Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-11-01
AN ACT,


TO ADD A NEW ARTICLE TO THE CODE OF
PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS FOR ST. MARY'S.
CALVERT, HOWARD, KENT, BALTIMORE,
WORCESTER, SOMERSET, TALBOT, QUEEN
ANNE'S 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 COUNTESS.
SECTION /. Ind be 1t enacted by the General rs
scmbty Of Maryland, That the County Commission
CTS of st. Mary's, Calvert, Howard, Kent and Bal
tmorc Counties, be and they hereby authoriz-
cd to appoint bcnnially, three sober and discreet
men in each Election District in said counties, to
be styled Board of Commissioners for the better
control and manag cement of the free colorcd popu-
lation, majority of whom shall at all times con
situtc quorum for the discharge of the duties of
the act.
Sec. 2. Ar,d be it enacted That it shall be the
duty of the said Board of Commissioners to assem-
bic 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 dischargng the duties imposed by this
act.
Commissioners shall, under their hands and seals,
issue summons to be directcd.to one more con-
stables, they may fit, of their respective dis
tricts, whose duty it is hereby made to serve the
same upon every free negro of all ages and sexes
in said districts, and by virtue of which it shall be
the duty of said constable to have said free negroes
crs at the time and place specified in said sum
MONS
Sec. 4. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of said Board of Commissioners to duly mott
fly all said free negroes when brought before them,
except such as shall be other wise provided for in
the subsequent sections, that unless they shall pro
vide homes by hiring themselves to some ntustr-
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 of one
year
SEC. S. Ind be it 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 or before the first day
of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and
on before the first day of January of every sue
cceding year, the note or bond of some respectable
and worthy citizen, with security thereon, to be
approved by the same, for the hired services of said
negro negroes for the term of twelve months
which said note or bond shall contain the stpua-
tons of the parties, and shall be subject to suit as
other notes or bonds are, before justice OF the
peace, or the Circuit Courts for ST. Marys Calvert
Howard, Kent, Baltimore, Worcester, Somerset
Talbot, Queen Anne's Prince Georges and Charles
Counties, as may be required by the amount ofcon
SidcratlOn in said bond
SEC. g. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of said Board of Commissioners to indcnture
citizen of the said counties, all free negroes
from four to twelve years of age, said male frct
twenty lone, and said females until they arrive a
the age of thirty, the party giving bond to the State
of Maryland for the good trcatmeat and care o.
said free negroes.
Sec. 7. dnd be ii enacted, That it shall be tho
duty of said Board of Commissioners to require o
the party to whom any female aforesaid, or any
other female hired bound under this act may b(
bound, to provide for and support all existing OIL
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 and for. the period specified in Tho
foregoing section; it being the intent of this act
that all free negroes, minors from the time of brit
to the period of four years of age, shall be exempt
from the hiring and binding provisions of the
and it shall be the fur ther duty of the said Com
5nssoncrs to allow the mother of such issues to Sc
lect the Individual to whom said issue shall bt
bound; ProUided said individuals shall execute q
bond, with approved security to the State cf Mary
land, as before required.
SEC. S. A,d be 1T enacted, That in the event Of
any free negro hired or bound under this act, shall
refuse to faithfully, the party to whom he
she may be bound for the full term of his or her in
denturc, either by abscontling, sccrcting or run
ming away from the service of said party, it shall
be the duty of said Board of Commissioners on
complaint of the party and proof of the same, by
reliable and dIslntcrCsted person under oath
to expose the said hired bound free negro, al
public sale to the highest bidder, to be sold as a
Slave for life, the proceeds of which shall be paid
by said Board to the Register of Wills of ST. Marys
Calvert, Howard, Kent and Baltimore Counties, tc
be appropriated by him to the primary school fund
Sec. 8. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty Ol SalU OF COllinISSlGncrStO provide
fund for the support of such free negroes they
may fail to hire ndcnturc, because of their
treme old age disability of any kind and for any
female and her issues whom they may be unable
to hire because of the membranes 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 subtracted from the Y amounts
of the bonds executed for the of afore
said free negroes, and the said sum shall be sub
tracted as well from the bonds of such frce negtoe
who shall annually hire themselves to labor ant
I,,1, 1,,f.,,,
may be hired by the said Commissioners.
SEC. 10. Ind be it enacted, That it shall be tho
duty of said Board of COMMISSIONER to collect by
suit or Other wise, the amount stipul tied in cacl
bond, and report the same annually u the County
Commissioners with statement of all the expense,
attending the operation OF this act, including at