Act revived,
&c.
Court may
pass judgement,
&c. |
BE it enacted, by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That an act of assembly,
entitled, An act for the punishment of horse stealers and other offenders,
passed at May session, one thousand seven hundred and forty-four,
shall be and is hereby revived and continued until the twentieth day
of October,
one thousand eight hundred and three, and to the end of the next session
of assembly
which shall happen thereafter.
II. And
be it enacted, That the several courts of justice within this state
before
whom such offender shall or may be convicted, may pass such judgment
as
the law requires for such crimes, or they may, in their discretion,
adjudge any
such offender to serve and labour, agreeably to the directions of the
act of assembly,
entitled, An act for the more effectual punishment of criminals, passed
at
November session, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three. |
Negroes not
to be imported,
&c.
Proviso.
Persons not
to sell, &c.
Right not affected,
&c.
No slave manumitted
to
vote, &c. |
BE it enacted, by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That it shall not be
lawful, from and after the passing of this act, to import or bring
into
this state, by land or water, any negro, mulatto or other slave, for
sale, or
to reside within this state; and any person brought into this state
as a slave contrary
to this act, if a slave before, shall thereupon immediately cease to
be the
property of the person or persons so importing or bringing such slave
within this
state, and shall be free.
II. Provided
nevertheless, and be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful
for any citizen or citizens of the United States, who shall come into
this
state with a bonâ fide intention of settling therein,
to import or bring into this
state, at the time of his or her removal into this state, or within
one year thereafter,
any slave or slaves the property of such citizen at the time of his
or her
said removal, which slave or slaves, or the mother or mothers of which
slave or
slaves, shall have been resident of the United States, or some of them,
three
whole years next preceding such removal, and the same to retain as
slaves.
III. And
be it enacted, That nothing herein contained shall be construed
to
enable any person or persons, so removing as aforesaid, to sell or
dispose of any
slave or slaves imported by virtue of this act, or their increase,
unless such person
or persons shall have resided within this state three whole years next
preceding
such sale, except in cases of disposition by last will and testament,
and dispositions
by law for bonâ fide debts, or consequent upon intestacy.
IV. And
be it enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed
or taken to affect the right of any person or persons travelling or
sojourning with
any slave or slaves within this state, such slave or slaves not being
sold or otherwise
disposed of in this state, but carried by the owner out of this state,
or attempted
to be carried.
V. And
be it enacted, That no slave manumitted agreeably to the laws of
this
state since the passage of the act, entitled, An act to prohibit the
bringing slaves
into this state, or made free under the said act, or who shall hereafter
be manumitted
or made free in virtue of this act, shall be entitled to the privilege
of
voting at elections, or of being elected or appointed to any office
of profit or |
