Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-09

Tuesday in March 1859, at which time the term
of Office of all district officers before that time
elected shall expire.
Approved Nov. %, 1853,
No. 54.-An Act to s,cnr Freedom to all per-
sons within this State.
Ii is hereby enacted, DO.
Sec. l. No person within this State shall be
considered as property or subject as such, to
sale, purchase or delivery; nor shall any person
within the limits of this State, at any time, be
deprived of liberty or property without due
process of law.
Sec. 2. Due process of law, mentioned in
the preceding section of this act, shall in all
cases be defined to mean the usual process and
forms in force by the laws of this State, and is
sued by the Courts thereof; and under such
process such person shall be entitled to trial by
jury.
| Sec. 3. Whenever any person in this State
shall be deprived of liberty, arrested or detained
on the ground that such pJrson owes service or
labor to another person, not an inhabitant of
this State, either party may claim trial by
jury; and, in such case, challenges shall be al
/ lowed to the defendant, agreeably to sections
four and five Of chapter one hundred and eleven
of the Compiled Statutes.
Sec 4. Every person who shall deprive, or at
tompt to deprive any other person of his or her
liberty contrary to the provisions of the pre-
ccding sections Of this act, SHALL ON conviction
thereof, forfeit and pay fine, not exceeding
two thousand dollars, nor less than five hundred
dollars, or be punished by imprisonment in the
State prison for IL term not exceeding ten years
provided that nothing in said preceding ctions
shall apply to, OF affect the right to arrest oi
imprison, under existing laws, for contempt Of
Court.
Sec. 5. Neither descent, near or remote, from
an African, whether such African is or may
have been slave or not nor color OF skin
or complexion, shall disqualify any person from
being, or prevent any person from becoming II
citizen of this State nor deprive such person oil
the rights and privileges thereof.
Sec. g. Every person who may have been held
us Il slave who SHALL come, or be brought, OF be
in this State, with or without the consent of
his OF her master or mistress, or who shall come
or be brought, or be involuntarily, or IN any way
in this State, shall be free.
Sec. l. Every person who shall hold, or at
tempt to hold, in this State, in Slavery, or as
slave, any person mentioned as Il slave in the
sixth section OF this act, OF any tree person In
any form, or for any time however short, under
pretence that such person is or has been slave,
Shall, on conviction thereof, be imprisoned in
the State prison, for II term not less than one
year nor more than fifteen years, and be fined
not exceeding two thousand dollars.
SEC 8. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent
with the provisions OF this act are hereby re-
peaied.
Sec 8. This act shall take effect from its pas
sage.
Approved, November 25 1858
No. 55.-An act in addition tn the several Acts
in respect to the militia.
II is hereJy ena(ted, DC.
Sec l. Whenever the uniformed militia of
this State shall be organized into separate regi-
ments by the Commander in Chief, in pursuance
of the provisions of section twenty-five Of an
act entitled an act in relation to the militia,
approved Nov. l2th 1912, the field officers o.
sach regiments shall be elected by the oomniss-
ioned officers Of the several companies in each
regiment respectively as provided by title five
of the said statute, approved Nov. 18th, 1912
to be convened for that purpose, for the frs
election in each regiment after the same shall b.
organized by the Commander in Chief, at a
time and place to be by him designated in thu
order organizing such regiment; and major and
brigadi.r generals of the uniformed militia shall
BIZ elected by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives, in Joint Assembly, as provided h,
said title five of the statute of November II
1912; and the several division, migade anC
regimental staff officers shall be appointed Al
provided by by said title five.
Sec. 2. The sixth section OF an act entitled
90 I'M act in relation to the militia" anprove,
October 18th, 1914 is hereby repealed.
Approved, Nov. 25, 1858.
No. '6.-An Act to exempt highways from tn
operation OF thestatute of limitations.
IS hereby enacted. dc.
Sec. |. M person shall gain any right or in
tercst within the limits Of any highway in thi
State solely by the possession and occupation o
any portion of such highway.
Approved, Now %, 1883
No. 57.-An Act relating to highway surveyor
and street commissioners
His hereby enacted. DC.
SEC. l. All highway Surveyors and stree
commissioners hereafter elected at the annua
March meetings in the respective towns in thi
State, shall hold Office for one year from the frs
day of April next succeeding their election.
See. 2. All highway surveyors and stree
commissioners, shall return their tax bills to d
settle their accounts with the salectmen Of thpi
respective towns, between the first and Gift
days OF April in each year,