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SATURD AY, March I, 178 K GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE °R INDEPENDENT REGISTER. . • t ’ ' ♦ ; _ # r FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JURY, to tin ain inviolate louver. UnJtitMnn <f Gtergia. AUGUSTA: Printed iy JOHN E. SMITH, Printer to the it ate-, I Jays, Articles of Intelligence, Advertijements, &c. will be gratefully received, and evtrykind of Printing per firmed. __ _ _■ "i* »■ ' ' 111 * An. Aft S To ameiid an Aft entitled, <c An Aft for the punijhment of va gabonds, and other idle and dis orderly persons,” pajfed the 29; h day of t ebruary , 1764, \\/HEREAS divers idle and W disorderly peiions, having ho visible elfate or lawful em ployment, and who are able bo died men,, capable of labouring for their support, yet frequently ftrole from diveis parts of the world to this Hate* and from one County to another within the fame, negle<3ing to labour, or to follow any honest employment for their support, and either fail ing altogether to lift themselves as tithables* or, by their idle and disorderly life, rendering them selves incapable of paying their levies when lifted, by which means they become a pest to fo cietv ; for remedy whereof* Be it enafted by the Reprefenta fives of the Freemen ofthe State of Georgia , in General Ajfembly met , and by the auth nty of the fame , That all able bodied persons, not having some visible property fuf ficient* or who follow some ho nest employment fufiicient for the support of themselves and for their families, (if any) and who shall be found loitering, and ne* glefting to labour for reasonable wages; and likewise all persons who run from their habitations, and leave wives or children with out suitable means for their sub sistence, and all other idle va grants, or disorderly persons, wan dering abroad without betaking themselves to some lawful em ployment or honest labour* shall be deemed and adjudged vaga bonds. And be itfurther enafted by the dihority ajorfaid , 1 hat if any such vagabond as afortfaid, fi.a i Le found within any county in this state, wandering, ftroling, loitering about, or misbehaving himlelf, it shall be lawful for any Justice of the Peace of the coun ty, on application to him made, or on his own knowledge, and he is hereby required, by a warrant under his hand, to cauie such va gabond to be brought before hfm, and to examine and inform him lelf, as well by the oath and ex amination of the person appre hended, as of any other person or persons whatsoever, or by any other ways or means the Juhice lhail think proper, of the condi tion and circumflance •of the perlon or perions io apj. rehendtd, and if it ihall then appear that any perlon so apprehended is un der the delcription of vagabonds within this Aft, or if it doth ap pear upon trial th?t any iuch per lon doth not cultivate at least three acres of ground in some grain or other, or that he is of lome mechanic trade, and works at that trade for his support, or that he is in some honest employ ment engaged by the state, or fom&itizen thereof of goodfame, that then* and in that cale, the laid Justice shall cause every such vagabond to give bond, with fuf ficient security, for his good beha viour, and for his engaging him felf to some lawful calling, or honest labour, and if he (hall fail to give such security, to the fatisfaftion of the Justice, then the laid Justice is hereby required THE to commit him to the common goal ot the county, there to remain . until luch ltcuntv be given, or until tne next Superior Court ot the laid county; which Court is hereby empowerc if no lecurity be then offered, to bind such va gabond tolervice,or wages for the term of one year* and luch wages, after deducting the charge of profccution* and his neceflary cloathing, fliali be applied to wards fuppotting the lamilv of such perion so bound, (if any) or otherwite paid to the perion him lclf alter his time ot (ervice is expired,in lull ot all other recorr* pence or reward whatever; but it any such vagabond be of such evil repute that no pet lon will receive him into lervice, in luch cale the Court shall order him a' number of Lfhes, not exceeding thirty-nine, to be well laid on his bare back, at the public whipping p< ft, and then to he difeharged 5 and iti both cafe9 every luch vagabond be af* terwards liable to the like p: ofe cution and punilhment for every offence of vagrancy whereof he shall be guilty as afotefaid. Provtded never thelejs> T hat any such vagrant or idle person, upon his enlisting and taking the oath poin'ed out by law, and fully be coming a soldier in the new levies, he shall he exempted from the • punishments heretofore and here - in inflifted by this Aft. And whereas it may be that feme evil disposed persons after having committed some felonious crimes against the laws and good order of fnmeone of the fMes in the Union, and after being ap prehended and foundgudty of the 0 v O T O. LXXV.I