East New Jersey Laws, October 1694, ch.II, L&S 340-342
[§1] WHEREAS complaint is made by the inhabitants of this Province, that they are greatly injured by slaves having liberty to carry guns and dogs, into the woods and plantations, under pretence of guning, do kill swine. Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Deputies in General Assembly met and assembled, and by the authority of the same, that no slave or slaves within this Province after publication hereof, be permitted to carry any gun or pistol, or take any dog with him or them into the woods, or plantations, upon any pretence whatsoever; unless his or their owner or owners, or a white man, by the order of his or their owner or owners, be with the said slave or slaves, upon the penalty of twenty shillings for the first offence, and for the second offence, thirty shillings, and so for every offence after so committed ten shillings more; the one half to the informer that shall prosecute the same to effect, the other half to the use of the poor belonging to the town where the fact was committed, to be recovered as an action of debt; forty shillings or under to be tryed at the court of small causes in the town where the fact was committed, and above forty shillings to be try'd by the county court where the fact was committed ; the said action to be commenced against the owner or owners, of the aforesaid slave or slaves so offending ; and after judgment obtained against the said owner or owners, execution to be levied upon their bodies or estates, for the satisfaction of the said penalty so recovered as aforesaid with cost. [§2] And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons within this Province, shall suffer his or their slave or slaves, to keep any swine, but what are of their owners mark, upon the penalty of twenty shillings for every swine otherwise marked ; to be recovered of the owner or owners of the said slave or slaves as aforesaid. And whereas it is found injurious to many of this Province having slaves, that their slaves are withheld by the countenance, harbouring and entertaining of them by many of the inhabitants thereof, without their owners consent. [§3] Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that any person or persons on whom it can be proved, that they do presume to suffer any slave to be or remain in his house, not licensed by his owner as aforesaid, by the space of two hours, shall forfeit the sum of five shillings, and so proportionably for a longer time, to the owner wrong'd thereby ; and that it shall be lawful for any person to apprehend and take up as a runaway, any slave that shall be found five miles from his owners habitation,or town of his abode, without a certificate for the same, and upon returning the said slave or slaves, to the said owner or owners, he or they so apprehending and returning as aforesaid, shall have paid them by the owner or owners of the said slave or slaves within ten miles distance, five shillings; if within twenty miles, and more than fifteen miles from the said owners habitation, ten shillings per head, and if further, than six-pence per mile more to be paid and recovered as aforesaid. [§4] And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or persons shall lend, give or hire out to any slave, or slaves, pistol, gun or guns, the said person or persons so lending, giving, or hiring, shall forfeit the said pistol, gun or guns, or twenty shillings to the owner of the said slave or slaves, to be recovered as an action of debt as aforesaid.