[Sidenote:  Concerning the same.]

22.  And be it enacted, that, from and after the ——­ of ——­, all negro men in an healthy condition, and so reported to be, in case the same is denied, by a surgeon and by an inspector of negroes, and being twenty-one years old, or upwards, until fifty, and not being before married, shall, on requisition of the inspectors, be provided by their masters or overseers with a woman not having children living, and not exceeding the age of the man, nor, in any case, exceeding the age of twenty-five years; and such persons shall be married publicly in the face of the church.

[Sidenote:  Concerning the same.]

23.  And be it enacted, that, if any negro shall refuse a competent marriage tendered to him, and shall not demand another specifically, such as it may be in his master’s power to provide, the master or overseer shall be authorized to constrain him by an increase of work or a lessening of allowance.

[Sidenote:  Adultery, &c., how to be punished.]

24.  And be it enacted, that the minister in each district shall have, with the assent of the inspector, full power and authority to punish all acts of adultery, unlawful concubinage, and fornication, amongst negroes, on hearing and a summary process, by ordering a number of blows, not exceeding ——­, for each offence; and if any white person shall be proved, on information in the supreme court, to be exhibited by the protector of negroes, to have committed adultery with any negro woman, or to have corrupted any negro woman under sixteen years of age he shall be fined in the sum of ——­, and shall be forever disabled from serving the office of overseer of negroes, or being attorney to any plantation.

[Sidenote:  Concerning marriage.]

25.  And be it enacted, that no slaves shall be compelled to do any work for their masters for [three] days after their marriage.

[Sidenote:  Concerning pregnant women.]

26.  And be it enacted, that no woman shall be obliged to field-work, or any other laborious work, for one month before her delivery, or for six weeks afterwards.

[Sidenote:  Separation of husband and wife, and children, to be avoided.]

27.  And be it enacted, that no husband and wife shall be sold separately, if originally belonging to the same master; nor shall any children under sixteen be sold separately from their parents, or one parent, if one be living.

[Sidenote:  Concerning the same.]

28.  And be it enacted, that, if an husband and wife, which before their intermarriage belonged to different owners, shall be sold, they shall not be sold at such a distance as to prevent mutual help and cohabitation; and of this distance the minister shall judge, and his certificate of the inconvenient distance shall be valid, so as to make such sale unlawful, and to render the same null and void.

[Sidenote:  Negroes not to work on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.]