Appendix. 625

But then it is to be Considered Whether the peculiar Circes of
this Country where there is a great annual Importation of Convicts
& where they are retained in the Service of different Masters &
Suffered to go at large & with whom they " Celum non animum
mutant " may not render such a Deviation from the Laws of their
Mother Country/who can have no such Law as they are Subject
to no such Inconveniency/not only a prudent Provision but a neces-
sary measure as Calculated for the Meridian of this Country where
as in every other Governm.^t the Salus Populi, ought to be, Suprema
Lex.
And their being made Evidence is only ag.^t one another & for
New Facts that must arise Subsequent to their Transportation and
which must be committed out of the Kingdom tho within the Realm
of Great Britain

This Act is made Temporary for 3. years and to the end of the
next Session of Assembly.
2.^d.......As to the 2.^d Act relating to the Punishm.^t of Slaves —
Your Consid." is more immediately desired upon the parlar Provi-
sions made by the Act as the necessity of Some Regulations for
the Discipline & Punishm.^t of Slaves is Notorious & Confirmed by
antient usage as well in Maryland as in all others his Matys Ameri-
can Dominions.
But the Propriety of the Parlar Regulations made by this Bill the
parlar Severitys & penaltys inflicted by the Bill & the methods of
Convicting Offenders or, as in one Instance in the Bill the Liberty
to kill such Offenders in Case of resistance and that without any
after Tryal are matters more immediately worthy of Consideration
By the ParTar Clause Alluded to/Sect. 9/There is a Power given
to any Person to Kill any Slave who shall make resistance & the
Person Killing is Indemnified from any Prosecution for such Kill-

Calvert
Papers
No. 486

1752

ing/by which it is apprehended to be Intended that there shall be no
Prosecution at all ag.^t the Murtherer/& the value of the Slave Killed
is to be paid by the Publick Treasurer to the Owners.
Whereas without such Prosecution Tryal neither the Original
Offence of the Slave nor his resistance to the Officer appointed to
take him, nor consequently the Innocence of the Officer in Killing
him agreable to the Act/in case such a Killing under the partar Circes
in the Act sh.^d be thought Justifyable/can be made appear
By the 2^d Sect. If a Slave Conspire Advise or attempt /int. a &/
to Commit a Rape on a White Woman or to burn a House shall
Suffer death as a Felon
So Likewise by the 4.^th Sect. Sentence is to be passed ag.^t any
Slave who shall be Guilty of the Offences described in the Act &
Convicted upon his own Confession or the Verdict of a Jury upon
the Testimony of one or more Legal or Credible Witnesses or even

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