AN ACT to authorise the raising of two regiments of men of colour.

BE it enacted by the people of the state of New-York, represented in senate and assembly, That the governor of the state of New-York be, and he is hereby authorised to raise, by voluntary enlistment, two regiments of free men of color, for the defence of the state, for three years unless sooner discharged.

And be it further enacted, That each of the said regiments shall consist of one thousand and eighty able-bodied men; and the said regiments shall be formed into a brigade, or be organized in such manner, and shall be employed in such service, as the governor of the state of New-York shall deem best adapted to defend the said state.

And be it further enacted, That all the commissioned officers of the said regiments and brigade, shall be white men; and the governor of the state of New-York shall be, and he is hereby authorised, to commission by brevet, all the officers of the said regiments and brigade, who shall hold their respective commissions until the council of appointment shall have appointed the officers of the said regiments and brigade, in pursuance of the constitution and laws of the said state.

And be it further enacted, That the commissioned officers of the said regiments and brigade, shall receive the same pay, rations, forage and allowances, as officers of the same grade in the army of the United States; and the non commissioned officers musicians and privates, of the said regiments shall receive the same pay, rations, clothing and allowances, as the non commissioned officers, musicians and privates of the army of the United States, and the sum of twenty-five dollars shall be paid to each of the said non commissioned officers, musicians and privates, at the time of enlishtment, in lieu of all other bounty.

And be it further enacted, That the troops to be raised as aforesaid, may be transferred into the service of the United States, if the government of the United States shall agree to pay and subsist them, and to refund to this state the monies expended by this state in clothing and arming them; and until such transfer shall be made, may be ordered into the service of the United States, in lieu of an equal number of militia, whenever the militia of the state of New-York shall be ordered into the service of the United States.

And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any able-bodied slave, with the written assent of his master or mistress, to enlist into the said corps, and the master or mistress of such slave shall be entitled to the pay and bounty allowed him for his service: and further, that the said slave, at the time of receiving his discharge, shall be deemed and adjudged to have been legally manumitted from that time, and his said master or mistress shall not thenceforward be liable for his maintenance.

And be it further enacted, That every such enrolled person, who shall have become free by manumission or otherwise, if he shall thereafter become indigent, shall be deemed to be settled in the town in which the person who manumitted him was settled at the time of such manumission, or in such other town where he shall have gained a settlement subsequent to his discharge from the said service, and the former owner or owners of such manumitted person, and his legal respresentatives, shall be exonerated from his maintenance, any law to the contary hereof notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, That when the troops, to be raised as aforesaid, shall be in the service of the United States, they shall be subject to the rules and articles which have been, or may be hereafter established by the by-laws of the United States, for the government of the army of the United States: that when the said troops shall be in the service of the state of New-York, they shall be subject to the same rules and regulations: And the governor of the said state shall be, and he is hereby authorised and directed to exercise all the power and authority which, by the said rules and articles, are required to be exercised by the president of the United States.