Acts of 1723, Ch. 15
An act re meetings of negroes, passed 10-1723

• Sec. 2: If deemed necessary, annually in November the county courts shall appoint a constable in each hundred to suppress the assembling and tumultuous meeting of negroes and other slaves. The constables shall investigate suspected places and whip those negroes who should not be there.

Acts of 1737, Ch. 7
An act re compensation for slaves, passed 1737

• Sec. 1: Slaves condemned to death for a crime shall be valued by the courts. That amount shall be paid by the Treasurer of the Western Shore or Eastern Shore to the master or owner. Slaves slain while resisting apprehension shall be valued by two persons. The amount shall be certified by the court and paid by the Treasurer of the Western Shore or Eastern Shore to the master or owner.

Acts of Apr. 1783, Ch. 23
An act re out of state slaves, passed 5-31-1783

• Sec. 1: A U.S. citizen intending to become a Maryland resident and actually residing in the state for one year may bring slaves into the state, provided the slaves have resided in the U.S, for three years and this fact is proved to the naval officer or tax collector.

Acts of 1791, Ch. 57
An act supplemental to Acts of Apr. 1783, Ch. 23, re out of state slaves, passed 5-31-1783

• Sec. 1: If a Maryland resident owns land in Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania on which slaves are used, that person or legal representatives may bring the slaves into Maryland provided they were residents of the other state prior to April 21, 1783 or are descendants of them. In addition, within one month of the removal the individual must file a list of the slaves with the county court clerk for recording. Any title stemming from inheritance or marriage must be stated on the list.
• Sec. 2: Virginians owing land in Maryland and having slaves resident in VA may transport slaves to Maryland per the provisions of Sec. 1.
• Sec. 3: Any slaves inherited or acquired through marriage who are resident of any other state may brought be in per the provisions of Sec. 1.

Acts of 1793, Ch. 55
An act re petitions for freedom, passed 12-28-1793

• Sec. 2: County courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction for hearing and determining petitions for freedom; no longer concurrently with the General Court.
• Sec. 4: Only appeals on a matter of law shall be allowed to the General Court.

Acts of 1796, Ch. 67
An act re out of state slaves, manumissions, and petitions for freedom, passed 12-31-1796

• Sec. 1: The importation of slaves into Maryland is prohibited.
• Sec. 2: Any U.S. citizen intending to reside in Maryland may bring in slaves provided they or their mothers have been U.S. residents for three years.
• Sec. 8: If a Maryland resident owns land in an adjoining state on which slaves are used, that person or legal representatives may bring the slaves into Maryland provided they were residents of the other state prior to April 21, 1783 or are descendants of them. In addition, within one month of the removal the individual must file a list of the slaves showing names, sexes, and ages with the county court clerk for recording. If title is acquired by will, the list must include the name of the testator, date of the will, and place recorded. If ownership is acquired by marriage, the list shall include the name of the person from whom the title is derived.
• Sec. 9: Provisions of Sec. 8 shall apply to residents of adjoining states who own land in Maryland and want to remove slaves to that land.
• Sec. 11: Provisions of Sec. 8 shall apply to Maryland residents who acquire slaves in other states through marriage, bequest, or estate distribution or as guardians, unrelated to land.
• Sec. 13: Persons may grant freedom to slaves through a will, provided creditors are not prejudiced and the slaves are under age forty-five and able to work and support themselves.
• Sec. 21: County courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction for hearing and determining petitions for freedom; no longer concurrently with the General Court.
• Sec. 23: Only appeals on a matter of law shall be allowed to the General Court.
• Sec. 29: Persons may manumit slaves provided they are under age forty-five and able to work and support themselves. Manumissions shall be filed with the county court clerks for recording.
• Sec. 31: Acts of Apr. 1783, Ch. 23, Acts of 1791, Ch. 57, and Acts of 1793, Ch. 55 are repealed.

Acts of 1797, Ch. 15
An act supplemental to Acts of 1796, Ch. 67, re out of state slaves, passed 1-20-1798

• Sec. 2: Provisions of Sec. 8 of Acts of 1796, Ch. 67 shall apply to executors and administrators of U.S. citizens who have died within one year of settling in Maryland.
• Sec. 3: Provisions of Sec. 8 of Acts of 1796, Ch. 67 shall apply to guardians of minors of U.S. citizens who have died within one year of settling in Maryland.

