Volume 105, Page 47 View pdf image (33K) |
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" By the house of delegates, December 27, 1796: Read the second
time and will pass. make over, by deed of conveyance, to the heirs of George Wallace, of Cæcil county, deceased, in fee-simple, all the right and title of the state of Maryland of in and to a lot of ground distinguished by the number twenty-six on the plot of confiscated lots in Elkton, on their paying into the treasury the sum of seventeen pounds fifteen shillings. By order, W. HARWOOD, clk. due Charles Sherburn for twelve months service as a soldier in the first Maryland regiment, the amount to be ascertained by the auditor. By order, W. HARWOOD, clk. All which said bills and resolutions were read the first time and ordered to lie on the table. The bill, entitled, An act relating to negroes, and to repeal the acts of assembly therein mentioned, was read the second time and will pass with the proposed amendments. Amendments proposed. At the end of the 5th clause add " And be it enacted, That any negro or mulatto heretofore or hereafter held in bondage, and claimed as a slave, but who has been or hereafter may be adjudged free, as descending from a free ancestor, nor the descendants of any negro or mulatto so manumitted or adjudged free, shall be received as competent evidence to manumit any slave petitioning for freedom." In the 15th line of the 8th page strike out the word "fifty" and insert the words "forty-five." In the last line of the same page strike out from the word "given" to the end of the clause and insert the words "shall commence." Strike out from the beginning of the 11th page to the word "be" in the 2d line thereof, and insert the word "and." Strike out from the word "slaves" in the 3d line of the same page to the word "shall" in the 6th line. In the 3d line of the 12th page strike out from the "slaves" to the word "have" in the 5th line of the same page. In the 13th line of the same page strike out from the word "administrators" to eh word "shall" in the 15th line. 8th page, strike out from the beginning of the 16th clause to the end of the 17th. In the 8th line of the 16th page, after the word "jury" insert the words " or upon confession or otherwise." In the same line, after the word "mulatto" insert " a sum not exceeding three hundred dollars." In the 3d line of the 17th page, after the word "loan" insert " or otherwise." At the end of the 6th line of the same page add " and such offender or offenders also shall be liable, upon indictment and conviction upon verdict, confession or otherwise, in this state, in any county court where such offence shall happen, be fined a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars, at the discretion of the court, one half to the use of the master or owner of such slave, the other half to the county school, in case there be any, if no such school, to the use of the county." 13th page, strike out from the beginning of the 7th line to the end of the clause. In the 10th line of the 18th page, after the word "found" strike out to the end of the page, and insert " living idle, without any visible means of maintenance, or going at large through such county, and without any visible means of subsistence." In the 4th line of the 20th page strike out the word "sixty" and insert the word "twenty." At the end of the 8th line same page add " and the money therefore arising, after payment of the charges arising from such commitment and confinement, to pay over unto the justices of the levy courts of the respective counties, for the use od said counties." In the 1st line of the 22d page strike out the word "law" and insert the word "act." In the 8th line of the 24th page strike out from the word "counties" to the end of the clause. At the end of page 24 add " And be it enacted, That where any person or persons possessed of any slave or slaves within this state, who are or shall be of healthy constitutions, and sound in mind and body, capable by labour to procure to him or them sufficient food and raiment, with other requisite necessaries of life, and not exceeding forty-five years of age, and such person or persons possessing such slave or slaves as aforesaid, and being willing and desirous to set free or manumit such slave or slaves, may, by writing under his, her or their hand and seal, evidenced by two good and sufficient witnesses at least, grant to such slave or slaves his, her or their freedom; and that any deed or writing whereby freedom shall be given or granted to any such slave, which shall be intended to take place in future, shall be good to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever, from the time that such freedom or manumission is intended to commence by the said deed or writing, so that such deed and writing be not in prejudice of creditors, and that such slave, at the time such freedom or manumission shall take place or commence, be not above the age aforesaid, and be able to work and gain a sufficient livelihood and maintenance, according to the true intent and meaning of this act; which instrument of writing shall be acknowledged before one justice of the peace of the county wherein the person or persons granting such freedom shall reside, which justice shall endorse on the back of such instrument the time of the acknowledgment, and the party making the same, which he or they, or the parties concerned, shall cause to be entered among the records of the county court where the person or persons granting such freedom shall reside, within six months after the date of such instrument of writing; and the clerk of the respective county courts within this state shall, immediately upon the receipt of such instrument, endorse the time of his receiving the same, and shall well and truly enrol such deed or instrument in a good and sufficient book in folio, to be regularly alphabeted in the names of both parties, and to remain in the custody of the said clerk for the time being among the records of the respective county courts, and that the said clerk shall, on the back of every such instrument, |
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Volume 105, Page 47 View pdf image (33K) |
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