ommanders of slave-ships.]

7. And be it enacted, that all and every commander of a vessel or
vessels employed in slave trade, having received certificates from the
port of the outfit, and from the proper officers in Africa and the West
Indies, of their having conformed to the regulations of this act, and of
their not having lost more than one in thirty of their slaves by death,
shall be entitled to a bounty or premium of [ten pounds].

* * * * *

IV. And whereas the condition of persons in a state of slavery is such
that they are utterly unable to take advantage of any remedy which the
laws may provide for their protection and the amendment of their
condition, and have not the proper means of pursuing any process for
the same, but are and must be under guardianship: and whereas it is not
fitting that they should be under the sole guardianship of their
masters, or their attorneys and overseers, to whom their grievances,
whenever they suffer any, must ordinarily be owing:

[Sidenote: Attorney-General to be protector of negroes.]

[Sidenote: To inquire and file information _ex officio_.]

1. Be it therefore enacted, that his Majesty's Attorney-General for the
time being successively shall, by his office, exercise the trust and
employment of protector of negroes within the island in which he is or
shall be Attorney-General to his Majesty, his heirs and successors; and
that the said Attorney-General, protector of negroes, is hereby
authorized to hear any complaint on the part of any negro or negroes,
and inquire into the same, or to institute an inquiry _ex officio_ into
any abuses, formations and to call before him and examine witnesses upon
oath, relative to the subject-matter of the said official inquiry or
complaint: and it is hereby enacted and declared, that the said
Attorney-General, protector of negroes, is hereby authorized and
empowered, at his discretion, to file an information _ex officio_ for
any offences committed against the provisions of this act, or for any
misdemeanors or wrongs against the said negroes, or any of them.

[Sidenote: Power to challenge jurors.]

2. And it is further enacted, that in all trials of such informations
the said protector of negroes may and is hereby authorized to challenge
peremptorily a number not exceeding ---- of the jury who shall be
impanelled to try the charge in the said information contained.

[Sidenote: To appoint inspectors of dis