LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1826,

885

called by the president of the United States, or ordered by con-
gress, to be holden previous to such day, and after the expira-
tion of the term of service of the said representatives, in which
event the governor of Maryland shall, by proclamation, direct
such election to be held on a day to be therein named by him.

SEC, 2. And b& it enacted, That each and every of the exist-
ing provisions of the several election laws of this state, relative
to the election of the representatives aforesaid, shall be, and are
hereby declared to be, in full force and operation, except so far
as relates to the time of holding the said election.

CHAPTER 235.
AN ACT relating to Manumissions.
Other acts are, 1831, ch. 281 ; 1832, ch. 296; 1833, ch. 284.

Laws de-
clared in
force.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That any deed or writing heretofore executed for the manumis-
sion of any slave or slaves, by the owner or owners of such
slave or slaves, and which has been acknowledged and re-
corded in the manner directed by the existing laws at the time
of the execution of such deed or writing of manumission, shall
be valid and effectual in law to give freedom to any such slave
or slaves, and their issue, and although such deed of manumis-
sion or writing as aforesaid, may not have been evidenced by

Deeds of
manumis-
sion hereto-
fore execu-
ted, made
valid.

two or more good and sufficient witnesses ; Provided only, that
such slave or slaves were not over the age of forty-five years, or
under the age of ten years, at the time of the execution of said
deed or writing, and have been in the enjoyment of their free-
dom for the space of seven years after the execution of such
deed or writing.

Proviso.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That a copy of such deed of
manumission or writing as aforesaid, taken from the record of
the county, and duly attested under the seal of the court, shall
at all times hereafter be deemed, to all intents and purposes,
good and sufficient evidence of the execution of such deed or

Copy of
deed made
sufficient
evidence.

writing of manumission ; Provided always, that notwithstand-
ing such deed or writing of manumission, no slave shall be
entitled to his or her freedom under the provisions of this act,
who has been heretofore adjudged to be a slave by any court of
law in this state ; Provided, that nothing in this act shall be so
construed as to affect or destroy the right of any person who,
before the passage of this act, was a bona fide purchaser of any
slave or slaves claiming his, her or their freedom, under such
deeds of manumission ; And provided also, that the provisions
of this act shall not extend to the case of any negro or negroes,
mulatto or mulattoes, whose right to freedom is now in litiga-
tion in any court of this state.

Provisos.