GEORGIA - COURT - Slave Manumissions - 1799 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: "Barbara Smallwood Stock" Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA: PASSED AT LOUISVILLE, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1799. ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA: PASSED AT LOUISVILLE, IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1799. AUGUSTA: PRINTED BY JOHN E. SMITH, PRINTER TO THE STATE. MDCCC. 1799 Vol. 1 -- Page: 23 Sequential Number: 049 Type: AN ACT Full Title: To manumit certain persons therein named. WHEREAS James King, late of the city of Charleston, deceased, did by his last will and testament, bearing date the twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, direct his executors therein named "to take care of, and manumit as soon as possible, his two negroes Lewis and China." AND WHEREAS Alexander King and Joshua Moore, the executors named in the said last will and testament of the said James King, have by petition applied to the present legislature, praying that the benevolent intentions of the said James King towards the said negroes be carried into effect: Sec. 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia in General Assembly met, That the said negroes Lewis and China be, and they are hereby manumitted and made free, and they are hereby entitled to the same privileges and immunities as if they had been born free. AND WHEREAS Ezekiel Hudnall has by his [Illegible Text] prayed the legislature to manumit the following slaves: Bridget Waters and her children, Leviny, Nancy, Daniel and Syrus. Sec. 2. Be it enacted, That the said Bridget, Leviny, Nancy, Daniel and Syrus shall be, and [Illegible Text] are hereby declared to be free and manumitted according to the prayer of the said petition. AND WHEREAS it appears to this present general assembly that a certain Harry M'Clendon, ---------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- Page: 24 formerly the property of Jacob M'Clendon, and Rose his wife, formerly the property of Andrew M'Lean, have purchased their freedom, together with the freedom of their children, of and from their former owners, and have prayed that their freedom, as purchased, be secured by law. Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the said Harry, Rose and their children Betsy and Kesiah, be and they are hereby declared to be free. Sec. 4. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to give any person herein manumitted, any privileges except such as free people of color are entitled to by the laws of this state. DAVID MERIWETHER, Speaker of the House of Representatives. DAVID EMANUEL, President of the Senate. JAMES JACKSON, Governor. Approval Date: Assented to December 5, 1799. =================== ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA: PASSED AT LOUISVILLE, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1799. [missing title] 1799 Vol. 1 -- Page: 148 Sequential Number: 035 Full Title: An act to manumit and exempt from certain penalties, Silvia, and her [Illegible Text] David, now the property of Joseph Gabriel Posner. WHEREAS Joseph Gabriel Posner, hath by his petition presented to this present General Assembly, prayed that SILVIA, a woman of color, and DAVID her son, the property of the said Joseph Gabriel Posner, should be manumited and discharged from slavery: SECT. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and [Illegible Text] of [Illegible Text] of the State of Georgia, in General Assembly met, That from and after the passing of this act the said Silvia and David shall be and they are hereby declared to be manumitted and made free, and be thereafter utterly, clearly and fully discharged from slavery, as if the said Silvia and David had been born free. SECT. 2. And be it further enacted, That if it shall so happen that the said Silvia or David should be charged or accused of any offence or crime whatsoever, the said Silvia or David shall be tried for such offence, in the same manner, and be entitled to the same defence, in the courts of this state, as allowed to free white persons in like cases. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page: 149 DAVID MERIWETHER, speaker of the House of Representatives. ROBERT WALTON, President of the senate. JAS. JACKSON, GOVERNOR. Approval Date: Assented to, February 9, 1799, Transcribed from Georgia Legislative Documents online at http://www.galileo.usg.edu and submitted by Barbara Smallwood Stock, CGRS . NOTE: It appears that if a slave purchased his freedom, was given his freedom in the master's will, etc., it still had to be approved by the state legislature.