SEC. 7. Nothing in this chapter contained shall be construed or taken to effect the right of any person travelling or sojourning with any slave within this District, such slave not being sold or otherwise disposed of in this District, but carried by the owner out of this District, or attempted to be carried.

SEC. 8. No person brought into this District, bound to service for a term of years only under the laws of the State or country from which such person is brought, or in which he was so bound, shall be considered as a slave for life in this District; such person shall serve for the time which the laws of such State or country oblige him to serve, and no longer.

SEC. 9. If any slave be carried out of this District during the infancy, or without the consent or authority, of the real owner of such slave, such owner may, at any time, bring such slave into this District and hold him as his property.

SEC. 10. Any citizen and resident of this District, or of either of the States of Maryland or Virginia, seized and possessed of an estate of inheritance in his own right, or in right of his wife, in land lying in this District, or in Maryland, or in Virginia, and being the owner of any slave employed or worked on said land, may bring such slave within this District, on the land of such owner, for the use and benefit of such owner and his legal representatives, and not for sale; provided, that a list of such slaves, containing their names, sexes, and ages, signed by the owner or his agent, be delivered to the recorder within three months after such slave or slaves shall have been brought into this District; which said list, if title to such slave or slaves be acquired by will, shall contain the testator's name, the date of the will, and the place where such will is recorded; and if title to such slave or slaves be derived from marriage, the name of the married person from whom the title is derived, shall also be inserted in said list, and the whole shall be entered on record at the expense of the owner of such slave or slaves. This section shall only apply to such slaves as shall have been residents of this District, or of Maryland, or of Virginia, before the twenty-first day of April, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, and to such slaves as are descendants of any slave being resident as aforesaid.

SEC. 11. If the record required in the preceding section be made within the time and in the manner therein stated, the owner of any slave brought into this District under the provisions of the said sec

tion, shall be allowed to remove such slave, or the issue of such slave, into and out of this District, as often as his interest may require, without being obliged to record such slave each time he may be brought into this District.

SEC. 12. Any citizen of this District acquiring property in any slave, being a resident in any one of the United States before the twenty-first day of April, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, or in any decendant of such slave, being a resident as aforesaid, by marriage, bequest, in course of distribution, or as guardian, may remove and bring such slave into this District, for the purpose only of employing or working such slave within this District, as herein beforementioned, and not for sale; provided, that a list of such slave or slaves be rendered in the manner required by the tenth section of this chapter. The owners of slaves brought into this District under the provisions of this section, may sell them after such slaves have been residents for three years within this District.

SEC. 13. Nothing in this chapter contained shall be construed so as to prohibit such owners of slaves as reside in Maryland or this District from hiring them within or removing them to this District, in the same way as was practised prior to the twenty-seventh day of February, one thousand eight hundred and one. This section, however, shall not authorize any slave to be brought into this District contrary to the provisions of the second section of this chapter.

CHAPTER 43.

OF THE MANUMISSION OF SLAVES.

SECTION

1. Manumission by will.

2. Manumission by deed.

3. When manumission by deed or will shall not be effectual.

SECTION

4. What the condition of the issue of a female slave manumitted, to take effect at a future time.

SECTION 1. Any person capable in law of making a valid will and testament may grant freedom to, and effect the manumission of, any slave belonging to such person, by his last will and testament; and such manumission may be made to take effect at the death of the testator, or at such other period as may be limited in such last will and testament.

SEC. 2. Any person possessed of any slave within this District, of healthy constitution, and sound in mind and body, may, by writing, under his hand and seal, evidenced by two good and sufficient witnesses, and acknowledged before one justice of the peace for this District, grant to such slave freedom. Any deed granting freedom to such slave shall be good to all intents and purposes, from the time that such freedom is intended to commence by said deed. The justice before whom such deed is acknowledged shall, at the time of said acknowledgment, endorse on the back of such deed the time of the said acknowledgment and the name of the party making the same. The justice, or the parties concerned, shall cause the said deed to be recorded in the office of the recorder of this District, within six months. after the date of such deed or its acknowledgment.

SEC. 3. No manumission made by last will and testament shall be effectual to grant freedom to any slave, if the same shall be in prejudice of creditors, or if such slave shall be over the age of forty-five years at the time prescribed by such manumission to take effect, or if such slave be not able to work and gain a sufficient maintenance and livelihood at the time prescribed for such manumission to take effect.

SEC. 4. The increase of any female slave manumitted by will or deed hereafter made, born between the death of the testator or the record of the deed, and the time when her right to the enjoyment of her freedom arrives, shall also be free at that time, unless the deed or will otherwise expressly provides.

CHAPTER 44.

