510

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1805.

ed where
negroes are
born free.

apply to the clerk of the county where he, she or they, shall
reside, to grant him, her or them, a certificate of their freedom,
and the said clerk shall, upon sufficient evidence of such negro
or negroes so applying being bom free, grant to such negro or
negroes a certificate thereof, setting forth the manner in which
such negro or negroes became entitled to his, her or their free-
dom, and shall describe such negro or negroes in such certi-
ficate, in the same manner as is prescribed in the first section of
this act ; and the said clerk shall keep a registry thereof, and
shall not grant any other certificate to any such negro or ne-
groes, unless upon such testimony of .his, her or their having
lost the former certificate of his, her or their freedom, as is
required from negroes who have been manumitted or freed as
before mentioned.

Fees to the
clerks and
registers.

SEC. 7. And be it enacted. That for each and every certi-
ficate of freedom granted under this act, the clerk or register, as
the case may be, shall receive fifty cents, as a compensation for
his trouble.

CHAPTER 80.

AN ACT to prevent free Negroes from selling any Corn, Wheat or
Tobacco, without having a license for that purpose from a Justice of
the Peace.
Supplements and other laws are, 1806, ch. 81; 1825, ch. 199; 1831,
ch. 323.

Preamble.

WHEREAS, great inconvenience is felt in this state in conse-
quence of free negroes receiving stolen corn, wheat and tobacco,
from slaves, and selling the same as the production of their own
labour; therefore,

No free
negro to sell
corn, &c.
without a
certificate.

SEC. 2. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That from and after the first of May next, no free negro shall
sell any corn, wheat or tobacco, unless, at the time of his or her
so selling the said article or articles, he or she shall be possessed
of a certificate, under the hand and seal of a justice of the
peace of said county, thst he or she is a peaceable and orderly
person, and of good character, which certificate shall be of force
for one year and no longer.
1825, ch. 199, extends the prohibition to the sales of tobacco.

Penalty on
free negroes
so offending

SEC. 3. And 6e it enacted. That if any free negro shall act
contrary to the provisions of this act, the person so offending
shall incur the penalty of five dollars for every such offence,
one-half to the informer, the other half to be applied to the use
of the county, and to be recovered as other fines and forfeitures,
before a justice of the peace in the county where such offence
shall be committed.

Penalty on
persons

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any person who shall pur-
chase or receive from any free negro, any corn, wheat or tobacco,