629 HARFOBD COUNTY. [ART. 12.

NEGROES.

82. Whenever information shall be given to any constable or
justice of the peace for Harford county that there is m the
election district where such constable or justice resides, any child
of any free negro who ought to be bound out as an apprentice,
it shall be the duty of such constable or justice forthwith to give
notice to the person having the custody of such child that such
child must be bound as an apprentice.

83. If the parent or person having the custody of such child
shall fail to have him bound as an apprentice within twenty
days after such notice, it shall be the duty of such constables,
if the notice was given by a constable, to carry such child before
any two justices of the peace for said county, and the said
justices shall bind such child as an apprentice.

84. If such notice was given by a justice of the peace, and
there be a failure on the part of the parent or person having
the custody of such child to have the said child bound within
twenty days after such notice, the justice shall issue his warrant
to some constable to carry such child before two justices of the
peace for said county to be bound as aforesaid.

85. All indentures of negro children taken under this article
shall be returned to the Orphans' Court of the said county within
thirty days, and the said court shall have power to set aside
such indentures if they shall believe upon proper evidence that
the said indentures were improperly obtained, otherwise the
said court shall confirm the same; and if any such indenture
shall be set aside, the Orphans' Court shall bind out the child
therein named to some white person in the county upon the
terms and conditions prescribed by law.

86. The parent of any negro child shall have the privilege
of selecting the person to whom his child may be bound; Pro-
vided, the Orphans' Court or justice of the peace before whom
such child may be taken, shall approve of such selection.

87. The person to •whom any negro apprentice shall be bound,
shall not permit such apprentice to remain in the employment
or custody of any free negro, and any person so offending
ehall be liable to indictment and punishment as for a misde-
meanor.