LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1796.

337

testament, which is contained within the third section thereof,
shall be and is hereby repealed.

SEC. 13. And be it enacted. That from and after the passage
of this act, it shall and may be lawful for any person or per-
sons, capable in law to make a valid will and testament, to
grant freedom to, and effect the manumission of, any slave or
slaves belonging to such person or persons, by his, her or their
last will and testament, and such manumission of any slave or
slaves may be made to take effect at the death of the testator or
testators, or at such other periods as may be limited in such last
will and testament; provided always, that no manumission
hereafter to be made by last will and testament shall be effec-
tual to give freedom to any slave or slaves, if the same shall be
in prejudice of creditors, nor unless the said slave or slaves
shall be under the age of forty-five years, and able to work and
gain a sufficient maintenance and livelihood at the time the
freedo'tn given shall commence.
By 1809, ch. 171, persons manumitting slaves, to take effect at the expi-
ration of years, or upon contingencies, may determine the condition of the
issue, born during the time of service. If they omit to do so, their condi-
tion to be that of slaves.
See 1831, ch. 281, sec. 3, 4 and 5, as to the conditions connected with
their right to freedom, imposed on manumitted slaves. The restriction
imposed by this section as to age, is removed in favour of those who are
willing to remove to Liberia,

Freedom
may be
granted by

Wilt, &c.

SEC. 14. And, whereas it is contrary to the dictates of huma-
nity, and the principles of the Christian religion, to inflict per-
sonal penalties on children for the offence of their parents, Be it
enacted. That all those parts of an act,* entitled, an act relative
to servants and slaves, and of another act, t entitled, a supple-
mentary act to the act, entitled, an act relating to servants and
slaves, which impose servitude to the age of thirty-one years on
the issue of certain inordinate copulations, mentioned in the
twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth sections of the
said first mentioned act, and in the second and third sections of
the said last mentioned act, shall be and they are hereby re-
pealed ; provided always, that nothing in this act shall affect
the right of any person or persons whatsoever to the servitude
of any such issue heretofore acquired under the repealed parts
of the act aforesaid.
SEC. 15. Merged in 1809, ch, 138, sec. 4.

Part of
former acts
repealed.

*1715, ch.
44.

*1728, ch. 4.

SEC. 16. And be it enacted. That from and after the passage
of this act, if any person or persons shall import or bring into
this state, any free negro or mulatto, or any person bound to
service for a term of years only, and shall sell or otherwise dis-
pose of such free negro, mulatto, or person bound to serve for it
term of years only, as a slave for life, or for any longer time
43

Or import-
ing them
into this
state, &c.