92

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAPTER 78.

Passed Mar.
6, 1856.

AN ACT entitled an act to permit persons to whom
free negroes or mulatto apprentices are bound in
Worcester county, to hire them out.

Preamble.

WHEREAS, Persons having free negro or mulatto ap-
prentices in this State ore permitted by the act of
eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, chapter thirty-
five, by the assent of the Orphans' Court, that the
master, executor, administrator or assignee of such
master, are empowered by that act to assign and
transfer to any other person residing in the said
county, any apprentice under this act; and where-
as, persons sometimes wish to make a temporary
change in their business, but do not wish to dispose
of the whole time of service of said apprentice or
apprentices; therefore,

Authority to
hire out.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Maryland, That all persons to whom free negroes
or mulattoes are bound as apprentices, in Worcester
county, shall have power and authority to hire out

Proviso.

said apprentices; Provided, the master, or mistress, or
owner of any free negro or mulatto apprentice shall
first obtain an order from the Orphans' Court of said
county granting him, her, or them liberty so to do.

Not less than
one year.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That the Orphans'
Court of Worcester county shall not permit or author-
ise the master, mistress or owner to hire out said ap-
prentice for a shorter period than one year, unless the
time of service of said apprentice should expire in a
less time than one year, nor for the prosecution of
any other trade or occupation than that to which they

Proviso.

were first bound; Provided however, and it is the in-
tention and meaning of this act, that the Orphans'
Court of Worcester county shall have full power, if
in their judgment the interest of said apprentice re-
quires it, either on account of improper treatment, or
failure, or neglect on the part of the hirer to give
proper instruction to such apprentice in his trade or
occupation, to direct and order the hirer of such ap-
prentice to return to the master, mistress or owner,
and to pass an order declaring the contract between
the master, mistress, or owner and the hirer no longer
to have effect: Provided, however, The said Orphans'
Court may order such an amount of money to be