While these efforts were, to a certain extent, abortive, yet, nevertheless, the Society of the Friends made regulations for the better treatment of the enslaved Negroes.  The sentiment thus created went far toward deterring the better class of citizens from purchasing slaves.  To his broad and lofty sentiments of humanity, the pious William Penn sought to add the force of positive law.  The published views of George Fox, given at Barbadoes in 1671, in his “Gospel Family Order, being a short discourse concerning the ordering of Families, both of Whites, Blacks, and Indians,” had a salutary effect upon the mind of Penn.  In 1700 he proposed to the Council “the necessitie of a law [among others] about ye marriages of negroes.”  The bill was referred to a joint committee of both houses, and they brought in a bill “for regulating Negroes in their Morals and Marriages &c.”  It reached a second reading, and was lost.[513] Penn regarded the teaching of Negroes the sanctity of the marriage relation as of the greatest importance to the colony, and the surest means of promoting pure morals.  Upon what grounds it was rejected is not known.  He presented, at the same session of the Assembly, another bill, which provided “for the better regulation of servants in this province and territories.”  He desired the government of slaves to be prescribed and regulated by law, rather than by the capricious whims of masters.  No servant was to be sold out of the Province without giving his consent, nor could he be assigned over except before a justice of the peace.  It provided for a regular allowance to servants at the expiration of their time, and required them to serve five days extra for every day’s absence from their master without the latter’s assent.  A penalty was fixed for concealing runaway slaves, and a reward offered for apprehending them.  No free person was allowed to deal with servants, and justices and sheriffs were to be punished for neglecting their duties in the premises.

In case a Negro was guilty of murder, he was tried by two justices, appointed by the governor, before six freeholders.  The manner of procedure was prescribed, and the nature of the sentence and acquittal.  Negroes were not allowed to carry a gun or other weapons.  Not more than four were allowed together, upon pain of a severe flogging.  An Act for raising revenue was passed, and a duty upon imported slaves was levied, in 1710.  In 1711-12, an Act was passed “to prevent the importation of negroes and Indians” into the Province.  A general petition for the emancipation of slaves by law was presented to the Legislature during this same year; but the wise law-makers replied, that “it was neither just nor convenient to set them at liberty.”  The bill passed on the 7th of June, 1712, but was disapproved by Great Britain, and was accordingly repealed by an Act of Queen Anne, Feb. 20, 1713.  In 1714 and 1717, Acts were passed to check the importation of slaves.  But the English government, instead of being touched by the philanthropic endeavors of the people of Pennsylvania, was seeking, for purposes of commercial trade and gain, to darken the continent with the victims of its avarice.