60 NEGROES. [ART. 66.

this section and of the next preceding section shall not be con-
strued to extend to any slave travelling in company with his
master or owner, or the agent of such master or owner, or as the
servant or attendant of any white person to whom such slave
may be bona fide hired by his master or owner or by the agent of
such master or owner.

5. This act shall take effect from the day of its passage; but
shall not be construed to affect the liability of the president,
directors and company of any railroad, or the owner and captain
of any steamboat, towboat or other vessel, for any penalty for
any such offence committed before the passage of this act, except
that the president, directors and company of any such railroad,
and the owner and captain of any such steamboat, towboat or
other vessel, shall have the benefit of the aforegoing proviso in
any suit brought, or hereafter to be brought, for any such offence
already committed.

IMMIGRATION OF FREE NEGROES.

The Act of 1662, ch. 96, repeals section 47, and substitutes the following:

6. All sheriffs and constables are hereby required to arrest
any free negro who may come into this State, contrary to the
provisions of section forty-four, forty-five and forty-six of the
Code of Public General Laws, and all other persons are author-
ized to arrest any such free negro; and such sheriff, constable
or any other person who may arrest any such free negro, shall
be entitled to the penalty of twenty dollars, hereby imposed
upon any free negro who may have violated any of the provi-
sions of sections forty-four, forty-five and forty-six of this article,
to be recovered on complaint and conviction as before stated;
and any such free negro so offending shall pay the said penalty
of twenty dollars and costs, and expenses incident to his or her
arrest and detention, and upon his or her failure to do so, he or
she shall be committed to jail and sold by the sheriff at public
sale after ten days notice, for a period of not exceeding two
years to the highest bidder, he being a resident of this State,
and should there be any surplus of the sale of negroes sold
under the provisions of this act, or the one to which it is a sup-