e assessed and collected in the same manner, and ccording to the principle followed in the assessment f the expences incurred by the widening of State reet. 6. That Keating Simons, Thomas Roper, Thomas CommissionSennett, Dr. Joseph Johnson, James Jervey, Christo- ers appointed. her Fitzsimons, Henry Horlbeck, John C. Faber,* and Charles B. Cochran, be, and they are hereby apointed Commissioners for the purpose of carrying nto effect the provisions of this act; and in case of he death, resignation or absence from the State of any of the said Commissioners, it shall and may be awful for the said Board, or a majority of them, to ill up such vacancy or vacancies. straight. 7. That the City Council of Charleston shall be, Broad-street and they are hereby empowered to make straight the to be made south side of Broad-street, by taking possession of so much of the lot of land belonging to Robert Limehouse, as will be necessary for that purpose, upon the City Council of Charleston paying the said proprietor of the piece of land so to be taken for public use, such assessment or valuation as may be adjudged and assessed by the Commissioners or a majority of them, appointed under this act, and such assessment shall be final and conclusive. And whereas narrow and confined streets, lanes and alleys are disadvantageous to every city, exposing buildings so situated to great danger from fire, and the inhabitants thereof by close and confined air, to malignant diseases: " be less than 8. That from and immediately after the passing of No street to this act, no street, lane, alley or court, shall be open-sixty feet wide ed, laid out, extended or established, within any part of the City of Charleston, less than sixty feet; and until the same shall be previously approved by the Commissioners of the streets of said city. This act a 9. That this act shall be deemed and taken as a public act. public act, and shall and may be given in evidence in any court of law or equity in this State, without being specially pleaded, any thing to the contrary notwithstanding. * Resigned, and the Board have since elected in his room Timothy Ford, Esq. -City Council to elect a Co Poner. Passed, Dec. 10. That the City Council of Charleston shall be and they are hereby authorized and empowered to elect annually a Coroner for the parishes of Saint Philip and Saint Michael, who shall exercise the same power and authority as are vested in Coroners by the laws of this State, any law to the contrary thereof, notwithstanding. Whereas the laws heretofore enacted for the gov20th, 1800. ernment of slaves, free negroes, mulattoes and mestizoes, have been found insufficient for the keeping them in due subordination : Assemblies of slaves or free unlawful. 1. Be it therefore enacted, That from and after the negroes de- passing of this law, all assemblies and congregations clared to be of slaves, free negroes, mulattoes, and mestizoes, whether composed of all or any of the above description of persons, or of all or any of the above described persons, and of a proportion of white persons, assembled or met together for the purpose of mental instruction, in a confined or secret place of meeting,* or with the gates or doors of such place of meeting barred, bolted or locked, so as to prevent the free ingress and egress to and from the same, shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be an unlawful meeting; and the magistrates, sheriffs, militia officers, and officers of the patrol, being commissioned, are hereby directed, required and empowered, to enter into such confined places, where such unlawful assemblies are convened, and for that purpose, to break doors, gates or windows, if resisted, and disperse such slaves, free negroes, mulattoes, or mestizoes, as may sheriffs, mili- be then and there found unlawfully met together and tia officers and convened; and such magistrates, sheriffs, constables, patrol require militia officers, or officers of the patrol, are hereby ed to disperse empowered and required, to call unto their assistance such meeting such force and assistance from the neighbourhood, as Magistrates, officers of the he or they may judge necessary for the dispersing of such unlawful assemblage of persons of colour as aforesaid; and the officers and persons, so dispersing such unlawful assemblage of persons, shall, if they think proper, impose such corporal punishment, not * See amendatory act, passed 17th December, 1803, declaring that no Religious Societies, &c. ishment not inflicted on the Work exceeding twenty lashes, upon such slaves, free ne- Corporal pun groes, mulattoes, or mestizoes, as they may judge ne- exceeding 20 cessary for deterring them from the like unlawful as- lashes, may be semblages in future. And the said officers so dis- them. persing such unlawful assemblage, shall, if within the City of Charleston, have power to take into custody and deliver to the Master of the Work House In Charleston, they are to be in Charleston aforesaid, all or any such slaves, free delivered to negroes, mulattoes, or mestizoes, as may be found the Master of transgressing this law; and the Master of the Work House. House aforesaid is hereby directed and required, to receive such person or persons, and inflict on him or them such punishment as any two magistrates of the said city may think fit and direct, not exceeding twenty lashes.