14 LAWS OF MARYLAND.—1715.
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that all and every such criminal servants for whom the county
shall pay the fees due by law to such officers as aforesaid, shall,
after the end and expiration of their time of servitude to their
master or mistress, satisfy and pay unto the commissioners of
the county who paid such fees for them to the sheriff, and other
officers as aforesaid, for the use of the county, such sums as
they have paid as aforesaid; and the several commissioners of
the several counties shall, and are hereby empowered to make
inquisition after all such servants, criminals, for whom the
county hath defrayed the said fees to the sheriff, and other
officers as aforesaid ; and they, the said commissioners, accord-
ing to their best discretion, shall cause to be entered rules for
the servants to make such reasonable satisfaction to the county
as they shall think fit, and in such manner as they shall find
convenient.
By the act of 1727, ch, 2, all fees due on the prosecution of imported ser-
vants, were to be paid by the masters, &c. of such servants, and not by the
public or county; and the owners (unless in case of conviction and execu-
tion for capital offences,) to have recompense for such fees, by such servi-
tude of the servants (not exceeding three years) as should be thought rea-
sonable by the county court, &c. By May, 1766, ch. 6, the legal fees on
the prosecution of any negro, or other slave, in any county court, (whether
convicted or acquitted,) shall be paid by and assessed in the levy of the
respective counties where prosecuted. |
Masters,
&c. to deli-
ver up ser-
vants, &c. |
SEC 11. And, for the better security of the county which
shall pay such fees for such criminal servants as aforesaid, Be
it enacted, by the authority aforesaid. That the master, mistress
or dame of all such servants, be and are hereby enjoined and
required, at the expiration of the time of such servant's servi-
tude to such master, or mistress or dame, to render and deliver
up to the sheriff of the county, for the use of the county afore-
said, such servants, criminals as aforesaid, under the penalties
to such master, mistress or dame, refusing or neglecting to deli-
ver up such servants as aforesaid, of making satisfaction to the
county for all such fees as by the county aforesaid have been
paid for such criminal as aforesaid; and such sheriff to whom
such criminal servant shall be delivered as aforesaid, is hereby
required to receive and secure such servants criminals aa afore-
said, so that he be and appear at the then next county court to
be held for the said county, to be disposed of as the said court
shall consider.
During our colonial dependence, convicts might be sentenced by the
courts of the mother country to transportation to the colonies, there to be
Bold and held as servants for a term of years. The conditions of planta-
tions adopted by the lord proprietor, authorised a grant of 100 acres of
land for every servant & settler should import into the colony. The
character of that population gave rise to much peculiar legislation, which
is now inapplicable to our present social condition. At the last session of
the general assembly, these laws were presented to their consideration. I
find that no notice was taken of them. |
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