Ten Bucks a Slave
- All the laws that are about to be listed can be enforced by commissioners, which were defined by the original Fugitive Slave Act of 1789.
- Both Circuit and Superior Courts of the states can appoint commissioners as needed.
- Commissioners, Circuit Courts, and Superior Courts have the power to send runaway slaves back to the states in which they were enslaved.
- If a marshal refuses to pursue a runaway slave, he'll be fined $1,000. If he captures the runaway slave, but the slave escapes, the marshal will be fined the value of the slave.
- Marshals have the authority to command normal bystanders to help capture runaway slaves—and the bystanders have to do it.
- If a slaveowners' claim of a runaway slave is approved, commissioners and marshals can use whatever means necessary to capture the runaway slave. Also, the slave can't give testimony or really get any trial at all.
- Anyone who does something to prevent the recapture of a runaway slave will be fined $1,000.
- Marshals and their deputies will get ten dollars for every successful runaway slave recaptured, and five dollars for every Black person captured who turns out not to be a runaway slave.
- People involved in the apprehension of runaway slaves can use whatever means necessary to keep the runaway slaves captive, including moving them to another state to prevent their rescue.
- Anyone who thinks they have a runaway slave situation can go to the court and prove that the slave escaped, and the court will grant a certificate to start the recapture process.