Mr. Mercer, from the committee, delivers to the speaker the following report:
    THE committee to whom were referred the petitions of sundry inhabitants of Kent, Queen-Anne's, Talbot,
Caroline and Dorchester counties, praying that a law may pass prohibiting the transportation of slaves out of this
state, having given the same that serious consideration which the importance of the subject merits, submit the
following report:  They consider the property acquired in slaves by the citizens of Maryland, under the faith of
laws existing before the revolution, and sanctioned by experts compact on the dissolution of the old, and adoption
of the new, government, as resting on the general basis of property, secured by society to its individual members,
under limitations, one of the most essential of which is, that where the rights of the individual are to be resumed
by the public for the general advantage, a reasonable compensation should be made.  They presumed not to
meddle with abstract questions on natural right, or to deny the legislative competency to meet any great and
general regulation of civil policy, which the uncertain events attending every social institution, (particularly one
so circumstanced as your own,) may at any time hereafter render indispensable; but as they are not aware of the
propriety or necessity of such at present, they cannot consent generally to prohibit that use of their property,
which the necessity of owners may render indispensable, necessities that must continually arise under the obligations
of those laws which contemplate the legality and value of that species of property; nor do they believe
that the transportation of the blacks to a warmer climate, more congenial to their physical constitution, is either
inhuman as it respects themselves, or impolitic as it regards the state; they consider the gradual diminution of
the number of those persons, so distinguished by nature from the rest of the community, and a proportional supply
in their place, by the substitution of white yeomanry, as an object highly desirable, and worthy of promotion.
    They are also impressed, that the security and quiet of our constituents, and even motives of humanity to the
slaves, impose on this legislature the imperative duty of discountenancing all representations to this body, which
inculcate or admit an idea of apprehension to be entertained from this unfortunate race, who were found to be
wholly insignificant, even during the revolution, when the union and the power of the United States were feeble,
and when powerful hostile foreign armies, aided by domestic enemies, afforded means and temptation that cannot,
in the nature of things, recur; and to repress, with severity, all public discourses tending to encourage a spirit
that may eventuate, in the first instance, in partial and momentary outrages, calamitous perhaps to a few citizens,
but which ultimately must terminate in the ruin of the hopes, and aggravation of all the disadvantages, to which
this race are now exposed.
    But your committee, impressed as they are with these considerations, cannot for a moment doubt that the right
of property in slaves, as exercised in this state, is, and ought to be, a limitted right--limitted by the laws of
humanity and Christianity.  The legislature are bound to repress the vices of cruelty and inhumanity, and to
encourage the virtues of philanthropy, benevolence and Christian charity; and whilst they would refuse to
prohibit generally the sale and transportation of slaves to the southern states, they are willing so far to restrain
the same, as to prevent the violation of those ties of nature which even savage man respects, and which civilised
society should protect with a religious reverence; they therefore submit the following resolution:
    RESOLVED, That a law should pass, prohibiting, under sufficient penalties, the sale of any slave or slaves for
the purpose of transporting him, her or them, out of this state, and from transporting the same, whereby an
acknowledged husband or wife, according to the customary relations that obtain among slaves, may be separated
from each other, or whereby a mother may be separated from her child or children under ----- years of age,
unless it be in consequence of the commission of some crime or offence.
                                                                By order,                                                J. S.  BETTON, clk.
Which was read.
    The bill to lay out and open a road from the town of Westminster, in Frederick county, to the city of Washington,
was read the second time, and the question put, That the said bill do pass?  The yeas and nays being
required, appeared as follow: