be "caped from his mafter unto thee; he « fhall dwell with thee, even among you, "in that place which be fhall choose, in one of thy gates, where it liketh him beft: Thou shalt not opprefs bim." Deut. xxiii. 15, 16. The stranger, however, fhall be required to promise obe, dience to the laws of the fettlement, and due legal fubmiffion to the chiefs of the divifion, wherein he is admitted and pledged; and alfo to enter himself on the publick roster of equal fervice for Watch and Ward, when of proper age. And in order to obtain his livelyhood, independently of individuals, he shall, if he is above twenty years of age, be allowed to purchase, of the publick Exchequer, one quarter of a lot of land, for one year's fervice, confifting of 310 days fervice of eight hours each, (and a proportionable addition to the term, if under that age) for which quarter of a lot lot, he shall be taxed only one quarter part of a deciner's contribution to parochial and publick exigences and expences; which proportionable contribution of labour for taxes fhall commence from the time he receives the land; but the Exchequer fhall give him credit for the labour of purchase until the fecond year after he receives the land; in the course of which only half of the labour, viz. 155 days, may be demanded, and the remainder in the courfe of the third year, whereby the ftranger will have fpare days of labour to enable him (by giving indents for it) to purchase neces→ faries for his farm: And he shall be allowed a feparate chamber in the publick afylum or inn, until he is able to build an house or cottage upon his own lot. After he has faithfully discharged his debt of service according to his first contract with the Exchequer, and also his other E other contract debts with private individuals (for all fuch private debts should be entered in the publick Exchequer, in order to give intrinfic value to the indentures for labour, as the state of every man's credit and circumstances will then appear on the publick books) he shall be allowed another quarter of a lot on the fame terms, and fo on till he has acquired a compleat lot; when, if he has by his good and faithful behaviour proved himself worthy of the rank and truft of a deciner, he fhall be admitted to all the privileges and civil rights of the community as a free member and equal proprietor of the whole fettlement. REDEMP REDEMPTION FROM SLAVERY: Redemption from Slavery.-Price to be repaid by fhort limited Service to the Publick Exchequer.-Profit by Redemption infinitely fuperior to the Profit of the Slave Trade. THOUGH it is a fundamental principle of the fettlement, that all flaves shall be deemed free as foon as they enter it, fo that no perfon can retain, or fell, or employ, a flave within the bounds of the fettlement, yet there can be no impropriety in providing a means of repaying the expence of redeeming flaves, on the condition of a fhort limited fervice, as an apprentice or indentured fervant, provided that the actual prices given for redemption can be fufficiently authenticated, that no more may be repaid, except, perhaps, a limited profit, not, exceeding ten per cent. by way of in E 2 terest tereft, for advancing the price; and provided also that the faid limited fervice of the contract be not claimable by any individual, but by the publick Echequer only, after the redeemed perfon has confented to work out the price; whereby all poffibility of domestic flavery, or private opprion, will be excluded; and the Exchequer will give an ample equivalent to the redeemed person, to insure his voluntary confent to a contract for a limited time of labour, not only by the protection it will afford him, but also by putting him in poffeffion of a portion of land, equal to the quarter part of a deciner's lot, to be increased as he difcharges his debt of labour; and by finding him provifions until he fhall be able to raife provifions from his own land. The publick Exchequer will be enabled, by the confent of a majority of the settlers, thus to difpofe of land, becaufe all the unoccupied land in the fettlement |