1860.

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 232.

SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of said board of commissioners to indenture
to some citizen of the said counties, all free negroes
from four to twelve years of age, said male free
negroes to serve until they arrive at the age of
twenty-one, and said females until they arrive at
the age of thirty, the party giving bond to the
State of Maryland for the good treatment and care
of said free negroes.

Females —
their issues,
&c.

SEC. 7. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty
of said board of commissioners to require of the
party to whom any female aforesaid, or any other
female hired or bound under this act, may be bound,
to provide for and support all existing or subsequent
issues of said female during her term of indenture
or hire, until they arrive at the period of four years
of age, at which time it shall be the duty of said
commissioners, to bind out the said issues, in the
manner and for the period specified in the fore-
going section; it being the intent of this act, that
all free negroes, minors from the time of birth to
the period of four years of age, shall be exempt
from the hiring and binding provisions of the
same; and it shall be the further duty of the said
commissioners to allow the mother of such issues
to select the individual to whom said issue shall be

Proviso.

bound; Provided, said individual shall execute a
bond with approved security to the State of Mary-
land, as before required.

Unfaithful
servants.

SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That in the event of
any free negro hired or bound under this act, shall
refuse to serve faithfully, the party to whom he or
she may be bound for the full term of his or her
indenture, either by absconding, secreting or run-
ning away from the service of said party, it shall
be the duty of said board of commissioners on com-
plaint of the party and proof of the same, by some
reliable and disinterested person under oath, to ex-
pose the said hired or bound free negro, at public
sale to the highest bidder, to be sold as a slave for
life, the proceeds of which shall be paid by said
board to the register of wills of Saint Mary's, Cal-
vert, Howard, Kent and Baltimore counties, to be
appropriated by him to the primary school fund.

Duty of com-
missioners re-
specting aged
free negroes.

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of the said board of commissioners to pro-
vide a fund for the support of such free negroes as