462 NEGROES. [ART. 66.

allows his own servants to have prayers, or other religious
service, upon his own land, nor to meetings of negroes held in
the city of Baltimore, or city of Annapolis, in compliance with
the written permission of a white licensed or ordained preacher,
and dismissed before ten o'clock at night.

63. Every constable shall repair once a month to all suspected
places within his district, and suppress the assembling and
tumultuous meeting of negroes, and oftener, if information be
given him of such tumultuous meetings; and if, at any such
place, he shall find any negro slaves besides the negroes belong-
ing to the owner of such place, he shall whip every such negro,
at his discretion, not exceeding thirty-nine lashes.

64. If, at any such meeting, the constable shall find a free
negro, he shall forthwith carry such free negro before pome
justice of the peace of the county, who shall commit such free
negro to jail, unless he give bail for his good behavior, and also
to appear at the next Circuit Court, to answer for such offence;
which is hereby declared to be a misdemeanor, and punishable
as such.

65. All free negroes who shall be found associating, or in
company with slaves at any unlawful or tumultuous meeting,
either by day or night, or who shall in connection with any
slave or slaves as principal or accessory, be guilty of and con-
victed of any offence for which slaves are punishable before a
justice of the peace, such free negro shall be subject to the same
punishment as slaves thus offending.

CONCEALING INCENDIARY PUBLICATIONS.

66. If any person shall have good reason to believe that any
free negro is concerned or engaged in concealing or circulating
abolition papers, or furnishing free papers to slaves, or papers
purporting to be such, and shall make oath to that effect before
a justice of the peace, the said justice shall issue a warrant to
some constable, authorizing said constable to summon not less
than three respectable citizens, and with their aid and assistance
to search and examine the houses and premises of such free
negro for abolition or free papers, using as little violence to the
feelings of such free negro as is compatible with a faithful and
diligent search.