The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-07

The Bill introduced in the House of Delegates
by Mr. DENNIS providing for the government of
the negro population of the State has not vet
passed that body. There seems to be a DISPOSE
ton on the part of many members, to delay the
measure and cause it to be thereby defeated rather
than meet the issue it presents and let their votes
be recorded for or against it. The Act, as our
readers will remember forbids the manumission of
slaves in future, and declares that ''the fact of
''negro's going at large and acting as free," shall
not henceforth be a 'ground for presuming" that
he has been liberated. Any free negro, who shall
come into the State for any purpose whatever, is
liable to be fined the first, and sold the second
time he does so. Police commissioners are APP
pointed for this city and the various counties who
are to be aided by the SheTifS and consables, and
these commissioners are to keep register of all
the free negroes in their districts. All ''free ne
'tgroes above the age of fourteen years." whom
the commissioners adjudge to be without any visi-
BILE means of support and not Of good and indus
trious habits they may sell to the highest bidder,
TO serve until the first day of the ensuing January
The informer is to receive five dollars from the
purchaser in all such cases, and the Sheriff
is to be paid ten per cent. upon the amount of
the purchase money. The commissioners are
to be notified of the terms of every contract 70
the hire of negro, whether it be in writing orr
otherwise, and upon the amount of every contract
for tie hire or sale of negro, two-and-a-half per
cent. is to be levied and paid into the city or
county treasury. Indented free negroes are to be
''held and treated as slaves during their appren-
"ticeshp" and are to pass by deed or WILL and will
Sin cases of intestacy become assets in the hands of
Fthe administrator" and no free negro can hence
forth acquire or hold either land or slaves Such
are some of the provisions which the Legislature
has been gravey asked to embody in our code Of
laws and though we can scarcely permit our
selves to believe that more than small minority
of the representatives of State would entertain
these propositions for moment, we still feel some
little solictude so long as the Bill is pending 1t
has already met with more favor than we thought
would be accorded to it. and there is possibility
certainly, that an Act which has been so feebly
and hesitatingly opposed, may be carried through
in the confusion of the last few days of the ses-
sion by bold effort on the part of its advocates
We feel it TO be incumbent on US, therefore, to
remind our citizens of the necessity of keeping
have expressed in this connection are, we are
satisfied, held by ninetenths of the citizens of
Baltimore and the adjoining counties. The pro-
posed euactments are not only harsh and unne-
cessary but they would prove temporarily in
furious to the material interests of the State
and ruinous to the peculiar Institution" they
are designed to strengthen. 1t cannot be expected
that the people of one-half the State should
willingly sacrifice themselves in order to Sc
cure for the Shareholders additional protection.
Neither can our citizens nor the farmers who
dwell around our city afford to stand nv and
see the free negroes driven across our bor-
ders. We are too dependent at present on
the labor Of this class to assent to its immediate
Punishment; and that this, and only this would
be the result of the Act, no one can reasonably
donbt. But apart from these considerations there
are others that the Legislature should defer to.
There is unquestionably feeling aroused by this
measure that it will not do to push too far. Lee
gislators from Somerset and st. Mary's may ina
CINE they are establishing slavery on firmer
basis by the adoption of such stringent laws for
the regulation of the free negroes while they are
in reality dealing the system the most crushing
blow it has yet received in Maryland. Not only
will class pour in to take the places vacated by
the negroes, who hate and are jealous of slave
holders, but revulsion will be produced in the
sentiments of thousands of the natives of on,
State. These are willing to uphold slavery now,
because they know it to be in the main benefcent
system. They are familiar with its practical work
ings, and they have every right to the assurance
that the condition of the peasantry of many
other countries is less happy, less comforta
bic, and only little more free, than that o
the slaves here. As long as such is the fac
our people will abide by and defend our insti.
tutions; but they are not prepared to retro,