* And the officers, dispersing such In the country unlawful assemblies, shall, if without the limits of conveyed to Charleston, have power to take into custody, and de- the nearest liver to the nearest constable, all or any of such slave or slaves, free negroes or mulattoes, as may be found transgressing this law; and the said constable is hereby required to receive such persons, and convey them to the nearest magistrate, who shall inflict such punishment, not exceeding twenty lashes, which any such magistrate may order and direct. they are to be magistrate. so dispersing prosecuted for 2. That from and after the passing of this act, it Every person shall not be lawful for any number of slaves, free them are not negroes, mulattoes, or mestizoes, even in company to be sued or with white persons, to meet together and assemble, so doing. for the purpose of mental instruction, or religious worship, either before the siting of the sun, or after the going down of the same. And all magistrates, sheriffs, militia officers, and officers of the patrol, being commissioned, city or town guard, or watchmen, are hereby vested with all the powers and authority for dispersing such assemblies, before day or after sun set, as is herein and hereby given to them in the first clause of this act, And the said officers are also * See City Ordinance, passed, 28th October, 1806, page 180, expressly prohibiting the assemblage of persons of colour beyond seven, (except when attending funerals, &c.) in any house, building or lot within the city, unless some white person is with them, under the penalty of corporal punishment and imprisonment or either, for said offence; as the Intendant or Wardens, in his or their discretion may think proper. Pp Slaves, free negroes. &c. religious wor going down of the sun persed empowered to impose on all such slaves, free negroes, mulattoes or mestizoes, the same punishment as by the patrol law they are authorized to do in any case whatsoever. 3. That every officer or other person so entering inassembled for to and dispersing such slaves, free negroes, mulattoes ship, before and mestizoes, from such closed or confined places the rising and of meeting, or from such open meeting, before sun rise, or after the going down of the same, shall be, may be dis- and he is hereby declared under the protection of the law, and free from all suits at law, prosecutions and indictments, for, or on account of such acts as may be done and performed by him or them, in pursuance of the letter and meaning of this act and all and prosecuting in every person or persons, suing or prosecuting any of such case who ficer or other person, for any trespass or tort done by vict the person him in putting in force and executing this law, on prosecuted, to failure of convicting the party or proving the case costs. fully, so as to entitle him, her, or them, to a recovery Every person shall fail to con pay treble Passed, Dec. of damages, shall be liable, and be deemed and adjudged to pay the party so prosecuted or sued, treble costs; for which costs, the party prosecuted or sued, shall have his execution in the usual form, against the goods and chattles of such prosecutor or informer, or plaintiff in the cause, upon application to the Clerk of the Court where the cause has been tried. Whereas certain religious Societies in this State, 17th, 1803. have petitioned the legislature to alter part of an act, entiled "An act respecting slaves, free negroes, mulattoes and mestizoes, for enforcing the more punctual performance of patrol duty, and to impose certain restrictions on the emancipation of slaves." Religious soci eties not to be interrupted before nine o'clock in the 1. Be it enacted, That after the passing of this act, it shall not be lawful for any person or persons, at any time before nine o'clock in the evening of any day, evening, pro to break into any place of meeting, wherein shall be vided a major- assembled the members of any religious society of shall be white this state: Provided a majority of them shall be white ity of them persons. persons; or otherwise to disturb their devotion, unless such person or persons, so entering the said place, shall have first obtained from some magistrate ap pointed to keep the peace of the state, a warrant, authorizing him or them so to do, in case a magisrate shall be then actually within the distance of hree miles from such place of meeting; otherwise he provisions of the above recited act to remain in full force. Passed, Dec. Whereas the Congress of the United States did, on. the twenty-ninth day of April, of the present year, 17th, 1816. pass an act, whereby it is enacted, "That the consent of Congress be, and is hereby granted and declared to the operation of any act of the general assembly of the State of South-Carolina, now in existence, or Preamble. which may hereafter be passed, so far as the same extends or may extend, to authorize the City Council of Charleston to impose and levy a duty, not exceeding ten cents per ton, on all ships and vessels of the United States, which shall arrive and be entered in the port of Charleston, from any foreign port or place, for the purpose of providing a fund for the temporary relief and maintenance of sick or disabled seamen in the Marine Hospital of the said port of Charleston; and that the Collector of the Port of Charleston be, and he is hereby authorized to collect the duties imposed or authorized by the said act, and to pay the same to such persons as shall be authorized to receive the same by the City Council of Charleston ;" which said act is therein declared to be in force for five years from the passing thereof, and from thence to the end of the next session of Congress thereafter, and no longer: maintenance 1. Be it therefore enacted, That the City Council of Council to Charleston be, and they are hereby declared fully contract for authorized to contract with the United States for the of Marine support and maintenance, management and control Hospital. of a Marine Hospital, for the Port of Charleston, and on such terms as from time to time shall be stipulated by Congress, or by the Government of the United States, and as in the opinion of them, the said City. Council, will tend to the interests of the said humane institution. 2. That the said City Council of Charleston be, and they are hereby authorized, agreeably to the |