T. HOLLIDAY HICKS, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

1860.

or by the last will and testament of a deceased per-
son to become free at a period which has not
arrived and who are now in service as slaves for a
term of years.

CHAP. 323.

And be it enacted, That the following section
authorising free negroes to renounce their freedom
shall be added to said article, and is hereby de-
dared to be a part thereof:

Additional
section.

SEC. 2. Any free negro above the age of eigh-
teen years, may go before the Circuit court for the
county in which such free negro has resided for
three years, next preceding such application or be-
fore the Superior court of Baltimore city, if such
negro has resided in said city, and after a full ex-
amination in open court by said court, so as to as-
certain whether force, fraud, imposition or undue
persuasion has been used to induce such applica-
tion, and upon being perfectly satisfied by such
examination, and by any other evidence, which the
said court may think it proper to inquire, that
such application has not been induced by force,
fraud, imposition or undue persuasion, the said
court may permit such negro to select a master or
mistress and become a slave for life to such master
or mistress, and shall cause such order to be re-
corded in perpetual proof of the fact; if such ne-
gro shall be a female, her children if any under
five years of age, shall be included in such order
and become slaves, and those above five shall be
bound out.

CHAPTER 323.

Free negroes
authorised to
renounce
their freedom.

AN ACT to incorporate a company to build a
Turnpike Road from the Georgetown Turnpike
to the public road leading from Adamstown to
Greenfield Mills.

Passed March
9, I860.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Maryland, That a company be incorporated to
make a turnpike road from the Georgetown turn-
pike to the public road leading from Adamstown

Incorporated.