th Light Dragoons, Cornet Henry John Wilkin to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Brooke, who retires. Dated 6th February, 1857. Albert Peel Garnett, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Wilkin. Dated 6th February, 1857. retires. 13th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant John Dearden to be Captain, by purchase, vice Clayton, who Dated 19th January, 1857. Captain FitzRoy Donald Maclean, from half-pay 13th Light Dragoons, to be Captain, vice Dearden, placed upon half-pay. Dated 19th January, 1857. Surgeon Robert Carew Anderson, M. D., from the 90th Foot, to be Surgeon, vice Home, who exchanges. Dated 6th February, 1857. 14th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant John Dudgeon has been permitted to retire from the Service by the sale of his Commission. Dated 6th February, 1857. 2nd Regiment of Foot, Ensign Henry Grattan, from the 80th Foot, to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Hiffernan, who retires. Dated 6th February, 1857. 3rd Foot, Lieutenant Richard Evans Sleeman has been permitted to resign his Commission. Dated 6th February, 1857. 17th Foot. The Christian names of Lieutenant Presgrave are "William Frederick Augustus Edward." 18th Foot, Lieutenant Richard Pretyman Bishopp to be Instructor of Musketry. Dated 23rd December, 1856. 21st Foot, Ensign Robert Cook to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Shaw, who retires. Dated 6th February, 1857. 22nd Foot, Captain Walter Blakeney Persse, from the 90th Foot, to be Captain, vice Hammond, who exchanges. Dated 7th February, 1857. 34th Foot. The Christian names of LieutenantColonel Kelly are 66 Richard Denis." 43rd Foot, Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel George Talbot to be Lieutenant-Colonel, without purchase, vice Brevet-Colonel Brown, deceased. Dated 7th November, 1856. Brevet-Major Dawson Cornelius Greene to be Major, without purchase, vice Talbot. Dated 7th November, 1856. Lieutenant Hugh Robinson to be Captain, without purchase, vice Greene. Dated 7th November, 1856. Serjeant-Major George Garland to be Ensign, without purchase. Dated 6th February, 1857. Ensign George Garland to be Adjutant, vice Pakenham, promoted. Dated 6th February, 1857. 48th Foot, Paymaster Alexander William McKenzie, from the Antrim Rifles Militia, to be Paymaster, vice McMullin, appointed to a Depôt Battalion. Dated 6th February, 1857. 51st Foot, Lieutenant Edward O'Callaghan to be Instructor of Musketry, vice Captain Agg, posted as Instructor of Musketry to a Depôt Battalion. Dated 9th December, 1856. |