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GEORGIA GAZETTE.
Number 90.
An CT to prevent, as much as may be, the
spreading of the Smallpox in this Province.
■wt ’'HEREAS the distemper commonly called thefmall
yy pox, hath been for fome time part, and still conti
nues in the town of Savannah, the infedion whereof is now
spread, and hath communicated itfclf to several places in the
country; and it being ot’ the utmoll consequence to the in
habitants of this province, that every means Ihould be used
to prevent* as n\uoh as poflible the further spreading of the
laid distemper, We therefore pray your moft sacred Majcfty
that it may be enabled, And be it EnaAed, by his Excellency
fAMEis WRIGHT, Esquire, Captain-General and Gover
nor in Chief of his Majesty’s province of Georgia, by and
with the advice and consent of the Honourable Council and
Commons House of Aficmbly of the laid province, in Gene
ral Afl’embly met, and by authority of the fame, 1 hat,
from and after the palling of this a it, if any person (hall
inoculate or ingraft, be inoculated or ingrafted, or procure
or cause to be inoculated or ingrafted, the disease of distem
per commonly called the smallpox, or being, or known to
be,’ already infeded therewith, (hall coine, De brought, or
sent within the limits herein after-mentioned, that is to fay,
within the town or common of Savannah, the hamlet of
Ewen(burgh, Yamacraw, and the Tjruftees-Gardens, or
within the lots or land formerly called the Indian-Land, or
within the .limits- of any other town or village in this pro
\ ince, not Being an inhabitant of such town or village, every
fjich person llufl and may be removed out of the limits a
forefaid, by one or more jyilice or justices, and such person
and .perfon* as he pr they tliall command to his or their aid
and aftiiUnce, to the place of his, lier, or their refujence,
or to fome oijicr convenient place, to prevent, as much as
mav be, the spreading of the said disease; and every such
offender or infeded person, and all and every person orper
fooi who (halt command, aid, procure, or aftill in bringing,
fending, or conveying such infected person within the limits
aforefaid, (liall forfeit severally and refpedively, for every
such offence, the sum of one liundred pounds sterling.
And be it Enacted, by the authority aforefaid, That it (hall
and may be lawful for any one or more jultice or justices of
the peace, refining in Savanuah, or in any other town or pa
ri(h, taking to his or their alfiftancc the church-wardens, if
any, and con (tables of tl*e said parifli, or any of them, and
the said jultice or justices, church-wardens, and constables,
are hereby authorized and required to take such prudent, ne
ceflary, and reasonable methods, from lime to time, as they
in their discretion (liall think fit, for hindering infeded j>er
fons being brought within the limits aforefaid, and for pre
venting the further spreading of the infection.
And be it further Enabled, by the authority aforefaid, That
in case any justice of the peace aforefaid, or any person whom
he (hall command to his afti(lance, not having reafonableex
cufe, (hall wilfully neolcd or refufe to do and execute the
duty required of them by this ad, every such justice, and o
thcr person so offending, (liall forfeit for each offence the
sum often pounds ftcrling; and in case any person or persons
uhatfoever (hall wilfully refill, obllrud, oroppofeany such
justice, or other person commanded to his alliance in put
ting this ad in execution, any justice, upon view or infor
mation thereof, (hall immediately illue his warrant to appre
hend and bring such person or persons before him, or any
other justice of that parish; and every such person being so
brought (hall be bound with fufiiclcnt furcties by recogniz
ance to appear a: the next feftion of oyer and terminer, and,
on failure of giving such fccurity, be committed to the com
mon rroal of Savannah until the feflion aforefaid, and (hall
upon conviction forfeit and pay the (urn of one hundred
pounds itcrling, and, on failure of payment thereof, thali
(offer three months imprisonment without bail or mainprize.
And be it further Enacted , by the authority aforefaid, That
in case any (lave (liall be inoculated or ingrafted within the
Emits before-mentioned,’ Or being hi. Own to be in Ceded with
THURSDAY, December 20, 1764.
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the (aid distemper or disease, shall be sent, brought, carried,
or conveyed, to any place within the said limits, from any
part of this province or elfcwhere, contrary to the true in
tent and meaning of this aft, the owner, or other person
having the care or charge of every such (lave, ihall be ad
judged, deemed, and taken to have caiifed and procured
such offence to be committed, and shall be fnbjeft and liable
to the fame penalty and forfeiture as is herein before impof
cd on any other person infefted with the said distemper, and
coming, being brought, or sent within the limits aforefaid,
unless such owner, or other person as aforefaid, shall take a
voluntary oath that such negroe or other Have did not come,
or was not sent or brought with his or her knowledge, ‘pri
vity, or consent.
And be it further Enabled, by the authority aforefaid, That
where any person or persons Ihall be infeCted with the said
disease, in any house within the limits of any town or vil
lage within this province, every mailer, owner, or other
person, having the care or charge of such house, (hall, im
mediately upon difeovery of such infeftion, fix, or cause to
be affixed, on the front door of such house, and also at the
moll publick place within the said tow n or village, adver
tisements, fignifying that the smallpox is at such house; and
in case such matter, owner, or other person having the care
or charge of such house as aforefaid, shall negleft or refufe
to fix, or cause to be affixed, such advertisements hereby di
rected, each and every person so neglcdting shall forfeit for
every such offence the sum of ten pounds sterling.
And, to prevent as much as pofhble the infeftion of the
smallpox fpreadin'g in the country, be it Enabled, by the au
thority aforefaid, That where any person or persons shall be
infefted with the said disease or distemper, in any house or
plantation in any part of this province without the limits a
forefaid, every mailer, owner, or other person having the
care or charge of such house or plantation, (hall immediately*
fix, or cause to be affixed, in the publick road nearest to such
house or an advertilement in writing, fignify
ing that the smallpox is at such house or plantation, and a
white cloth at the gate or entrance to such house or plantati
on, which cloth shall be continued while the infedlion re
mains at the said place, and shall fix another like advertife
ipeitf at the church, chapel, or other place of publick wor
ship, and, if none, then at the next moil publick place in the
parish where such house or plantation isfituate; and in case
such owner, mailer, or other person having the care of such
house or plantation, shall negleft or refufe to fix, or cause to
bearuxed, such advertisements and other tokens as hereby
diredlcd, every person so fhall forfeit for each of*
fence the sum of ten pounds sterling.
And be it further Enabled* by the authority aforefaid, That
no person or persons shall build or ereft any hospital or fick
houfe, or shall convert, or cause to be converted, any house
already built, into an hospital or sick-house, for the recep
tion of patients or persons infefted with tne smallpox, except
those of his or her family, servants, or slaves, pvithin four
hundred yards of any publick road, or of the limits herein
before-mentioned, under the penalty of five hundred pounds
flerling.
And he it Enabled, by the authority aforefaid, That it shall
not be lawful for any person or persons whatsoever to inocu
late or ingraft, oKbc inoculated or ingrafted, or cause to
be inoculated or ingrafted, the disease or distemper com
monly called the smallpox, in his, her, or their plantation,
unless the said distemper is aftually within the province, nor
within any town or village, unless the fold distemper is actu
ally in the said town or village, under the penalty of one
hundred pounds sterling, to be sued for and recovered as in
this aft is before directed.
And be it further Enabled , by the authority aforefaid, That
all and Angular the penalties and forfeitures impofql by this
aft shall hedifpofed of in manner following, tnat is to fay,
one half to his Majclly towards defraying the cxpence in
putting this'aft In execution, and the overplus, if any, 4