Page:Notes on the History of Slavery - Moore - 1866.djvu/64

 punihes any Negro or Molatto for triking a Christian, by whipping at the dicretion of the Jutices before whom he may be convicted. It alo prohibits marriage of Chritians with Negroes or Molattoes—and impoes a penalty of Fifty Pounds upon the perons joining them in marriage. It provides againt unreaonable denial of marriage to Negroes with thoe of the fame nation, by any Mater—"any Law, Uage, or Cutom, to the contrary notwithtanding.

This provio againt the unreaonable denial of marriage to negroes is very intereting. Legilation againt the arbitrary exercie and abue of authority proves its exitence and the previous practice. It was as true then as it is now that the intitution of lavery was inconitent with the jut rules of Chritian morality.

In Pennylvania, five years before, William Penn had propoed to his Council, "the neceitie of a law [among others] about y$e$ marriages of negroes." The ubject was referred to a committee of both houes of the legilature, and reulted in a Bill in the Aembly, "for regulating Negroes in their Morals and Marriages, etc.," which was twice read and rejected. Penn. Col. Rec, 598. 606. Votes of Aembly,, 120, 121. This propoition of Penn was in accordance with the views of George Fox, whoe tetimony in regard to the treatment of laves, given at Barbadoes in 1671, is elewhere referred to in these notes. In his "Gopel Family Order, being a hort dicoure concerning the Ordering of Families, both of Whites, Blacks, and Indians," he particularly enforced the neceity of