1092

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1833.

May be re-
corded
prior to 1st
October
next.

Certain
deeds of
manumis-
sion, having
but one
witness.

enacted, That such deeds, if recorded prior to the first day of
October next, shall be as valid as if they had been attested
according to law, and recorded prior to the passage of said act.
SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That any deeds of manumission,
executed and recorded before the passage of the act of Decem-
ber session, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, chapter three
hundred and twenty-three, and attested only by one witness,
shall be as good and effectual to all intents and purposes, as if
they had been attested by two witnesses, and according to law;

Made valid.

and a copy from the record of any such deed, shall have the
same effect as if said deed had been duly attested, and recorded
within the time prescribed by law.

Case of
slaves, &c.
having con-
tracted for
and partial-
ly paid for
freedom.
Prior to act
of 1831.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That if any slave or any person,
for or in behalf of such slave, shall, previously to the passage
of the act to which this is a supplement, have entered into an
agreement, or understanding, for the purchase or acquisition of
the freedom of the said slave, with the person or persons enti-
tled to the services of such slave, and there shall have been
paid or performed all or any portion of the stipulated price or
consideration for such freedom, before the passage of this act,
and the slave shall have been or shall hereafter be manumitted,

On fulfil-
ling his
contract.

in consideration of the entire payment or performance of said
price, or consideration, it shall be the duty of any orphans court
of this state, or of the Baltimore city court, when satisfied of
the facts aforesaid, by testimony, to grant a permit to such
manumitted slave, or to the issue born after such manumission

Entitled to
continue in
the state as
free.

of such slave, if such slave be a female, to remain as free in
this state, to the same effect, as if the act to which this is a
supplement had not been passed ; and it shall be the duty of

Record
thereof.

the clerks of the county courts, upon the production and exhi-
bition of such permits, to record the same, and to grant to the
said slave or issue aforesaid, certificates of his, her, or their
freedom.

Fire arms,
&c, in pos-
session of;
not yet for-
feited, &c.

SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That every firelock, of every kind,
and every military weapon, which shall have, antecedently to
the passage of this act, been taken away from any free negro or
mulatto, and shall not have been forfeited to the use of the in-

Hereafter
to be sold
by magis-
trate.
Proceeds to
be paid over
to former
owner.

former, according to the sixth section of the act, passed at
December session, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, chapter
three hundred and twenty-three, shall be sold by the justice of
the peace, or other person, in whose possession it may be, and
the net proceeds, after deducting expenses, shall be paid over to
such free negro or mulatto, by the said justice, or other person.