OF PETITIONS FOR FREEDOM.

SECTION

5. Attorney responsible for costs when petitioner fails.

SECTION

1. When petition of freedom to be tried. 2. Trial by jury allowed.

3. Appeal as to matters of law allowed. 4. Peremptory challenge allowed.

5. Second petition not to be tried until the costs of the first be paid or secured.

SECTION 1. No petition for freedom shall be tried in this District unless the petitioner shall reside therein, under the direction of his master, mistress, or owner. The circuit court shall have full power and authority to issue process against such master, mistress, or owner, for the purpose of compelling his or her appearance.

SEC. 2. In all petitions for freedom, either the petitioner or defendant may apply for and have the benefit of a trial by jury.

SEC. 3. Where the facts have been tried by a jury, there shall be no appeal from the judgment of the circuit court upon petitions for freedom, except as to matters of law; the master, mistress, or owner of the petitioner, or the petitioner, at the election of either, shall have the right of appeal as to matters of law only, and to take bills of exception to the Supreme Court of the United States.

SEC. 4. Either the master, mistress, or owner of the petitioner, or the petitioner, shall have the right of challenging peremptorily, to the number of twelve, jurors empanneled to try the facts in issue in any case of petition for freedom.

SEC. 5. In all cases of petitions for freedom, where the petition shall be dismissed, or, upon trial, the judgment shall be against the petitioner, the attorney prosecuting or appearing to the same shall pay all legal costs arising thereon, unless the circuit court shall be of opinion, under all the circumstances, that there was probable ground to suppose the petitioner had a right to freedom.

SEC. 6. If any petition for freedom shall be dismissed, and a second petition be filed at the suit of the same party, the circuit court shall order a stay of proceedings until the costs of the former petition, and all reasonable damages and expenses sustained or incurred by the defendant, to be ascertained by said court, shall be paid or secured to be paid.

CHAPTER 45.

OF DEALING WITH SLAVES, HARBORING THEM, OR SUFFERING THEM TO GO AT LARGE.

SECTION 1.

2. Penalties for harboring and entertaining

3.

slaves.

SECTION

7. Penalty for dealing with slaves.

8. Penalty for permitting a slave to go at

large.

9. Unlawful for slave to hire himself.

5. Penalty for encouraging slaves to meet in 10. Penalty for allowing slaves to be burden

some, &c.

4.

companies, &c.

6. Punishment may be inflicted by owner of 11. Chapter not to apply to absconding premises, if slaves refuse to depart.

slaves.

SECTION 1. If any person shall knowingly entertain any slave unlawfully absenting himself from his master or owner, or shall permit

or suffer such slave to be about his house or land during the space of one hour or longer, such person shall forfeit and pay at the rate of two dollars for every hour such slave shall be by him so entertained. or permitted or suffered to be about his house or land, one-half of which shall be for the use of the party aggrieved, provided prosecution for the same be begun within three months, otherwise to the use of the informer, provided prosecution for the same be commenced within twelve months after such offence.

SEC. 2. No master of a vessel coming into this District, and entering to trade therein, shall suffer any slave to frequent his vessel or come on board, or shall conceal such slave on his or other vessel. If any slave shall be kept concealed on board any vessel coming into and trading within this District for the space of one hour or longer, the master or commander of such vessel shall forfeit and pay at the rate of three dollars for ever hour such slave shall be suffered to frequent his vessel, or shall be kept or concealed on board his vessel, to the party owning such slave: provided, however, it shall and may be lawful for any master or commander of such vessel to hire any slave from an inhabitant of this District to work on board his vessel.

SEC. 3. Any free negro harboring or entertaining any slave unlawfully absenting himself from his master or owner, shall forfeit twenty dollars, one-half to the use of the party aggrieved.

SEC. 4. Any slave knowingly harboring or entertaining any slave unlawfully absenting himself from his master or owner, for and during the space of one hour or longer, shall, on conviction before any justice of the peace, be punished by whipping with a number of stripes not exceeding thirty-nine, in the discretion of such justice.

SEC. 5. If any person shall encourage any slaves to meet in companies on his premises, unless on lawful occasions, he shall forfeit twenty dollars.

SEC. 6. The owner of any premises discovering thereon any slaves not belonging to him, unless such slaves be sent by their owners, on lawful occasions, shall warn such slaves to go home to their masters or owners; and if such slaves refuse or delay so to do, the said owner of the premises may punish them by whipping, not exceeding thirtynine stripes.

SEC. 7. Any person who shall trade, barter, or deal with any slave belonging to any inhabitant of this District, without the consent of the master or owner of such slave, shall forfeit thirty dollars,