Things In Maryland

a menu ñas lorwaraeu lo ns the Baltimore Patriot ofMnrch 1, conioining an abstract of a bilí of 35 sections, which has passed iho House of Delégales, imposing the most grievous burdena úpon the freecrilored populaíion of Mnryland, which elaveholding ingenuity could devise. liad we not seen thg pruvisions in a Baltimore püpèP, we could nol have believed a bilí involving such a completo system of iniquit)', could pass eilher branch of uny legislative body in our country. The very first section "provide3 thatany freo negro or mulatto, who sha 11 come into this State, níter the passage of the act, may bo arrested by any person, end ehall be adjudgedtobe his slave'! "Any free necrowhoshall lcave the State, and return to it - shall be Hable to the samo penalty, unless in bothcase3 they are travelling as servants of white persons. The fact that they are in the Statp to be prima facie evidence that they have come into it contrary to law." Sec. 4 makes owners of railroads, steamboata, &c. liablo to afine offrom 500 to $1000 for bringing a free negro into the State - half to the informer, unc half to iheStdte.Sec. 5, forbids the iransportalion of any negro, slave or free, on steamboats or railroads, on Sundays and holidays, except in certain cases. Fine, $100. Sec, 6 requiresevery frec negro over 14 years of age to bo registered annually befare a justiceof the peace. On failure to do so, he shall be banished frorn the Siato, oí öold for such time as the Qrphaiï's Court tnay direct- 03=proceods of sale, after deducting expenses, to be paid to the person arresting him. Registry to bo renewed on removing into olher counties. Sec. 10. "All frac negroes, who have not the necessary means of support, and are not of good and industrious habits, may bc sold as slaves for one year. Sec. 11. After the first of January, 1844, "all free negroes or muluüochildren of the uge of eight years or upwards, whoso pnrents have not good character, or aro not in the occupancy of land upon which said children are employed, and which land ia not sufficient to give full employment to such children," are to be hired out as servants, the males unlil twenty-one and the females uittil eighteen. The masters to pay the parents of the children, if males, thirty dollars, if females fifteetij and to the servants themselves, at the expiration of their term, seventyfive dollars, f males, and twenty-five, if females; provided they will leave the State. If they run avvay, after sixleen years of age, they may be sold as slaves at the discretion of the Court. If they 8erye out their time, and get their money as aforesaid, and then stay more than thirty days in the State, they shall be treated as if they had come into the state conlrary to this act. Provisión is made that if the parents of such child shall leave the State during the time of service, it shall be given up to them.Sec. 13 prohibita free negroes from ( ïereafter acquiring any real estáte, or ny lease hoid for more ihan one year. - Such properly nov held by them, to be oíd and distribuled at their dealh. Sec. 15, prohibils uil assemblages of negr oes, free or slave, afier sunset, "except ut rdigious meetings oltended by onifi luithurized white minister of the goa" cl, or al lenst three reepectable slavehollers residing in the Sute." Penalty, on every negro, not more than thirty-nine ashesj on every white person, instiguting or participa'iiig in it, n fine of frotn one ïundrcd to a iliousfincl dollar.-, or eonfinor menl m the penitentiary from tvvo to five yeors. In Buliitnore, however, reliyious meetings may bo hcid, provided they do 'not continue lunger than ten o'clcck at night, and aro under the immeuiate conrol of somo person to bo sentenced lo the jenilentiary for from two lo ten years, "if ny thing is done or uttered in or by said meetings caiculated to excite discontent imong, orsiir up to insurrection the peo)le of color, or caiculated to induce a elave o abpeond from big or her mnster," Sec. 16, fine9 a freo negro prcacher 5100 for uttending an unluwful meetng for the second oflfenco he shall be sold out of the State, and one half the proceeds shall go to the nibrmcr. Sec. 18. Negroe3 manumitted by will o leave the State in 20 days. Manumission by deed, to take effect in future, uohiliited.Soc. 20. A freo person, cnticing or aiding a slave to run a awuy,or concealing íim, shall, if white, bc 3entenced to tho pen tentiory fromtcn tofifteen years; if black, be sold out of tho State, for ufe, his price o go the informer. Sec. 21. A rewartl offive hundred dolars to be paid out of the public treasury oany one who elmll arrest a person who ïas nltempted to induco a slave to run away. Sec. 31. Sheriff, justices, or constares, neglecting to enibrce thia law, shall be fined from $20 togiOO. Sec. 32. Informers made competent witnesses. Sec. 33. The fact that a free negro is taken up in the state, jprima