er pretext, shall be deemed and considered as an
unlawful assembly; and any justice of the county or corporation,
wherein such assemblage shall be, either from his own knowledge, or
on the information of others, of such unlawful assemblage or
meeting, shall issue his warrant directed to any sworn officer or
officers, authorizing him or them to enter the house or houses where
such unlawful assemblage or meeting may be, for the purpose of
apprehending or dispersing such free Negroes or mulattoes and to
inflict corporal punishment on the offender or offenders at the
discretion of any justice of the peace, not exceeding 20 lashes.

5. Be it further enacted that if any white person or persons
assemble with free Negroes or mulattoes, at any school house,
church, meeting-house, or other place for the purpose of instructing
such free Negroes or mulattoes to read or write, such person or
persons shall, on conviction thereof, be fined in a sum not
exceeding fifty dollars, and moreover may be imprisoned at the
discretion not exceeding two months.

6. Be it further enacted that if any white persons for pay or
compensation, shall assemble with any slaves for the purpose of
teaching and shall teach any slave to read or write, such persons or
any white person or persons contracting with such teacher so to act,
who shall offend as aforesaid, shall for each offence, be fined at
the discretion of a jury in a sum not less than ten nor exceeding
one hundred dollars, to be recovered on an information or
indictment. Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1831, p. 107.

I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia that no slave,
free Negro or mulatto, whether he shall have been ordained or
licensed or otherwise, shall hereafter undertake to preach, exhort
or conduct or hold any assembly or meeting, for religious or other
purposes, either in the day time or at night; and any slave, free
Negro or mulatto so offending shall for every such offence be
punished with stripes at the discretion of any justice of the peace,
not exceeding 39 lashes; and any person desiring so to do, shall
have authority without any previous written precept or otherwise, to
apprehend any such offender and carry him before such justice.

II. Any slave, free Negro or mulatto who shall hereafter attend any
preaching, m