Sec. 1. Prohibits any black or mulatto person, not being a citizen of the United States, from coming and residing in this State, until such person shall produce to the County Commissioners’ Court where he or she shall settle, a certificate of freedom, duly authenticated; and also give bond in the penal sum of one thousand dollars, with sufficient security, conditioned that such person shall never become a charge to any county in this State as a poor person; and at all times to demean himself or herself in strict conformity with the laws that now are, or here- after shall be, enacted. It also imposes a fine of five hundred dollars (one-half to the county and the other to the prosecutor) upon all persons who shall harbor, hire, or in any way give sustenance, to any negro or mulatto who has not such bond.
Sec. 2. Declares that any black or mulatto person who shall be found in this State, not having such a certificate (as required in section one), shall be deemed a run-away slave or servant, and may be taken by any inhabitant in this State before a justice, and if unable to produce a certificate, the justice shall commit him or her to the custody of the sheriff, who shall keep such person, and in three days advertise him upon the court-house door, and in the nearest newspaper, giving a description of such supposed run-away; and if within six weeks the person so com- mitted shall not produce a certificate or other evidence of freedom, (the citizen of New York could produce neither master or certificate of freedom, and other evidence might not be available, and no claim could be made for him except by a kidnapper) the sheriff shall hire out such person for the best price, after five days’ notice, from month to month, for one year; and if during the year no owner shall appear and substantiate a claim to such person, the sheriff shall give a certificate of the facts; whereupon such person shall be deemed free, unless thereafter lawfully claimed by a proper owner. Should such owner appear, he is required to pay to the taker-up ten dollars, to the justice two dollars, and to the sheriff reasonable fees and expenses. Sec. 3. Forbids, under penalty of fine, whipping, and imprisonment, any marriage of all persons of color with a white person, male or female; and makes such marriage null. And fine is threatened to any person who shall license, or perform the marriage ceremony. Sec. 4. Provides that if any negro or mulatto, the property of any citizen of the United States, shall come into the State for the purpose of hiring out, and shall institute proceedings for his freedom, his case shall be dismissed from the court. And then the sheriff shall take possession of the negro and confine him in jail, and notify the owner, and keep him till the owner comes.