The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-01-31
PERSONAL LIBERTY BILL OF MICHIGAN.


AN Il CTto protect the rights and lib
critics Of the inhabitants Of this State.
SECTION 1. The People Of the State
Of Michigan enact, That it shall be the
duty of the prosecuting attorneys with
in their respective counties, whenever
any inhabitant of this State is arrested
or claimed as fugitive slave, on being
informed thereof, diligently and faith
fully to use all lawful means to protect
and defend every such person so
arrested or claimed as fugitive slave.
Sec. Q. All persons so arrested and
claimed as fugitives slaves, shall be en-
titled to all the b nefits of the writ of
habeas corpus and of trial by jury.
Sec. 8. If such writ of habeas corpus
shall be sued out in vacation, and if
upon the hearing of the same, the per-
son imprisoned, arrested, or claimed
as fugitive slave; shall not be dis
charged, such person shall be entitled
to an appeal to the circuit court for the
county in which such hearing shall
have been had, on furnishing such bail,
and within such time as the officer
granting the writ or hearing the case
shall judge reasonable and proper.
Sec. a: The court to which such ap.
peal is taken, and any court to which
writ Of habeas corpus in behalf OF
any such person claimed or arrested as
afugitive slave is made returnable, may
and shall, on application of either par
ty to such proceeding, allow and direct
a trial by jury on all questions of fact
in issue between the parties in the mat.
ter aforesaid /; and the taxable costs OF
such trial shall be chargeable to the
State, whenever the same would be
otherwise chargeable to the person ar
rested or claimed as fugitive slave.
SEQ. 5. No person arrested and
claimed as fugitive slave shall be i'm
prisoned in any jail or other prison in
this State; and any person having the
care orcontrol of any Jail or prison, and
knowingly permitting the imprison.
ment of such alleged fugitive slave
therein, shall be subjected to the pay
ment of fine of not less than five
hundred nor more than one thousand
dollars. IN ,E
Sec. 6. Every person who shall false
ly declare, represent or pretend, that
any free person entitled to freedom is
slave, or owes service or labor to any
person or persons, with intent to pro.
cure, or aid or assist in procuring the
forcible removal of such free person
from this State as slave, shall be i'm.
prisoned not less than three nor more
than five years in the State Prison.
Sec. Z. Every person who shall
wrongfully and maliciouSly seize, or
procure to be seized, any free person
entitled to freedom, with intent to have
such person held in slavery, shall pay
fine of not less than five hundred nor
more than one thousand dollars, and be
imprisoned FIVE years in the State
Prison. - -
Sec. s. In all cases arising under the
provisions of sections six and seven of
this act, the truth of any person being
or having been in this State, is or was
slave, or owes or did owe service or
labor to any other persons, shall not
be deemed proved except by the testi-
mony of at least two credible witnesses,
testifying to facts directly tending to
establishing the truth of such declara-
ton, pretense, or representation, or by
legal evidence equivalent thereto.
Sec. o. No declaration, pretense, or
representation, that any person is or
was an apprentice, for fixed term of
years, or owes or did owe service mere
ly as such apprentice for such fixed
term, shall be deemed prohibited by
this act; and no such declaration, pre-
tense, or representation, that any per-
son is or was such an apprentice for
such fixed term, or owes or did owe
service merely as such an apprentice
for such fixed term, shall be liable to
any penalty under this act.
Sec. 10. All acts or parts of acts
conflicting with the provisions of this
act are hereby repealed.
Approved February Is, 1855.