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1738-12-15

DECLARATION OF THE KING, concerning the enslaved nègres of the Colonies brought to France

Haitian

LOUIS, &c. Greeting. The report that We had made to Us after our accession to the Crown, of the state of our Colonies, having made known to Us the wisdom and necessity of the provisions contained in the Letters patent in the form of an Edict, of the month of March 1685, concerning the enslaved nègres, We ordered their execution by article I of our Edict of the month of October 1716; and it having been represented to Us at the same time that several settlers of our Islands of America wished to send to France some of their enslaved, to confirm them in the instruction and the exercises of Religion, and to have them learn some art or trade, but that they feared that the enslaved would claim to be free on arriving in France, We explained our intentions on this subject by the articles of that Edict, and We regulated the formalities that seemed to Us to be observed by the enslavers who would bring or send enslaved people to France. We are informed that, since that time, a great number have been sent there.

Source  ·  p. act 03:548 Médéric Louis Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry, Loix et constitutions des colonies françoises de l'Amérique sous le Vent (Vol. 3) (1784-1790), p. act 03:548