Page:Notes on the History of Slavery - Moore - 1866.djvu/72

 as Butchers, Bakers, Brewers, Victuallers, Smiths, Carpenters, Taylors, Shoomakers, Joyners, Barbers, Millers and Maons, with all other manual perons and Artits." Mas. Laws, Ed. 1672, p. 24. The law of 1698, however, appears to have been the firt, if not the only one, in which this feature was applied to the "Negroes, Molattoes and Indians" in bondage; and may be jutly regarded as an indication of progres, for it was an admiion that thee unfortunate creatures had "faculties," valuable to their owners, if not to themelves.

There was little variation in thee laws during the entire colonial period—all Indian, Negro, and Mulatto ervants continuing to be rated as peronal property—excepting that occaionally ome of thoe who were ervants for a term of years, but not for life, were numbered and rated as polls.

n 1716, an attempt was made to modify this feature of the legilation of Maachuetts. The following extract from Judge Sewall's Diary is copied from the original. Though quoted by Coffin, in his Hitory of Newbury, 188, and Felt, in the ''Coll. Amer.''