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And on fe-
males for like
offences, &c.
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XI. And be it enacted, If any free female perfon, or any female fervant or ap-
prentice, fhall be convicted before the faid juftices of any of the crimes above
enumerated, that the faid juftices may pafs fuch judgment as the law requires for
fuch crime, or they may, in their difcretion, adjudge fuch free female perfon, or
female fervant or apprentice, convicted before them of any of the crimes above
enumerated, to ferve and labour for any time in their difcretion not exceeding fe-
ven years for the fame crime, in fome place of confinement; and the faid juftices
may procure a proper place or places for the confinement of fuch female crimi-
nals, and may appoint and employ a fit and proper perfon or perfons to take care
of fuch criminals, and to keep them to conftant labour, according to their age,
ability, and ftrength of body, by affigning them daily talks in picking of oakum,
or in cultivating or beating and hackling hemp or flax, or in manufacturing wool,
hemp or flax, or in knitting or fewing, or other fimilar employment, and fuch
female fhall be cloathed and fed, and prohibited ftrong liquor, in like manner as
male criminals; and the faid juftices may compel any of the faid female crimi-
nals to wear fuch badge or mark of diftinction as they fhall direct; and any one
of the faid juftices fhall have full power to order any of the faid female cri-
minals to be clofe confined for any mifconduct, or refufal or neglect to labour,
and to be fed with bread and water only, for fuch time as the faid juftice fhall
direct.
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Certain per-
fons declared
felons, &c.
On flaves con-
vifted, juftices
to pafs fen-
tence, &c.
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XII. And be it enacted, If any perfon fhall on purpofe, and of malice afore-
thought, unlawfully cut out or difable the tongue, put out an eye, flit the nofe,
cut off the nofe or lip, or cut off or difable any limb or member, of any free per-
fon, fervant, apprentice or flave, with intention in fo doing to maim or disfigure,
in any of the manners aforefaid, fuch perfon, that then and in every fuch cafe the
perfon or perfons fo offending, their counfellors, aiders and abettors, fhall be and
are hereby declared to be felons, and fhall be punifhed with death, as in cafes of
felony without benefit of clergy; provided always, that the faid juftices may alfo
adjudge to ferve and labour as aforefaid, all fuch perfons convicted of any of thefe
offences, in the fame manner as thofe convicted of other felonies.
XIII. And be it enacted, If any flave fhall be convicted before the faid juftices
of any of the crimes above enumerated, and for which, by law, fuch flave
would be liable to fuffer death, and if any flave fhall be convicted of wilfully
burning any dwelling-houfe, or of any of the crimes enumerated in the act of
affembly patted in the year feventeen hundred and fifty-one, entitled, An act for
the more effectual punifhment of negroes and other flaves, and for taking away
the benefit of clergy from certain offenders, and a fupplementary act to an act,
entitled, An act to prevent the tumultuous meeting and other irregularities of
negroes and other flaves, and directing the manner of trying flaves, the faid
juftices fhall pafs fentence of death only, or they may, in their difcretion, ad-
judge fuch flave to ferve and labour for fuch time as they may think proper, not
exceeding fourteen years for the fame crime, on the public roads of Baltimore
county, or in making, repairing, or cleaning the ftreets or bafon of Baltimore-
town; and if any flave fhall be adjudged to ferve and labour agreeably to this
act, or if any fervant fhall be fo adjudged for any offence not punifhable with
death, the faid juftices fhall, immediately on conviction and condemnation, value
fuch flave, or the time of fuch fervant, and enter the fame in their proceedings,
and fuch value fhall be affeffed and collected with the county affeffment, and
paid to the owner of fuch flave or fervant; and if any flave or fervant adjudged
to ferve and labour according to this act fhall furvive his time of conviction,
fuch flave or fervant fhall, immediately on the expiration thereof, be fold at
auction by the order of any two or more of the faid juftices, and the money
arifing from the fale fhall be applied to the ufe of the county; provided always,
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