FRANCIS THOMAS, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1841.

two per centum, and to be by him accounted for and paid
over in the same manner and for the same purpose and under
the like liability in every respect as is provided and direct-
ed by the said second section of the said act of eighteen
hundred and thirty-five, chapter two hundred and thirty-five.

chap. 272.

CHAPTER 272.

An act entitled, a further supplement to an act, passed at
December session eighteen hundred and thirty-one, chap-
ter three hundred and twenty-three.

Passed March
7, 1842.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That if any free negro or mulatto shall know-
ingly call for, demand or receive any abolition handbill,
pamphlet, newspaper, pictorial representation or other pa-
per of an inflammatory character, having a tendency to
create discontent amongst or stir up to insurrection the peo-
ple of color in this State, at or from any post office situated
within this State, or shall knowingly receive or have in his
or her possession any such handbill, pamphlet, newspaper,
pictorial representation or other paper, he or she shall be
deemed guilty of felony, and upon conviction shall be sen-
tenced to undergo a confinement in the penitentiary of this
State for a period of not less than ton nor more than twenty
years from the time of sentence pronounced on such offend-

Subject to
confinement
in the peni-
tentiary.

er.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of
every inhabitant of this State, who shall know that any such
pamphlet, newspaper, handbill, pictorial representation or
other paper is or shall have been in possession of any free
negro or mulatto, to give immediate notice of the same to
some justice of the peace of this State, for the city, county
or district as the case may be; and if any inhabitant of this
State shall fail so to do, he shall be liable to indictment, and
upon conviction shall be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or imprisonment in the jail of the county, district
or city as the case may be, for not less than sixty days, at
the discretion of the court before whom the trial shall be

Inhabitants to
give immedi-
ate notice.

had.
Sec. 3. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of
the several county courts and of the city court of Baltimore,
in open court, to give this act in charge to the grand juries
at every session of the said courts respectively; and it shall
20*

Courts to give
it in charge
to grand ju-
ries.