Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-06-17

place out of the State. No compensa- !
ton to the sheriffs for their compulsory
removal was provided, or to the clerks
and registers for the performance of the
duties enjoined upon them, and the law
soon fell into neglect, and was almost for
gotten, except by the gentlemen of the
bar; and yet the evils attending the in
crease of this population, neither citi-
zens nor slaves, have been generally felt
and almost universally admitted.
No one doubts that it is through their
agency in the main that the slaves are
induced to runaway-that the example
which many of them set of thriftless la
illness, sustained only by dishonest prac-
tises, is corrupting to the slaves and to
many Of their own class--that they en-
courage slaves by INSTRUMENTATION. The
avoidance of the moderate labor required
Of them, to habits Of theft and dissatis-
faction with their condition, all this
which was apparent in 1881 is only more
palpable now. The committee forbear
to speculate upon all the consequences
which may hereafter flow from the in
crease among the people of Maryland of
the free black population, an inferior
race, whose proper condition, when mix
ed with the superior white race, few will
deny to be that Of servitnde, or at least of
we'll regulated subordination. The COM
mttee, without hesitation, recommend
that the legislature be invoked to pass
such laws as may be necessary to give
efficiency to the policy of 1881, and to
enforce the prompt removal from the
State of all persons manumitted hereaf-
ter. A majority of the committee would
prefer, however, the passage of law
prohibiting all emancipation whatever in
future.
1t has been suggested, also, that the
State should revert to its former policy
in regard to manumission by last will,
and entirely prohibit all such, unless
when the will shall be made by the ties.
tator so long previous to his death as to
afford probability that the manumission
was the deliberate act of peton whose
faculties were unimpaired by disease, and
not overcome by the near approach of
death. 1t has also been suggested that
prospective manumission should be en-
tirely prohibited. That in future the ac-
QUESTION of real estate by free negroes
should be prohibited, and that no free
negro residing in Maryland who goes
out of the State should be allowed to re-
turn to it.
In regard to those negroes who have
been manumtted since 1881, it would
seem to be contrary to the policy Of that
act that they should acquire real estate,
since the enjoyment Of it is incompatible
with the policy which forbids such per-
son remaining in the State in a condition
of freedom Such was the opinion of
Charles johnson, expressed in the first
volume of his reports, page 357.
But it is supposed that the possession
of real estate by these people is not only
inconsistent with the policy which looks
to their removal from the State, but is
also productive of evil in other respects.
1t not unfrequently happens that these
people obtain small parcels Of land, where
they form a close settlement, cultivating
much less than is necessary to yield
them support, and laboring very little
for such persons as would be glad to hire
them on liberal terms. The conclusion
is that they exc out their support by uu-
lawful means, and that the evil would be
prevented by depriving them of the pow
er to hold real estate On the subject O
free negroes going out of the State anC
returning to it, the legislature has here
tofore acted by the general laws Of 1881
which, however, allows an absence o.
thirty days, by other general acts and by
the special local law applicable to the
three counties of Cecil, Kent and Queer
Anne's,
The first is believed to be imperative
and wholey ineflicient-the latter sstrin-
gent and has recently been enforced.
The committee have not time to digest
these and other subjects brought to THEN
notice thoroughly: but they think that
the attention of the Legislature may well
be invited to them, and such Legislation
in regard TO them be asked for as upon
careful consideration the wisdom of the
General Assembly may think will ell
nance the public interest.
The laws in relation to our colored
population are scattered through many
volumes, running through hundred
and fifty years. 1t has been proposed
to ask the Legislature to re-enact them
in one body. The object is good one,
and is likely to be accomplished without
further Legislative action. The codiiers
now preparing their work have already
completed chapter which groups all
these statutes. Should that work be ac-
ceyted by the Legislature, all that is ne
ssary will have been done.
The committee do not think it advi-
sable to prepare at this time detailed
bills or propositions to be submitted to
the Legislature. The most that can be
done, they think, is to indicate the sub
iects on which legislation is desired, and
the general purpose of such Legislation
to appoint committee TO present the
views Of the convention to the Leglsla-
ture, and to assist in preparing such bills
as may be necessary, leaving, however,
to the wisdom and discretion of the Leg
islature to determine the measure and
mode Of relief on the various subjects to
which the action of this convention has
referred.
They recommend TO the convention the
adoption Of the following resolutions:
Resolved, That this convention con