JOSEFH KENT, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR,

1826

Dawson is hereby declared to be divorced from his wife Rebec-
ca Dawson, as entirely , and to as full extent, as if the said Re-
becca. Dawson were dead, or as if he the said George Dawson
had never been joined in matrimony with her.

CHAP. 233

CHAP. CCXXXIV.
An Act to change the time of Electing Representatives of this State, in the
Congress of the United States,

Passee Mar 12, 1827

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That the next election of representatives of this stale, in, the
congress of the United States, shall be on the first Monday of
October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
twenty-nine, and on the same day in every second year there-
after, unless there should be a special meeting of congress called
by the president of the United States, or ordered by congress,
to be holden previous to such day, and after the expiration 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.

Election, when to
hold

2. And be it enacted, That each and every of the existing pro-
visions 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 re-
lates to the time of holding the said election.

Laws declared in
force

CHAP. CCXXXV.
An Act relating to Manumissions.

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 slayes, by the owner or owners of such
slave or slaves, and which has been acknowledged and record-
ed 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 manumission
or writing; as aforesaid, may not have been evidenced by two or

Passed Mar 10, 1827

Deeds of manu-
mission heretofore
executed, made
valid

more good and sufficient witnesses; Provided only, that such
slave or slaves were not over the age of forty-five years, or un-
der 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

2. And be it enacted. That a capy of such deed of manu-
mission or writing as aforesaid, taken from the record of the I
county, and duly attested under the seal of the court, shall at
all times hereafter be deemed, to all intents and purposes, good

Copy of deed
made sufficient
evidence

and sufficient evidence of the execution of such deed or writing
of manumission ; Provided always, that notwithstanding 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 con-
strued as to affect or destroy the right of my person who be-
fore the passage of this act, was a bona, fide purchaser of any

Provisions