Whereas complaint is made by the inhabitants of this Province, that they are greatly injured by slaves having liberty to carry guns and dogs into the woods and plantations, under the pretense of gunning, do kill swine. Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Deputies in General Assembly met and assembled and by the authority of the same] that no slave or slaves within this Province after publication hereof, be permitted to carry any gun or pistol, or take any dog with him or them into the woods, or plantations, upon any pretense whatsoever: Unless his or their owner or owners, or a white man, by the order of his or their owner or owners, be with the said slave or slaves, upon the penalty of twenty shillings for the first offence, and for the second offence, thirty shillings and so for every offence after so committed ten shillings more: the one half to the informer that shall prosecute the same to effect, the other half to the use of the poor belonging to the town where the fact was committed, to be recovered as an action of debt: forty shillings or under to be tryed at the court of small causes in the town where the fact was committed, and above forty shillings to be try’d by the county court where the fact was committed; the said action to be commenced against the owner or owners of the aforesaid slave or slaves so offending; and after judgment obtained against the said owner or owners, execution to be levied upon their bodies or estates, for the satisfaction of the said penalty so recovered as aforesaid with cost. […]