LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1796.

341

siich county, to sell such person or persons to serve for a period
of time not exceeding six calendar months, and the money
therefrom arising, after payment of the charges arising from
such commitment and confinement, to pay over unto the jus-
tices of the levy courts of the respective counties, for the use of
said counties.

SEC. 21. And be it enacted, That no petition or petitions for
freedom shall hereafter originate in the general court of either
shore, but shall commence and be tried only in the county
where such petitioner or petitioners shall reside, under the
direction of his, her or their master, mistress or owner; and the
court of the county in which such petition or petitions shall be
preferred, shall have full power and authority to issue process
against such master, mistress or owner, for the purpose of com-
pelling his or her appearance, directed to the sheriff of the coun-
ty where such person or persons shall reside, and such sheriff
shall serve and return such process, in the same manner as if
issued by the county court of his county, and in case of neglect
or delay in such sheriff to execute and return such process, he
may be fined by the court issuing such process.
See 1810, ch. 63, authorizing the venue to be changed in certain cases.

No petition
to originate
in the gene-
ral court,
&c.

SEC, 22. And be it exacted, That in all petitions now depend-
ing, or hereafter commenced, for freedom, either the petitioner
or defendant may apply to the court for the benefit of a trial by
jury, and the court shall thereupon charge, as the law directs,
the attending jury, to determine each and all of the allegations
contained in the said petition, which may be controverted, any
law, usage or custom, to the contrary notwithstanding.

Petitioner,
&c. may
apply to the
court, &c.

SEC. 23. And be it enacted, That there shall be no appeal
from the judgment of the county court upon such petitions, ex-
cept as to matters of law, where the facts shall have been tried
by a jury, and the master, mistress or owner, of such petitioner,
or the petitioner, at the election of either, shall have the right of
appeal as to matters of law only, and to take bills of exception
in all cases so tried to the general court of their respective
shore, any thing in this act contained to the contrary notwith-
standing.

There shall
be no ap-
peal, &c.

SEC. 24. And be it enacted, That either the master, mistress
or owner, of such petitioner, or the petitioner, shall have the
right and privilege of challenging peremptorily to the number
of twelve jurors empannelled to try the facts in issue, and for
want of a sufficient number of jurors remaining upon the origi-
nal panel, a tales, at the prayer of either party, shall be award-
ed by the court to try the said issue or issues.
SEC. 25. And be it enacted, That in all cases of petitions for
freedom hereafter to be instituted in any court of Jaw in this
slate, where the petition or petitions shall be dismissed, or upon

Master, &c.
may chal-
lenge, &c.