s law
he wished to evade.

"_An act for the Relief of ---- of ---- County. Passed January 17th,
1842._

"Whereas it is represented to this General Assembly that ---- of ----
county, brought into this state from the state of Virginia, sometime in
the month of March last, two negro slaves, to wit, ---- and ---- his
wife, who are slaves for life, and who were acquired by the said ---- by
purchase, and whereas, the said ---- is desirous of retaining said
slaves in this state. THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED, _by the General
Assembly_ of Maryland, that the said ---- be, and he is hereby
authorized to retain said negroes as slaves for life within this state,
provided that the said ---- shall within thirty days after the passage
of this act, file with the clerk of the ---- county court, a list of
said slaves so brought into this state, stating their ages, with an
affidavit thereto attached, that the same is a true and faithful list of
the slaves so removed, and that they were not brought into this state
for the purpose of sale, and that they are slaves for life. And
_provided also_, that the sum of fifteen dollars for each slave, between
the ages of twelve and forty-five years, and the sum of five dollars for
each slave above the age of forty-five years and under twelve years of
age, so brought into this state, shall be paid to the said clerk of ----
county court: to be paid over by him to the treasurer of the western
shore, for the use and benefit of the Colonization Society of this
state.

_State of Connecticut.

Office of Secretary of State_.

"I hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy of an act passed by
the General Assembly of Maryland, January 17th, 1842, as it appears in
the printed acts of the said Maryland, in the Library of the state.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said
state, at Hartford, this 17th day of August, 1846.

CHARLES W. BEADLEY,

(SEAL.)

Secretary of State."

Thus, the whole family after being twice fairly entitled to their
liberty, even by the laws of two slave states, had the mortification of
finding themselves again, not only recorded as slaves for life, but also a
premium paid upon them, professedly to aid in establishing others of their
fellow-beings in a free republic on the coast of Africa; but the hand of
God seems to have been heavy upon the man who could plan such a stratagem
to wr