ORDINANCE of the Administrators, concerning the sale of nègres épaves

THE Marquis de Fayet, &c. Jean-Baptiste Duclos, &c.

Upon the frequent complaints brought to Us from the different districts that the nègres marrons, or those seized for debt, remained in prison so long that they were consumed by the cost of their food; that most of the time they were sold to the highest and last bidder by the Huissiers, who had them awarded to themselves at very low prices and resold them on the spot at considerable prices; or that the keepers of the prisons, in collusion with the said Huissiers, had them awarded to themselves at prices far below their value; and this because the Officers of the Jurisdictions did not take the trouble to be present at the said awards; We have judged it very necessary and important to remedy such an abuse. We therefore order the Officers of the Jurisdictions to be present at the said awards, at least by turns, if they cannot all be there together, on pain, for the one who should have been present, of suspension from office and of answering for the consequences in his own private name.