Acts of 1798, Ch. 76
An act supplemental to Acts of 1796, Ch. 67, re out of state slaves, passed 1-18-1799

• Sec. 2: Once a record of the removal of slaves to Maryland is made by residents of the state or adjoining states who own land in both states, removal in and out of Maryland may be done as often as necessary without recording each instance.

Acts of 1805, Ch. 66
An act supplemental to Acts of 1796, Ch. 67, re certificates of freedom, passed 1-25-1806, effective 6-1-1806

• Sec. 1: The present system of granting certificates of freedom is subject to abuses.
• Sec. 2: Only county court clerks and registers of wills shall have the power to grant certificates of freedom. Each certificate shall include the name, height, age, complexion, place where raised, and distinguishing marks of each person and time when freed. Clerks and registers shall keep a record of all certificates granted.
• Sec. 6: Any free born negro wishing to travel out of or leave a county must apply to the county court clerk for a certificate of freedom which shall include the information specified in Sec. 2 and the manner in which the person become entitled to freedom. Clerks shall maintain records of these certificates.

Acts of 1807, Ch. 164
An act supplemental to Acts of 1796, Ch. 67, re certificates of freedom, passed 1-20-1808

• Sec. 2: Certificates of freedom can be acquired only from the clerk or register of wills of the county where the manumission or will is recorded.

Acts of 1817, Ch. 112
An act re bills of sale, passed 2-3-1818, effective 7-1-1818

• Sec. 3: No sale of a slave, who may be entitled to freedom after a term of years or upon a contingency or in whom the seller is entitled for a term of years or limited time with reversion in someone else, shall be valid unless made in writing in which the period and terms of slavery, interest of the seller, and residence of the purchaser shall be stated, acknowledged, and recorded by the clerk of county court within twenty days.
• Sec. 4: A purchaser of a slave within Maryland for removal out of the state must obtain a bill of sale that gives the age, distinguishing marks, and name of the slave and have it recorded by the clerk of county court within twenty days.
• Sec. 7: Jurisdiction over this act in BC and BA shall be given to the BC Court, not the BA Court.

Acts of 1831, Ch. 175
An act re burnt records in SM, passed 3-5-1832

• Sec. 7: Persons in SM wishing to perpetuate evidence of slaves brought into Maryland under Acts of 1796, Ch. 67 and its supplements shall apply to the commissioners to take testimony in civil cases. The commissioners shall take testimony to establish the existence and record of the list of slaves and return the proceedings to the clerk of the SM Court for recording.
  

Acts of 1831, Ch. 281
An act re colonization, passed 3-12-1832

• Sec. 1: Governor and council shall appoint a board of managers of the Maryland Colonization Society who shall have the duty to remove free blacks from Maryland to Liberia or some other place outside the state, subject to the approval of the board and consent of the individual.
• Sec. 3: When a manumission is recorded or a will freeing slaves is probated, the county court clerk or register of wills shall sent an extract of the document showing the names, numbers, and ages of the slaves to the society managers.
• Sec. 5: Orphans courts and BC Court are authorized to grant to free blacks annual permits to remain free in that jurisdiction and thus not subject to removal from the state. The permits shall be based on good conduct and character.
• Sec. 9: Sheriffs shall take a census of free blacks in each county and shall enumerate the sexes, ages, and names. It shall begin on June 1, 1832 and be completed within three months. Each sheriff shall make two copies, one for the county court clerk to record and one for the society managers.
• Sec. 11: Sheriffs shall periodically report to the society managers the names of free blacks willing to remove from Maryland.
  

Acts of 1831, Ch. 323
An act re free blacks and slaves, passed 3-14-1832, effective 6-1-1832

• Sec. 1: No free black shall immigrate and settle in Maryland.
• Sec. 2: A negro leaving the state for more than thirty days must beforehand deposit with the clerk of the county court a written statement of the intention to return. The clerk shall issue a certificate to the individual.
  
• Sec. 4: It shall be illegal to import into Maryland any slave for sale or residence, except for landowners in adjoining states.

