Old Virginia and her neighbours

SOCIETY IN THE OLD DOMINION. 197freedom with permission to remain in the colony.^The fears engendered by such discoveries arerevealed in the statute book. Slaves were notallowed to be absent from their plantations withouta ticket-of-leave signed by their master. Thenegro who could not show such a passport mustreceive twenty lashes, and was liable to be treatedas a fugitive or " outlying " slave. Such runawayswere formally outlawed ; a proclamation issued bytwo justices of the peace was read on the nextSunday by the parish clerk from the door11-1 p1 • 1Cruel laws.of every church in the county, after whichanybody might seize the fugitive and bring himhome, or kill him if he made any resistance. Inthe latter event the master was indemnified fromthe public funds. At the discretion of the countycourt, such mutilation might be inflicted upon theoutlyingnegro as to protect white women againstthe horrible crime which then as now he was proneto commit.^ In 1701 we find an act of the assemblydirected against " one negro man named Billy," who" has severall years unlawfully absented himselfefrom his masters services, lying out and lurking inobscure places, . . . devouring and destroying stocksand crops, robing the houses of and committingand threatening other injuryes to severall of hismajestye's good and leige people."It was enacted1 Hening's Statutes, iii. 537. For the loss of this slave by emancipationhis master was indemnified by a payment of £40 fromthe colonial treasury.2 Hening, iii. 461 ; vi. 111. In England in the Middle Agessuch mutilation -was a common punishment for rape ; sometimes,in. addition, the culprit's eyes were put out.See Pollock and Maitland,History of English Law before the Time of Edward I. ii. 489.