Park v. Willis

Decided November 15, 1813

This was an action on the case founded upon the Virginia laws of 17th December, 1792, p. 192, § 50, and 25th January, 1798, p. 374, §§ 6 and 7 ; by the first of which it is enacted that no master of a vessel shall transport out of the Commonwealth any servant or slave without the consent or permission of the person to whom such servant or slave doth of right belong,” upon penalty of $150 for a servant, and $300 for a slave ; one moiety to the Commonwealth and the other to…

Decided 1813-11-15

The Court(ThrustoN, J., absent,)

¶1refused to instruct the jury that a general hiring by the defendant authorized him to carry the slave to Philadelphia, and refused to instruct them that if the course of the defendant’s business was known to the plaintiff’s agent at the time of the hiring, it authorized the defendant to take the slave out of the State of Virginia. And also refused to instruct them that the defendant, by the hiring, became the owner of the slave for the term for which he was hired.

¶2The same opinions and instructions were given upon the last *86tria], and bills of exceptions were taken; but no writ of error was prosecuted.

Mr. Jones and Mr. E. J. Lee, for the plaintiff.Mr. C. Lee and Mr. Taylor, for the defendant.