514 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS Feb. 21,

and for awarding to each loyal person to whom a colored vol-
unteer might owe service, a just compensation not exceeding
three hundred dollars for each colored volunteer, and under
said provisions and previous thereto, under the Military au-
thority of the United States, a large number of slaves owing
service to loyal citizens of Maryland, were induced to leave
their owners and to enlist in the Military service of the United
States or were received on board of steamers under the com-
mand of the said Military, and carried away from the service
of the said owners, by the said Military, so that their service
was totally lost to their said owners, and very few of the said
loyal owners have ever received any compensation for slave
volunteers so enlisted, or service so lost:

And whereas, on the 29th day of October, in the year,
1864, the Governor of Maryland, in pursuance of authority
vested in him, did by his Proclamation, declare that the Con-
stitution and Form of Government framed and adopted by a
Convention of delegates of the peoples of Maryland, on the
6th day of September, in the year, 1864, had been adopted
by a majority of the voters of the said State, and would go into
effect as the proper Constitution and Form of Government of
the said State, superseding the one then existing on the first
day of November in the year, 1864;

And whereas, on the said first day of November, in the
year, 1864, the said Constitution went into full operation as
the Supreme State Law, and by the 24th Article of the Dec-
laration of Rights of the said Constitution, Slavery was abo-
lished, in this State, and all persons held to service or labor
as slaves, were thereby declared to be free, whereby the pri-
vate property of large numbers of the loyal citizens of Mary-
land, to the value of many millions of dollars, which had
been from the foundation of the Government, State and Fed-
eral, by the principal of universal public law, recognized in
all Governments founded in justice and law, as well as by the
most solemn guarantees of the Constitution of the State and
of the United States down to the said first day of November,
in the year, 1864, secured to the owners thereof, was taken
away from the said owners, and no compensation for the in-
conveniences public and private, produced by such change of
system "has been made by giving to this State pecuniary aid,"
according to the faith of the Federal Government solemnly
pledged by the Joint Resolutions aforesaid; althdugh in an-
ticipation of its observance by section 45, of the third Article
of said Constitution it was provided, that "the General As-
sembly shall have power to receive from the United States
any grant or donation of land, money, or securities for any
purpose designated by the United States, and shall adminis-
ter or distribute the same according to the conditions of the
said grant;"