LAWS OF MARYLAND.

1844.

ed at November session, one thousand seven hundred and
ninety-six, and the several supplements thereto, it is pro-
vided that where any person or persons possessed of any
slave or slaves within this State, who arc or shall be of
healthy constitution, and sound in body and mind, capable
by labor to procure him or them sufficient food and rai-
ment, with other requisite necessaries of life, and not ex-
ceeding forty-five years of age, and such person or persons
possessing such slave or slaves as aforesaid, and being wil-
ling or desirous to set free or manumit such slave or slaves,
may by writing under his, her or their hand and seal, evi-
denced by two good and sufficient witnesses at least, grant
to such slave or slaves, his, her or their freedom; and
WHEREAS, it is doubted whether or not the above said pow-
er, to manumit as above said, embraces bodies politic or

CHAP. 118.

corporate.
SECTION 1. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assem-
bly of Maryland, That it shall and may be lawful Hence-
forth, from and after the passage of this act, for any body
politic or corporate within this State, to manumit their
slave or slaves, subject to the provisions of the act afore-
said, and the several supplements thereto, and subject also
to the provisions of the act of eighteen hundred and thirty-
one, chapter two hundred and eighty-one, and its supple-
ments.

Made lawful.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That any deed or deeds of
manumission executed by any such body politic or corpo-
rate, may be acknowledged by attorney according to the
provisions of an act passed at the December session, one
thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, chapter two hun-
dred and twenty-six, section first.

Deeds ac-
knowledged
by attorney.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any deed of
manumission, executed by any such body politic or corpo-
rate, in strict conformity to the provisions of the first afore-
said act, and the supplements thereto, and subject also to
the provisions of the act of eighteen hundred and thirty-
one, chapter two hundred and eighty one, and its supple-
ments, to which this act is a further supplement, before the
passage of this act, shall be and hereby is made valid and
of full effect as if made in virtue of the explanatory force
of this act.

Made valid.

CHAPTER 118.

An act to make valid the official acts of certain Justices of
the Peace, and the District Courts, in and for the State
of Maryland.

Passed Feb.
21, 1845.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That in all cases where any justice of the

Made valid.