registry any slave or slaves which ought by him, her, or them, to be returned for registration, pursuant to the directions herein contained, shall entitle such slave or slaves to freedom, to the prejudice of any person or persons entitled to such slave or slaves, in remainder or reversion; but all the estate, right, title, and interest, at law and in equity, of any tenant for life or years, or other particular estate, of, in, and to any slave or slaves, in his or her possession, which he or she shall omit to return for registration as aforesaid, contrary to the directions of this order, shall be forfeited to the person or persons next in remainder or reversion, who shall and may forthwith after, take or recover the possession thereof, and hold the same in slavery, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding; so as such slave or slaves be, by him, her, or them, duly returned for registration, according to the directions herein-before contained, within such time, and in such manner, as is herein-after in that behalf limited and directed.

"And also, That no default of any mortgagee or mortgagees, in possession of any slave or slaves within the said island, in not returning any slave or slaves, which ought by him, her, or them, to be returned for registration, pursuant to the directions herein contained, shall entitle such slave or slaves to freedom, to the prejudice of the mortgagor or mort gagors of any such slave or slaves, his, her, or their representatives, or any other person or persons claiming under any second or subsequent mortgage,charge,or incumbrance, or under any sale or conveyance, executed, made, or suffered, by such mortgagor or mortgagors, but all the estate, right, title, and interest, at law and in equity, of such mortgagee or mort gagees, in possession of, in, and to such slave or slaves as he, she, or they, shall omit to return for registration as aforesaid, contrary to the directions of this order, shall from thenceforth cease and determine, as if such slave or slaves had been actually redeemed by the mortgagor or mortgagors, or by such person or persons as would have been entitled to such redemption, on payment of the mortgage debt; and such slave or slaves shall and may accordingly be recovered and

taken possession of, by such mortgagor or mortgagors, or such other person entitled to the benefit of such redemption, and held in slavery by him, her, or them, (any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding) discharged of the said mortgage debt, so as such slave or slaves be afterwards, by such mortgagor or mortgagors, or such other person or persons as aforesaid, duly returned for registration, according to the directions herein-before contained, within such time, and in such manner as is herein-after in that behalf limited and directed.

"And also, That no default of any mortgagor or mortgagors in possession of any slave or slaves, in not returning the same for registration as aforesaid, shall entitle such slave or slaves to freedom, to the prejudice of the mortgagee or mortgagees, or any persons claiming under him, her, or them; but if any mortgagor or mortgagors, in possession of any slave or slaves within the said island, shall omit to return the same, or any of them, for registration, contrary to the directions herein contained, the estate of the mortgagee or mortgagees, of and in all the mortgaged lands, slaves, and other premises contained in the mortgage, shall forthwith become absolute in the law, and such mortgagee or mortgagees shall and may immediately enter upon, and take, or recover possession, not only of such slave or slaves not duly returned for registration, but of all the other slaves, lands, and premises comprised in the mortgage, and shall have all other remedies provided by the law of the said island for the recovery of the mortgage debt, as in cases of mortgages forfeited by the non-payment of the principal or interest monies thereby secured, pursuant to the proviso or covenants of redemption therein contained, and shall moreover be entitled to hold such slave or slaves, as were not duly returned for registration, absolutely and irredeemably as against such mortgagor, and his heirs, execu tors, or administrators, without any deduction or allowance for the value thereof out of the mortgage debt, so as such slave or slaves be afterwards duly returned for registration by such mortgagee or mortgagees, within such time, and in such manner as is herein-after in that behalf limited and directed.

