THOMAS SIM LEE, Efquire, Governor.

1792.

iflands, are hereby declared to be and remain the property of their refpective maf-
ters in manner hereafter declared.

C H A P.
LVI.

III. Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing in this act contained
fhall be conftrued or taken in any manner or refpect whatever to affect any right
which any flave or flaves, imported by any of the faid French emigrants, fhall
have acquired to freedom under the exifting laws of this ftate.

Provifo.

IV. And be it enacted, That all fubjects of France as aforefaid, who have
fought, or may feek, an afylum in this ftate, if they become citizens or fettlers
therein, fhall be entitled to keep their domeftic or houfe flaves, viz. A mafter of
a family to the number of five, and a fingle man to the number of three, and
hold the fame to them and their legal reprefentatives; and any fuch perfon or
perfons feeking an afylum in this ftate, that do not become citizens and fettlers
as above, fhall be entitled to hold the fame number of flaves refpectvely in this
flate for their own ufe, but not for fale, during their refidence here, but no fuch
French citizens fhall be allowed to fell or difpofe of their flaves to any perfon or
perfons refiding in this ftate.

Certain
French fub-
jects may keep
flaves, &c.

V. And be it enacted, That every French fubject as aforefaid, having import-
ed, or that may import, more or a greater number of flaves than may be held by
this law, fhall and is hereby authorifed to re-fhip or export thofe exceeding the
number permitted to be held or retained in flavery, and fhould thofe now in the
flate not be exported within one year after the date of this law, and thofe hereaf-
ter that may be brought into this ftate above the aforefaid number not be export-
ed within one year after their importation, the fame fhall be and are hereby de-
clared free.

May re-fhip
them, &c.

VI. And be it further enacted, That every fuch French emigrant as aforefaid,
who fhall or may hereafter import any fuch flave or flaves as aforefaid, fhall,
within three months thereafter, deliver and lodge with the clerk of the county
into which the fame fhall be firft brought or imported, a lift of fuch flaves fo
imported, and fhall, at the fame time, elect and notify in the faid lift to the faid
clerk, which of the faid flaves he will retain as his domeftic or houfe flaves,
which lift fhall be recorded by the faid clerk.

C H A P. VII.

And fhall de-
liver a lift,
&c.

An ACT refpecting the truftees of the new church in the city of
Annapolis.

Paffed De-
cember 23.

WHEREAS, by an act of the general affembly, paffed feventeen hun-
dred and feventy-four, for building a new church in the city of Anna-
polis, John Ridout, Samuel Chafe, William Paca, Upton Scott and
Thomas Hyde, Efquires, were appointed truftees for the building the fame, and
were empowered to contract for the whole or any part of the work, and to reco-
ver all monies which were then fubfcribed, or which might thereafter be fub-
fcribed; and the fum of fifteen hundred pounds public money was given and ap-
propriated by the faid act towards building faid church, and the quantity of one
hundred and fixty thoufand pounds of tobacco directed to be levied on the parifh
of St. Anne's for the fame purpofe: And whereas by a fupplementary act, paffed
at November feffion, in the year feventeen hundred and eighty-five, the faid
truftees were empowered and directed to proceed to the execution of the truft re-
pofed in them by the faid original act, and were authorifed to open new fubfcrip-
tions for the purpofe aforefaid; and the faid laft mentioned act, after reciting that
fubfcriptions had been taken to a confiderable amount, but, during the war,
feveral fubfcribers had died, and others removed, did enact, that the faid firft
fubfcriptions fhould not be further collected: And whereas by an additional fup-
plementary act, paffed at May feffion, feventeen hundred and eighty-eight, the
treafurer of the weftern fhore was authorifed and direded to pay to the truftees
aforefaid the fum of feven hundred and forty-two pounds fifteen fhillings, with
legal intereft thereon from the twenty-fifth day of May, in the year feventeen

Preamble.