Acts of 1832, Ch. 317
An act supplemental to Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re out of state slaves, passed 3-23-1833

• Sec. 2: Any person who prior to the passage of this act purchased or inherited land in Maryland and intended to reside thereon may bring into the state slaves owned prior to the passage of Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, provided a list of the slaves, showing their names, ages, and sex, is filed with the county court clerk for recording. The list shall be accompanied by an affidavit that the slaves are not being introduced for sale and that they are slaves for life.
• Sec. 5: Any Marylander leaving the state for military or government service may bring back slaves taken along, provided a list of the names, ages, and sex are filed with the clerk of the county court with a declaration of the reasons for leaving and the intention to return. A similar list shall be filed upon return to the state.
  
• Sec. 9: When the spouse of a slave resides in an adjoining state, the owner may purchase and bring into Maryland the spouse, provided an affidavit of proof of the marriage is filed with the clerk of the county court for recording and the marriage took place before passage of Acts of 1831, Ch. 323.

Acts of 1833, Ch. 87
An act supplemental to Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re out of state slaves, passed 1-30-1834

• Sec. 1: Any Marylander who acquires slaves by marriage, bequest, and estate distribution in another state may bring them into the state provided a list of their names and ages be filed with the clerk of the county court for recording and they are slaves for life and not for sale. The same provisions shall apply to nonresidents who move into the state to reside, bringing slaves they own. In addition to the list of slaves, the nonresident shall file an affidavit of an intention to become a Maryland citizen.

Acts of 1834, Ch. 284
An act re out of state slaves, passed 3-21-1835

• Sec. 1: Guardians, executors, and trustees residing in Maryland may bring in from adjoining states any slaves for life confided to them in trust and to hire them out, but not for sale, and move them back and forth as necessary provided a list of the slaves is filed with the clerk of the county court for recording.

Acts of 1835, Ch. 61
An act supplemental to Acts of 1833, Ch. 87, re out of state slaves, passed 2-20-1836

• Sec. 1: Provisions of Acts of 1833, Ch. 87 are extended to persons acquiring slaves by gift.
• Sec. 2: The donor shall make an affidavit that the gift is legitimate and file it with the clerk of the county court for recording.

Acts of 1835, Ch. 279
An act re records in WO, passed 4-1-1836
Many records were burned in the courthouse fire in 1834.

• Sec. 4: In cases where lists of slaves brought into Maryland were destroyed in WO, persons may apply to two justices of the peace to take testimony to establish the existence and record of the lists. The justices shall return their proceedings to the clerk of the county court for recording.
  

Acts of 1835, Ch. 329
An act supplemental to Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re out of state slaves, passed 3-30-1836

• Sec. 1: Marylanders owning land in Maryland and Virginia and Virginians owning land in Maryland may remove slaves from Virginia to Maryland per provisions of Sec. 4 of Acts of 1831, Ch. 323 and Acts of 1833, Ch. 87.
• Sec. 2: The slaves may be employed in either state.

Acts of 1839, Ch. 5
An act re free blacks, passed 1-27-1840

• Sec. 1: Any free colored person who visits Trinidad or British Guiana in order to investigate settlement possibilities may return to Maryland to reside provided the individual is not gone over eighteen months and shall first satisfy the orphans court that the visit and purpose are legitimate.
• Sec. 2: Orphans court may then issue a license granting permission to make the visit and return. Orphans courts shall maintain records of these licenses and make an annual report to the General Assembly.
• Sec. 3: A person unavoidably detained longer the eighteen months must satisfy the orphans court of this fact. The court shall grant a license giving the person permission to return and settle in Maryland.

Acts of 1840, Ch. 208
An act supplemental to Acts of 1839, Ch. 5, re free blacks in BC and BA, passed 3-8-1841

• The power and authority to grant permits to free blacks to visit Trinidad or British Guiana that was given the BA Court under Acts of 1839, Ch. 5 is transferred to the BC Court.
  

Acts of 1844, Ch. 16
An act supplemental to Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re out of state moves, passed 1-17-1845

• Sec. 2 of Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re temporary moves out of state, is repealed.

Acts of 1844, Ch. 283
An act re free blacks, passed 3-10-1845

• Acts of 1844, Ch. 16 shall not be construed to restrain free blacks from going and remaining out of state more than thirty days between May 1 and November 1 provided they obtain permits from the orphans court on the written recommendation of three white persons. The permit shall include those names and the purpose for leaving. Registers of wills shall file the recommendations, and endorse on them the date of the permits.

