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An Act providing for the voluntary enslavement of Araminta Frances and Dangerfield, free persons of color. 1855 279 (1855)

handle is hein.slavery/ssactsva0724 and id is 1 raw text is: VOLUNTARY BNSLAVEMENT.                                        279
CnAi. 434.-An ACT providing for the voluntary enslavement of Lewis Wil.
liamson, a free person of color of tile county of Southampton.
Passed January 4, 1856.
1. Be it enacted by tile general assembly, that it ahall be lawful for Lewis Lewis William.
Williamson, a free person of color of tli; county of Southampton, whio was son mny enslave
manumitted by the Inst will and testament ofJolin Williamson deceased, to select hiself
A. u1. Urquhart of tile said county us iis master, upon thu terms and conditions
herein arter mcntioned.
2. Should the said Lewis Williamson desire to select tile said A. B. Urqnhart To file lit@ peti.
its his master, it shall be lawful for tiu to file a petition it tile county court of tion to court of
Southampton., setting forth his desire to select tile said A. B. Urquhart as Ilia Soutiampton.
muaster; which said petition shall be signed by the petitioner in tlio presence of
two witnesses.
3. Tlhe court in which any such petition shall have been filed shall, upon the Notice or polt.
filing of said petition, order a notice that elicht petition has been filed, to be forth. tion to be tiled.
with posted by the clerk of said court at the front door of the court.house for
one month. Said court shall cause to be summoned to appear at its sncceediiig Parties sum.
monthly term both the petitioter and the said A. B. Urquhart.           moned toappear.
4. Upon ite appearance of both the petitioner and the said A. B. Urquhart, Parties to be
tile court shall proceed to exanin each party separately, as well as such other separately
persons as said court may sea fit. At suach exatinatiun iihe attorney for the examined.
commoiwealth shall be present. und sea that such exatmination is properly con.
dueted, and that no injustice is done to tile petitioner.
G. If tpotU such exlainationtl tile court siall lie satisfied that there i.9 no fraud When court may
nor collusion between tile parties, andi( that tile )etitioner, should the prayer of rant petitton.
the petitioner be granted, will he the bonn fide slave of ih said A. I. Urquhart,
the said court shall cause to be entered upon its records that the said petitioner,
by nane, has selected the said A. B. Urquhart as his master. Vhereupon tim
absolute right of property in said negro, as a slave, shall vest front ie lte of
such entry, in tie said A. B. Urquhlrt to all intents and purposes as if siuch pe.
titioner had been born a slave: provided, however, that the said A. B. Urqihart Proviso as to
shall enter into band, lit a penalty equal to the value of said petitioner, coidi- Let of
tioned to pay all the just debts of said petitioner.                     petitioner.
(. This act salt be int force from its passage.                        Commencement
CiAr. 435.-An ACT providing for the voluntary enslavement of Aramitnta
Frances and Dangerfield, free persons of color.
Passed January 14, 18i.
1. Be it enacted by tile general assembly, Ihat it shall be lawful for Araminta Araimlnta
urances, free person of color of the county oif Luoenburg, inntinitted by the Frances and
last will mnd testament of Colonel James G. lichardson deceased, and Danger. Daugerieid may
field, free person of color of the county of Culpeper, tanuuitted by the/lat selves.
will and testament of Margaret Miller uccensud, to select a imaster or toasters,
upon the terms and conditions herein after mentioned.
2. Should the said free persons of color, or either of thlm, desire to select a To ile their
master or masters, it shall be lawful for them to file stic a petition it the cotnty petitions to court
court of their respective counties, Setting forth Ilis or her desire to select a tas Of their
ter or mistress, and tile znae of the person so desired to be selected as an counties.
owner; which said petition shall be signed by the petitioner it tile presence of
two witnesses.
3. The court in which any such petition shall have been filed shall, upon the Notien of
filing of said petition, order a notice that such petition his beetn filed, to be p  to
forthwith posted by tile clerk of sad court at tile froit door of time court hotse a  '
for one lonlh. Said court shall cause to be summoned to appear at its sie Parties to 1e
ecediig monthly tern both the petitioners and the person so designated ill said Amusiinel.
petition.
4. Upon tile appearance of both the petitioner and ilte person designated in Parties to be
the petition, the court shall proceed to examine each party separately, as weil as separately
such other persons as said court may see fit. At sech examinatin tile attorney c xamined
for tile cotmonweith shall be present, and see that slch examination is pro-
perly conducted, and that no injustice is done to ilte petitioners.
5. If tupon sttch examination tile cot t shall be satisfied that there is no fraud When court may
nor collusion betwien the parties, and that tim peitioer, should the prayer or grant ile
tile petition be granited, will be the bona fide slave of the person designated i Itetlo'
tile petition, tile said court shall cause #a he entered pon its records that tile
said petitioner, by name, has selected as Ilis or her toaster or mistress tie person
so designated in said petition. Whereupon tile fee simple prope-y it, said
negro, os a slave, shall veat from the time of such entry, ill tile person so chosen
as master or mistress, to all intcnt. and purposes as i such petitioner hall beeu
born a slave: provided, however, that tho person so selected as a master or

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