"And also, That no default of any trustee, guardian, receiver, committee, sequestrator, or other person appointed by any court of justice, who shall be in possession of any slave or slaves within the said island, in returning any slave or slaves for registration, pursuant to the directions herein contained, shall entitle such slave or slaves to freedom, to the prejudice of the person or persons, beneficially entitled to, or interested in, such slave or slaves, if such person or persons so beneficially entitled to, or interested in, such slave or slaves, shall afterwards duly return the same for registration (which he or they, whether in possession of the same or not, is and are hereby empowered to do,) within such time, and in such manner, as is herein-after in that behalf limited and directed; (that is to say)-Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby further ordered, That in order to entitle any remainder-man, reversioner, mortgagor, or mortgagee, or person beneficially interested under any trust or otherwise, to keep and hold in slavery any Negro, Mulatto, or other person, who, by the default of the tenant for life or years, or other particular tenant, or of the mortgagee or mortgagor in possession, or of any trustee, guardian, receiver, committee, or sequestrator, shall not have been duly registered as a slave, according to the directions herein-before contained, it shall be necessary for such remainder-man, or reversioner, mortgagor, mortga gee, or other person beneficially interested, at the annual period hereby appointed for the registration of slaves in the said island, next after he, she, or they shall have taken possession of any such slave, and within three years at most from the time of such default of registration, (except in cases of defaults in the annual returning of any new-born slave, the issue of any female slave, previously registered as such; and in respect of such new-born slaves, within ten years at most from the time of such default, and within one year from the time of taking possession thereof,) to make such full and particu lar return and description of such slave, in writing, and upon oath, to the said Registrar, as is herein before directed to be made, for the purpose of the original registration of the slaves in the said island, together with an affidavit in writing, to be

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sworn before the said Registrar, stating the time and the particular nature of the former default of registration, and by whom the same was committed or incurred, and by what title, and for what estate and interest, such defaulter was in possession of such slave at the time of such default of registration, and shewing under what settlement, or conveyance, or by what other means, he or they, the said reversioner, remainder-man, mortgagor, or mortgagee, or person beneficially interested making such return, was entitled to, some specified estate in remainder or reversion, or to some right or equity of redemption, or some mortgage, term, or estate, or equitable estate, or interest of, in, to, or upon such slave, at the time of such default of regis tration, and averring positively that such Negro, or Mulatto, or other person so returned as a slave, is really and rightfully such, the former default of registration only excepted, and specifying how such servile condition lawfully arose, namely, whether by the alleged slave having been lawfully held in slavery in the said island, prior to the original registration of slaves hereby directed, or having been since born of some and what female slave, duly registered as such within the said island, or having been lawfully imported into the said island, from some and what other British colony, at some time, and when, subsequent to the said original registration of slaves; and it is hereby provided and ordered, that such affidavit, being duly filed in the said registry, the Registrar shall examine the return to which the same relates; and if it appears on the face thereof to be such a return as ought, if true, to be received and registered, according to the intent and meaning of this order, he shall proceed to require such further proof thereof, as the nature of the case may afford, and especially by the production of any Negro or Mulatto, or other person inscribed in the said return as a slave, to be by him the said Registrar personally inspected, and privately examined, and also by the production of any deeds or other instruments mentioned in the said affidavit, or duly authenticated copies thereof, and by reference to entries in the said registry, as to the alleged mother, or female ancestors, of such asserted slave, and by reference in respect of any slave asserted to have been

imported from other British colonies, to the certificates of his or her lawful importation, herein-before directed to be brought into, and filed in the said office; and for the better investigation of any facts stated in any such return, the said Registrar shall have power to examine the party or parties making the same, upon oath, if he shall think fit; and if, after such examination and proof, the said Registrar shall think the said return to be sufficiently verified, and not otherwise, he shall proceed duly to register the same, according to the directions and regulations herein-before contained, in respect to annual returns; but any party or parties, aggrieved by an erroneous decision of the said Registrar herein, shall and may have such remedy, by appeal, as is herein-before provided, in respect of any default or misconduct of the said Registrar.

"Provided nevertheless, That whensoever, by reason of any such default as aforesaid, by persons in possession of slaves not being their own absolute property, in any of the cases aforesaid, it shall be allowable and necessary for any owner or owners, innocent of such default, to return for registration any slave or slaves, after the time at which the same ought to have been registered by any tenant for life or years, or other particular estate, morgagee, or mortgagor in possession, trustee, guardian, committee, sequestrator, or other officer, if the party or parties charged with such default or defaults is, or are, still living and resident within the jurisdiction of the courts of the said island, or otherwise amenable thereto, the Registrar shall forthwith lay the said return, or a copy thereof, before the attorney-general, procurator-syndic, or other proper law officer, whose province it is to prosecute for the Crown in the said island, who shall consider the same; and if it appears to him that any penalty or penalties, forfeiture or forfeitures, has or have been incurred by the alleged default or defaults, he shall forthwith give notice to the party or parties charged with the same, to attend him, and shew cause why a prosecution, to recover such penalty or penalties, forfeiture or forfeitures, shall not be commenced and if the said party or parties shall not so attend, or, attending, shall not shew sufficient cause in that behalf, the said