I. BE it enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses of this present general assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That if any person or persons shall, from and after the publication of this act, steal any hog, shoat, or pig, every person so offending, shall, for the first offence, receive on his or her bare back, twenty-five lashes, or pay down ten pounds current money of Virginia; and if a negro, mulatto, or Indian, thirty-nine lashes well laid on, at the common whipping-post of the county wherein such offence shall be committed, or the party offending, arrested; and moreover, shall pay and satisfy four hundred pounds of tobacco, for every such hog, shoat, and pig; one half of the afore-mentioned fine to be to the owner of such hog, shoat, or pig; and the other half to the informer: To be recovered, with costs, at the suit of the informer, by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any court of record in this her majesty's colony and dominion, wherein no essoin, protection, or wager of law, shall be allowed. And if any person or persons, shall the second time offend, by stealing any hog, shoat, or pig, he or she so offending, and being thereof the second time convicted, shall stand two hours in the pillory, on a court day, and have both ears nailed thereto, and at the end of the said two hours, have the ears cut loose from the nails: which judgment, the county courts in this colony, are hereby impowered to give respectively, and to award execution thereon accordingly: Saving always and reserving to each party concerned, liberty of appealing to the general court; provided they give bond, with good security, in the sum of twenty pounds sterling, for his or personal appearance in the general court, according to the appeal, and to perform and abide what they shall award therein; and moreover, each party offending as aforesaid, shall pay and satisfy four hundred pounds of tobacco for every such hog, shoat, and pig: To be recovered and divided as aforesaid.
III. And if such person so offending, be a slave, then the owner of such slave shall pay and satisfy two hundred pounds of tobacco to the owner of the hog; and judgment shall go accordingly.
V. Provided always, That this clause shall not be constued to extend to owners of slaves paying more than once for one hog; but that having paid once two hundred pounds of tobacco for each hog so stolen, shall be acquit: And if slaves of several masters be concerned together in one offence of hog stealing, then the pay for such hogs or hogs, shall be paid by the owners of such slaves, in proportion.
VI. And if any person or persons shall the third time offend, by stealing a hog, shoat, or pig, he or she so offending, shall be adjudged a felon, and shall suffer death, as in the case of felony.