facie evidcnce that he is iiere contrary to fjiw, Sec. 34. Th ree elavehoiders to be appoinled in each election district of the counties, and in each ward of the city of Baltimore, to see ihat the laws jelating topeop'.e of color aro enforced; to nolify conBtabies, grand juriee, Sfc. Human nature must be different in Maryland from what it ia elsewhere, if such a bilí could becomé a law wtthout opposition. ín tho same paper is a cali eigned by John W. Berry and Í7 othere, for a public meeting of citizens ofall denomination8 and pariies who were opposed to tho bilí, to meet in the Light Street church, Baltimore, March,2. The Sun, of ihe 3rd inst. contains tho proceedings of the meeting. A preamble and rcsolutions were adopted solemnly protesting and remonstrating against (he enactment of the bilí, among other reasons, "because ií is calculated to produce religious and polilical agitations unfavora ble to the peace of the State. Because ihe punishment it imposes on whitea and blacks is fearfully disproportioned to the acts or omissions therein denounced, mnny of which involve no cnmeor miöconduct whatever." Because it will reduce many free persons of color to perpetual bondage - break upthe deareat domestic rclatioijs oiothers, and produce perpetual discontent. Becau6o it will, in many cases, entirely prevent, and ahvaya embarrase their moral p.nd religious improvement. Because it tends to deprive the State of a large class of laborera whose place cannot now be filled by othera. Because t would establish an inquisitorial systern, which would subject whites as well as blacks to great and unnecessary vexation. And becauso the principies of evidence it proposes arcsubversive of civil righrts. During the discussion, Mr.Robert Purviance, the chairman of the committee, said that he was himselfaBlaveholder,and feit sufiicient protection in the existinglawö, and he dcfied any one, urider fsvor of these laws, to deprive hirn of that property. Tho gentleman enlargcd, wilh ndignant retnark, on the obnoxious and disgraceful provisions of the 'uill, whicb he considered would constiiuic, ifpassed, an iqdoiiblë stain upun the honor and dignity of the State. Mr. W. II. Wiitson hoped theresoluiions might be recoramitted in order lo "emirxly a more decided sense of the iridiguatiou wilh wbich tilia Iñll has been receivcd by this comtnunity." Mr. G. W. Brown n his remurkí', fiifwke of "the répulsive characler of the bt. " - "of the jntipaihy every where manifested to the provisions of t." "Dr. Bcnd, jr., rose againand remnrked that he wasopposed to the biü, not beca use it would mako slaves of tbe negro, but beause it would make 6l;ivcs of the free vhite man. It invesled the grand jury vith powers which ifexerciaed wou!d de)rive tv white citizen of his überiy in conequence of h3 inability to prove, a thing 10 did'nt knovv. He was not preparcd to ve under nn enactment which was a dieet and positive infringenientofhisrighta as a'citizen; he would neveracknowledge uch n power in the grand jury as this bill vould invest thetn wilh, nnd by no act of )ts would ho consent to or s:nction any hing of the kind. The gentleman spoke at sonae length, and was üstcned to with attention and loudiy applauded. Indeed he unanimity of fi eün; nianifested by theHpplanse wbich followed the strongcsl ex)re?sions of censuro and disapprobation hal feil from Iips of the eevoral speakers, ve have scarcely ever witnessed in such an assemblage of gentlemen." Tho male membersof tho VI. E. Churo1 n Baltimore have sent to tbc Senalr. a memorial against the bill, eouched in streng anguae. They pray that the colored members of that church may be s'ived 'f 'rom a persecmion njoicii)niie :h:.i the Afi-ican slave trade.n They deprécate its nfl'jence on the whites, saying, "the mnlcng slaves of frecmen has been denounced by chnstendoni ns piracy, but by this bill every citizon is temptcd to engnge in the mhallowed work." They conclude as iullows: "In fine, believing that such a luw will present, ut once, to the peoplo of this State )ihe alternative ofenslaving the free, or freeingthe slave.-pQ we cannot but deprécate its enactnieni, as cleslined to bring intoprimnry nssemblies of the people, andtuto evory eongregation and religious body of the Stale, an agilalion which must be perpeiuatcd, in strif'e and bitterness, iintil consequenccs result musí disastrous to the Commonweulth. The result of these things in Maryland, whether the bil! becomes a law or not, will be to ha9len tho period of emancipation. - We say let the issues between slavery ond liberty be multiplied till they extend lo every point where conflict ia possihle. Letshvery rideroughshod over every thing that a freeman holds dear - his pecuniry prospects - his domestic happtoes6 - his personal eecurity - his facililiea tbr moral and religious improvernent; and the day óf its destruction will be proportionately hastcnod on.