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Cf'I'1-'/,I;NsITl1' AND SUFFRAGE IN MARYLAND. 13
The second Statute known to have force in Maryland was the Statute of
7 Anne, ch. A', (1705,) :%vlii(,Il provided for the naturalization of
foreign Protes-
tants, and which was eXhlained as to foreign born children of British
subjects,
1>y 4 George II, ell. YXI. (17:31).
The Statute of Anne provided that foreign Protestants, on taking the Oath
of Allegiance and subscribing the declaration a~7a.inst the Roman Catholic
Clinrch,2 and receiving:-the Sacrament, shall be deemed natural horn
subjects.
Except as it related tci:6s`Fiildren of British subjects, the Act was soon
repealed."
The Act of George~II dealt with foreign born children of British subjects,
confirmed the former-11c•t and excepted from its benefits, children of
parents
attainted of treason-w=in actual service of foreign princes in enmity with
the
Crown. ' .
The next impclrtaorbI3ritish Statute oil the subject was ] 3 George II,
ell. VI I,
entitled an "Act for naturalizing such foreign Protestants and others
therein
mentioned as are settled or shall settle in any of His Majesty's (colonies
in
America." The preamble to this Act states that many foveigners and
strangers,
from the lenity of our gtivernnlent, the purity of our reliorion, the
benefit of
our laws, the advantages of our trade, and the security of our property,
might
be induced to come and settle in some of His Majesty's Colonies in America,
it they were made -partakers of tile advantaries and privileges which the
natural born subjects of this realm do enjoy. "'l.'llerefort•, after .Tune
1, 174(>,
all persons born without the British Dominions and having resided for seven
years in any American Colony,without loner absence at any one tune than
two months, and wlro sli, ill tale the various oaths, O-c•., established
for the securi-
t y of the'1'hrone and the Protestant religion, steal l be deemed ad judged
and taken
to be His Majesty's natural born subjects of this Kingdom to all intents,
con-
structions and purposes, as if they ~ ~ had peen born within this Kingdom."
To obtain this benefit they mast tape the above mentioned oaths before a
judge
of the Colony wherein they have lived, who mast make proper entry in a book
kept for that purpose.'-,. This entry was to be duplicated by the Secretary
of
the Colony and a. certificate under the seal of tile Colony was then given
the ap-
plicant, which shall be -a "sufficient testimony and proof of the
naturalization."
There were two important limitations Y(1 the privileges of this Act: the
first, that the applicant, unless a Quaker or a Jew, must have taken "file
Lord's
Supper in some Protestant or reformed congre5gation" in Great Britain or the
Colonies, within three months of talon; the oaths; the second, that no
person
so naturalized should sit in the Privy Council, or either House of
Parliament.
It was under the provisions of this Act that many of the Germans were
naturalized, who, settling in Frederick County, so wonderfully developed the
western section of the Province. Among these were Jonathan Hagar, whose
election as delegate from Frederick county, caused the Provincial Assembly
to
pass the first permanent naturali;cation law for Maryland.'
(1) Kilty "Report of statutes," p. 185.
(2) G Anne, ch. %SIII.
(d) 10 Anne, ch. 6•.
(4) Fide (e. g.) Proceeding. of Lower House, 17,G!i, p. 213.
(5) The matter is discussed very fully by Sollers in his sketch of Hagar.
published in the .c~•~,nd report of the
society for the History of the Germans in Maryland.
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