WASHINGTON'S BLACK CODE
17. That it shall not be lawful for slaves
to assemble in any house, street, or other place, by day or by night, in a
disorderly or tumultuous manner, so as to disturb the peace or repose of the
citizens, the slave or slaves so offending shall be taken up by any constable,
within whose knowledge the fact may come, or may be taken up by any other
citizen, seeing hearing, or knowing of it, and carried before a Justice of the
peace, and, on conviction, shall be sentenced to receive any number of stripes
on his, or her bare beak not exceeding twenty. (Act 16th December, 1812.)
18. That if any free black or mulatto
person, or slave, shall be found playing cards, dice, or other game, of an
immoral tendency, whether for money or other thing, or not, or shall be present
as one of the company where such game is playing, such free black or mulatto
person, on the fact being made appear to a justice of the peace as aforesaid,
shall pay a fine of ten dollars; and if the offender by unable or refuse to pay
the same, he, or she, shall be confined to labor for a time not exceeding
thirty days, for each offence, or if the offender by a slave, her or she shall
be punished with any number of lashes on their bare back, not exceeding
fifteen. (Act 15th December, 1812.)
21. That if any slave shall have a dance,
ball, or assembly, at his, her or their house, without first obtaining a permit
for that purpose from the mayor, he, she or they, shall each pay a fine of
twenty dollars, or be sentenced to confinement and labor for a time not
exceeding thirty days; in case of inability or refusal to pay such fine for
each offense, he, she or they shall each receive any number of lashes on their
bare back, not exceeding ten; and the mayor after being convinced of the safety
and propriety of the solicited permission, shall therein state the number of
guests to which the assembly is to be limited, and the hour at which it shall
be broken up; and if a greater number shall be found attending, or if the
company shall be broken up at the appointed time, the person to whom the permit
shall have been granted, shall, on conviction, pay a fine not exceeding ten
dollars; and in case of inability or refusal to pay the same, shall be confined
to labor for a time not exceeding ninety days; or shall receive on his or her
bare back a number of lashes not exceeding ten. (Act 16th De-cember, 1812.)
22. That no slave or free black or mulatto
person, shall be allowed to go at large through the streets, or other parts of
the said city, at a later hour than ten o'clock at night, from the first day of
April to the first day of October; or than nine o'clock at night, from the
first day of October, to the first day of April; and that it shall be the duty
of the constables, and lawful for any free white citizen to apprehend and take
before some Justice of the peace, any or all such persons as may be found so
going at large, except such slave be furnished with a written permission from his
master, mistress or employer; or such free black or mulatto have a pass from a
Justice of the peace, or from some other credible citizen, or be engaged in
driving a cart, wagon, dray or other carriage. A slave offending against this
section of the law, shall be punished at the discretion of the Justice of the
peace, before whom he or she may be taken, with a number of stripes on his or
her bare back not exceeding thirty-nine; and the free black or mulatto, shall,
on conviction, be fined in a sum not exceeding twenty dollars; on refusal or
inability to pay such fine, he, she or they shall be sentenced to confinement
at labor not exceeding ninety days: (Act 16th December, 1812)