The free Negro Law.
--A free woman of color, named Charlotte Brown, was before the Mayor yesterday, upon a charge of remaining in the Commonwealth contrary to law. It appeared that she came here from Baltimore with a lady, with whom she had lived from childhood, and that during some portion of her period of service she had resided in a free State. The lady, no doubt, was ignorant of the law in reference to such a proceeding, and an assurance was given that the negro should leave the State forthwith. The Mayor expressed a determination to enforce the law in every instance, hereafter brought to his notice; and, in order that no one may have an excuse to plead ignorance of its provisions, we append the two sections applicable:‘ "Any free person who shall bring a free negro into this State, shall be confined in jail not more than six moths, and fined not exceeding five hundred dollars. This section shall not apply to a person traveling into or through the State, with a free negro as a servant, nor to a master or skipper of a vessel or steamboat, with a free negro on board, who shall depart therewith; but any such free negro, who shall be found away from such vessel or boat, or from the lodgings of his employer, except on the business or with the written permission of such master or employer, shall be punished with stripes.
"No free negro shall migrate into this State. If a free negro, not authorized by law to do to, come into or remain in this State, any person may, and every Sheriff, Sergeant and Constable is required to apprehend and carry him before some justice of the county or corporation where he may be, who shall require him to pay one dollar to the person apprehending him, and give bond in a penalty of not less than one hundred dollars, with condition that he will leave the State in ten days and not return therein; such bond shall be returned by the Justice to the Court of his county or corporation. If the free negro fail to pay the fee aforesaid, or to give such bond, he may, by order of the Justice, be punished with stripes, which may, by subsequent order of a Justice, be repeated from time to time, so long as the negro remains in the State; but this section shall not apply to a free negro driven by shipwreck or other unavoidable necessity into this State, who shall depart therefrom as soon as he can, nor one employed on a vessel or steamboat, or as a servant as mentioned in the preceding section, if he do not remain in the State longer than thirty days."
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