Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-10-18
AN ACT

AAN kAoA,
TO ADD A NEW ARTICLE TO THE CODE OF
PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS FOR ST. MARY'S.
CALVERT, HOWARD, KENT, BALTIMORE,
WORCESTER, SOMERSET, TALBOT, QuEEN
ANNEs PRINCE GEORGES AND Charles
COUNTIES, ENTITLED AN ACT TO AP-
POINT A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR
THE BETTER CONTROL AND MANAGE
MENT OF THE FREE COLORED POPULA
TION OF SAID COUNTIES.
SECTION l. lind be it enacted by the Genera. As-
senpbLy of MARYLAND, That the County Commission
ers Of st. Mary's, Calvert, Howard, Kent and Bal
timore Counties, be and they hereby authoriz-
ed to appoint biennialy, three sober and discreet
men in each Election District in said counties, to
be styled Board of Commissioners, for the better
control and management OF the free colored popu-
lation, majority of whom shall at all times con-
stitue quor for the discharge Of the duties Of
the act.
Sec. 2. A,,d be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of the said Board of Commissioners to assem-
BILE at the usual places of holding elections in their
respective districts, the first day of December,
eighteen hundred and sixty, and the same day
and month in every year thereafter; and adjourn
from day to day, or to any named day, for the
purpose of dischargi the duties imposed by this
.act
Sec. g. And be 1t enacted, That the said Board of
Commissioners shall, under their hands and seals,
issue summons to be directed to one or more con
stables, they may fit of their respective dis
tric1, whose duty it is hereby made to serve the
in said DISTRICTS and by virtue Of which shall be
the duty of said constable to have said free negroes
so summoned before the said Board of Commission
at the time and place specified in said sum-
mons.
Sec. 4. And be 1t eaacied, That it shall be the
duty of said Board of Commissioners to duly noti-
fly all said free negroes when brought before them,
except such as shall be othcrw provided Tor III
the subsequent sections, that unless they shall pro-
vide homes by hiring themselves to some ndustri-
Gus and respectable citizen, hereafter provided,
to labor and service by the year, they, the said
Commissioners, will expose said free negroes at
public sale to the highest bidder for the term zone
year.
SEC. 5. 4nd be 1t enacted, That it shall be the
duty of said Board of Commissioners after having
given the aforesaid notice. to expose at public sale
to the highest bidder for the term Of twelve months
all such free negroes who shall fail to produce be-
fore said Commissioners before the first day
of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-one and
before the first day of January of every sue
ceeding year, the note or bond of some respectable
and worthy citizen, with security thereon, to be
approved by the samc for the hired services of said
negro negroes for the term of twelve months,
which said note or bond shall contain the stpula-
tions of the parties, and shall be subject 10 suit as
other notes bonds are, before justice of the
peace, or the Circuit Courts for ST. Mary's Calvert
Howard, Kent, Baltimore, Worcester, Somerset
Talbot, Queen Anne's Prince Georges and Charles
Counties, as may be required by the amount ofcon
sideration in said bond.
SEC g. And be it enacted, That it shall be tht
duty of said Board of Commissioners to indentufe
to scGe citizen of the said counties, all free negroes
from four to twelve years of age, said male free
negroes to serve until they arrive at the age OF
twenty -one, and said females until they arrive a
the age of thirty, the party giving bond to the State
of Maryland for the good Ncatmeat aud care O.
said free negroes.
Sec. Z. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of said Board of Commissioners to require O.
the party to whom any female aforesaid, or any
other female hired or bound under this act may b'
bound, to provide for and support all existing OF
subsequent issues of said female during her term o
indenture hire, until they arrive at the period o
four years of age, at which time it shall be the du
ty Of said Commissioners to bind out the said issue
in the manner and for the period specified in thu
foregoing section; it being the intent of this act
that all free negroes, minors from the time of brit
s. the period of four years of age, shall be exenp
from the hiring and binding provisions of the
and it shall be the fur thcr duty of the said Com
,issioners to allow the mother of such issues to
Iect the individual to whom said issue shall bt
bound; Provided, said individuals shall execute
bond, with approved security to the State eff Mary
land, as before required.
Sec. 8. A,,d be 1t enacted, That in the event o.
any free negro hired or bound under this act, shall
refuse to serve faithfully the party to whom he Oh
she may be bound for the full term of his her in
.denturc, either by absconding, secreting run
ming away from the service Of said party. it shall
be the duty of said Board of Commissioners or
complaint of the party and proof of the same, b.
some reliable and disinterested person under oath
to expose the said hired or bound free negro, al
public sale to the highest bidder, to be sold
slave for life, the proceeds of which shall be paic
by said Board to the Register of Wills of ST. Marys
Calvert, Howard, Kent and Baltimore Counties, tx
be appropriated by him to the primary school fund
SEC. y. And Oe 1t enacted, That 1t shall be the
duty of the said Board of Commissioners to provide
fund for the support of such free negroes they
may fail to hire or indcnture, because of their cx
treme old age disability of any kind and for any
female and her issues whom they may be unable
to hire because of the incumbranoes of said Issues
and which said issues may not be subject to hire by
said Board under the provisions of this act, which
said fund shall be subtractcd from the g amounts
of the hrebonds executed for the services of aforc
said free negroes, and the said sum shall be sub
tractcd we'll from the bonds of such free negr
r,bo ci,a1 ann " In iat, an,
service from the bonds of such free negroes wht
may be hired by the said Commissioners.
SEC. 10. Ind be 1t enacted, That it shall be tn,
duty of said Board of Commissioners to collect b.
suit or otherwise, the amount stipulated in elcl
bond, and report the same annually to the County
Commissioners with statement of all the expense