LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1817.

663

citizen shall have resided within the state one year next pre-
ceding such removal, or to any person travelling with his or her
servants or slaves in or through the state not purchased with
intent to export the same within the meaning of this act.

SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That hereafter when any servant
or slave shall be committed to the gaol of any county in this
state, as a runaway, agreeably to the laws now in force, and the
notice required to be given by law by the sheriff shall have been
given, and the time for their detention expired, and no person or
persons shall have applied for and claimed said suspected runa-
way, and proved his, her, or their title to such suspected
runaway, as is now required by law, it shall be the duty of the
sheriff forthwith to carry such slave or slaves before some judge
of the county court, or judge of the orphans court, with his com-
mitment, and such judge is hereby required to examine and
inquire, by such means as he may deem most advisable, whether
such suspected runaway be a slave or not, and if he shall have
reasonable grounds to believe that such suspected runaway is a
slave, he may remand such suspected runaway to prison, to be
confined for such further or additional time as he may judge
right and proper ; and if he shall have reason to believe that
such suspected runaway is the slave of any particular person,
he shall cause such notice to be given by the sheriff, to such
supposed owner, as he may think most advisable, but if said
judge shall not have reasonable ground to believe such suspected
runaway to be a slave, he shall forthwith order such suspected
runaway to be released ; and if no person shall apply for such
suspected runaway, after he may be so remanded, within the
time for which he may be remanded, and prove his, her or their
title as the law now requires, the said sheriff shall, at the expira-
tion of such time, relieve and discharge such suspected runa-
way, and in either case when such suspected runaway shall be
discharged, the expense of keeping such runaway in confine-
ment shall be levied on the county as other county expenses are
now levied.
Under 1828, ch. 98, the expenses for commitments, of the negroes dis-
charged under this section, was to be paid by the treasurer, which Was
repealed by 1831, ch. 185.

Runaway
slaves, pro-
ceedings
relative
thereto.

SEC. 7. And be it enacted. That in all cases where jurisdic-
tion, power and authority, are given by this act to the several
county courts in this state, for matters arising in said counties,
the same power and jurisdiction is hereby vested exclusively
in Baltimore city court, for all matters arising in Baltimore
county or city, and not in Baltimore county court.
SEC. 8. Requests the executive to have the law printed in the public
newspapers.

Powers
vested in
Baltimore
city court.