Within a few years, men of high standing under this despotic
power, and assemblies of the Delegates under this power have
published that all the decrees and laws under which they oppressed
Europe in past ages are in force in this country.

Facts have been presented in this State which show that they
are in force here; that individuals have been confined in prison
for long years, in violation of their personal rights, their property
taken from them, and they subjected to hardship and punish-
ment, under jailors who are the agents of this foreign power, and
according to those oppressive laws.

A particular case, out of a number, was singled out, which
had occurred in the City of Baltimore, the name of the person,
the place, the time and the circumstances attending it. This
individual was a woman, born in the State of Maryland. The
fact was mentioned that she had twice escaped from the prison.
That when out the second time she declared that she had no
friends to whom she could apply for aid, and appealed to the public

for protection.
After being rescued and for a season placed in the hospital,
she was removed to Mount Hope, a private mad house, under
the agents and keepers, who are appointed by this same foreign

despotic power. Here she was professedly maintained on their
charity. But in truth they had many years before compelled her
to give up to them all the property which she had inherited, and
for nineteen years kept her under rules which border on starva-
tion, and which would be most effectual in reducing the body
and mind to a state of the greatest feebleness.

Your memorialist would respectfully represent to your Honora-
ble body, that this fact was confirmed by the Hon. Mr. Merrick
and Mr. Harris, in the speeches which they made in the last as-
sembly, against the memorial. If the facts as stated by Mr. Mer-
rick and Mr. Harris be true, this is a case of most lamentable
character, and is fraught with a cruelty and probable fraud, which,
as legislators, you are bound to consider.                     

1.   They said, she was insane and had been so from her youth.
If this be true, why was she not put into an hospital, instead of
a convent prison ?

2.   The rules of the prison in which she was placed were such
that they would induce insanity in the strongest mind.

3.   She was confined there nineteen years and would have been
there until the present time, if, when she escaped the second
time, the people had not interfered and said she should not re-
turn.

4. It was not until the second escape, and the determination
of the people not to permit her to return, that it was rumored
that she was of weak mind.                                  

5. If she was of weak mind and insane, how could she have been
competent to give herself or property to the convent ? If so, the

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