ACTS OF ASSEMBLY PASSED IN JUNE 1752

Liber B. L. C.

p. 555

At a Session of Assembly begun and held at the City of An-
napolis the third day of June in the second year of the Dominion
of the Right Honourable Frederick Absolute Lord and Proprietary
of the Province of Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore
&c.^a Annoqj Domini 1752 and ending the twenty third day of the
same Month.
The following Laws were Enacted and Assented to by the Honble
Benja Tasker Esq.^r President.

No. 1

An Act to prevent disabled and superannuated Slaves being set
free, or the Manumission of Slaves by any last Will or Testa-
ment.

[Preamble]

Whereas sundry Persons of this Province have set disabled
and superannuated Slaves free who have either perished through
Want, or otherwise become a Burthen to others: And inasmuch
as giving Freedom to Slaves, by any last Will and Testament, may
be attended with many Evils; it is therefore humbly prayed that it
may be Enacted ;

[Slaves who
are old, and
incapable of
working not
to be set at
Liberty; but
to be pro-
vided for by
the Owner.]

And be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary,
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's President,
and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority
of the same, That it shall not be lawful for any Person or Persons
within this Province, to give or grant Freedom to any Slave or
Slaves disabled to work, or gain a sufficient Livelihood and Main-
tainance; but that in all such Cases, any Master, Mistress, or Owner
of such Slave or Slaves, at the proper Cost and Charge of such
Master, Mistress, or other Person owning such Slave or Slaves, shall
support and maintain such Slave or Slaves, during the natural Life
or Lives of such Slave or Slaves, in Food and Cloathing fitting and
needful for such Slave or Slaves; whereby he, she, or they may not
become a Burthen to others, or perish through Want, to the great
Scandal of Christian Society.

[No Slaves
to be set free
by any last
Will and
Testament.]

And be it further Enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any
Person or Persons within this Province, by any verbal Order, or
by his, her, or their last Will and Testament, or by any other Instru-
ment of Writing, in his, her, or their last Sickness, whereof he, she,
or they shall die, to give or grant Freedom to any Slave or Slaves :
And if any Person or Persons, after the Time aforesaid, shall, by
any verbal Order, or by his, her, or their last Will and Testament,
or by any other Writing or Instrument, in his, her, or their last
Sickness whereof he, she, or they shall die, give Freedom to any
Slave or Slaves, such Order, Will, or other Writing shall be void
and of no Effect, so far as relates to such Freedom or Manumission
only.