Name.

the same

tions as

other

to be called by the name of the township of Jefferson.

2. And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the township of Jefferson, shall be, and they are hereby vested with and entitled unto, all Entitled & the powers, privileges, and authorities, and subject to shall be, and are hereby made subject to the like privileges regulations and regulations and government, which the inhabi& regula- tants of the aforesaid townships of Roxbury and Pequanack are subject and entitled to; and townships. that the inhabitants of the said township of Jefferson, be and they are hereby incorporated, styled and known by the name of "The inhabitants of the township of Jefferson, in the county of Morris," and entitled to all the privileges, advantages and authorities that the other townships in the said county are entitled unto, by virtue of an act entitled "An act incorporating the inhabitants of townships, de[Rev.276] signating their powers and regulating their meetings," passed the twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.

First town

meeting, where to

when and

be held.

divided.

3. And be it enacted, That the first townmeeting of the inhabitants after the passing of this act, shall be on the second Monday of April next, at the house late of the widow Hile Soward; and that all town-meetings thereafter, shall be held on the second Monday of April annually, at such place as the electors of the said township shall, from time to time direct and appoint.

4. And be it enacted, That on the second Poor to be Tuesday after the next annual meeting in said townships, the town-committees, of the said townships of Roxbury, Pequanack and Jefferson, shall meet at the house late of the widow Hile Soward, in the said township of Jefferson,

at two o'clock in the afternoon of said day, and then and there proceed to make an allotment between the said three townships of such poor persons as shall then be chargeable upon the townships of Roxbury and Pequanack; and that the township of Jefferson shall take and receive of the said townships of Roxbury and Pequanack, all such poor persons as may be reasonable for them to take, in proportion to the taxable property contained within their respective limits, and that the said township of Jefferson shall be entitled to receive from the

be divided.

Provise.

said townships of Roxbury and Pequanack Monies their equal proportion of all monies which raised for hath been raised in said townships for the the poor to support of the poor, and remains unexpended at the time of such division; Provided, That if either of the committees chosen as aforesaid, shall neglect to meet as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful for such committee as shall meet, to proceed to such distribution of the poor, and such other business as is by this act prescribed and intended to be done,

AN ACT for the gradual abolition of slavery.

Passed February 15, 1804.

slave after

next to be

Sec. 1. BE IT ENACTED by the coun- Everychild cil and general assembly of this state, and it is born of a hereby enacted by the authority of the same, the fourth That every child born of a slave within this of July state, after the fourth day of July next, shall be free, but free; but shall remain the servant of the owner to remain of his or her mother, and the executors, ad- servants ministrators or assigns of such owner, in the males 25, same manner as if such child had been bound & females 21 years of

until,

age.

The person enti

such child

to deliver

to the

clerk of

cate, &c.

Clerk to record

tificate.

to service by the trustees or overseers of the poor, and shall continue in such service, if a male, until the age of twenty-five years, and if a female until the age of twenty-one years.

2. And be it enacted, That every person, tled to the being an inhabitant of this state, who shall be service of entitled to the service of a child born as aforesaid, after the said fourth day of July next, shall within nine months after the birth of such the county child, cause to be delivered to the clerk of the a certifi- county whereof such person shall be an inhabitant, a certificate in writing, containing the name and addition of such person, and the name, age and sex of the child so born; which certificate, whether the same be delivered before or after the said nine months, shall be by the said clerk recorded in a book to be by him such cer- provided for that purpose; and such record thereof shall be good evidence of the age of such child; and the clerk of such county shall receive from said person twelve cents for every child so registered: and if any person shall neglect to deliver such certificate to the said Penalty for clerk within the said nine months, such perering the son shall forfeit and pay for every such of certificate fence, five dollars, and the further sum of one dollar for every month such person shall neglect to deliver the same, to be sued for and recovered by any person who will sue for the same, the one half to the use of such prosecutor, and the residue to the use of the poor of the township in which such delinquent shall reside.

not deliv.

to the clerk.

Children

foresaid

3. And be it enacted, That the person enborn as a- titled to the service of any child born as aforesaid, may, nevertheless, within one year after may be abandoned the birth of such child, elect to abandon such right; in which case a notification of such

In what manner.

posed of.

1811.

abandonment, under the hand of such person, shall be filed with the clerk of the township, or where there may be a county poor-house established, then with the clerk of the board of trustees of said poor-house of the county in which such person shall reside; but every child so abandoned shall be maintained by such per- see act of son until such child arrives at the age of one March 8, year, and thereafter shall be considered as a 1806. pauper of such township or county, and liable Comp. 106. to be bound out by the trustees or overseers of How to be the poor in the same manner as other poor chil- maintaindren are directed to be bound out, until, if a ed and dis male, the age of twenty-five, and if a female, the age of twenty-one; and such child, while See act of such pauper, until it shall be bound out, shall 22th Feb. be maintained by the trustees or overseers of Comp.109. the poor of such county or township, as the case may be, at the expense of this state; and for that purpose the director of the board of chosen freeholders of the county is hereby required, from time to time, to draw his warrant on the treasurer in favor of such trustees or overseers for the amount of such expense, not exceeding the rate of three dollars per month; provided the accounts for the same be first certified and approved by such board of trustees, or the town-committee of such township; and every person who shall omit to notify such abandonment as aforesaid, shall be considered as having elected to retain the service of such child, and be liable for its maintenance until the period to which its servitude is limited as aforesaid.

AN ACT to repeal the third section of an act, entitled "An act for the gradual abolition of slavery," passed the fifteenth day of February, eighteen hundred and four.

Passed March 8, 1806.

Sec. 1. BE IT ENACTED by the council and general assembly of this state, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the third section of the act, entitled "An Comp. 104. act for the gradual abolition of slavery," passed the fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and four, be, and the same is hereby repealed: Provided nevertheless, That this repeal shall not affect any abandonments which have already taken place in conformity with the said section.

Comp. 103.

AN additional supplement to the act entitled “ An act for the gradual abolition of slavery," passed the fifteenth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and four.

Passed November 28, 1808.

Scc. 1. BE IT ENACTED by the council and general assembly of this state, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That it shall be the duty of the trustees or overseers of the poor in the different townships Abandon- of this state, upon application to them made, dren to be to bind out the children of slaves, born after bound out the fourth day of July, eighteen hundred and

ed chil

four, and abandoned by the owner or owners of such slaves, according to the provisions of the third section of the act to which this is a sup

4