Acts of 1847, Ch. 242
An act supplemental to Acts of 1831, Ch. 323, re out of state slaves, passed 3-9-1848

• Sec. 1: Guardians, executors, and trustees residing in Maryland may bring in from adjoining states any slaves for life confided to them in trust provided a list of the slaves is filed with the clerk of the county court for recording.

Acts of 1849, Ch. 124
An act re compensation for slaves, passed 1-29-1850

• Sec. 1: When a slave is convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary, the court shall value them and the local government body shall pay that amount to the master or owner.
• Sec. 2: The local government body shall be reimbursed by the keeper or warden who at the expiration of the sentence shall sell the slave at public auction for transportation out of Maryland.

Acts of 1849, Ch. 165
An act re out of state slaves, passed 2-26-1850

• Sec. 1: Laws prohibiting or taxing the introduction of slaves for life into Maryland from any other state, territory, or district are repealed.

Acts of 1852, Ch. 316
An act re burnt records in DO, passed 5-27-1852
When the DO courthouse burned, all records of the register of wills and county commissioners were destroyed and many in the county clerk's office.

• Sec. 1: A commissioner shall be appointed to take and receive testimony to establish records of the three DO offices, that were destroyed.
• Sec. 15: Commissioner may take evidence regarding freedom of negroes whose freedom papers were burnt and report to the circuit court which shall decide the validity of the testimony, subject to appeal as in the cases of petitions for freedom.
  

Acts of 1860, Ch. 232
An act re free blacks in BA, CV, CH, HO, KE, PG, QA, SM, SO, TA, and WO, passed 3-7-1860

• Sec. 1: County commissioners of BA, CV, HO, KE, and SM are authorized to biennially appoint three persons in each election district as commissioners for the better control and management of the free colored population.
• Sec. 2: Free black commissioners shall meet annually in December.
• Sec. 3: Free black commissioners shall have the constables summon free blacks.
• Sec. 4: When the individuals appear, the free black commissioners shall notify them that unless they hire themselves to some industrious and respectable citizen by the end of the year, they shall be sold at public auction for a term of one year.
• Sec. 5: Unless proof of hiring is provided by January 1, the free blacks shall be so sold.
• Sec. 6: Free black commissioners shall indenture free blacks between the ages of four and twelve, males to serve until age 21 and females age 30.
• Sec. 7: The person to whom a free female negro is hired or bound shall support her children until age four at which time the free black commissioners shall bind them out to a person selected by the mother.
• Sec. 8: Any free black hired or bound who refuses to serve faithfully shall be sold by the free black commissioners as a slave for life.
• Sec. 9: Free black commissioners shall provide a fund for the support of those unable to work.
• Sec. 10: Free black commissioners shall file annual financial reports, with vouchers, with the county commissioners.
• Sec. 11: Annually the free black commissioners shall compile a report of free blacks brought before them, showing their names, ages, and sex and names of parents of minors. It shall be filed with the clerk of the county court for recording.
• Sec. 16: This act shall not apply to any free black who possesses $150 of assessable property. The children of such persons, living with their parents, shall also be exempt, if there is an additional $50 of assessable property per child.
• Sec. 18: This act shall be voted on in affected counties at the next election in November 1860. [Apparently not approved anywhere.]
• Sec. 19: Election returns shall be filed with the county court clerks.
• Sec. 20: This act shall also apply in CH, PG, QA, SO, TA, and WO.

Acts of 1860, Ch. 322
An act to repeal Secs. 42-46 of Art. 66, Public General Laws, and add new sections, re manumissions and free blacks, passed 3-10-1860

• Sec. 1: Secs. 42-46 of Art. 66, Public General Laws, are repealed. No slaves shall be manumitted by deed or will except for those who by an already executed manumission or will are due to become free at a future date and who are now in service as slaves for a term of years.
• Sec. 2: Any free black over age 18 may go before a county circuit court or BC Superior Court, if a resident there for three years, and renounce freedom. After examination, the court may permit the individual to select a master or mistress and become a slave for life. The court order shall be recorded. If the free black is a woman with children, those under age five shall be included in the court order and those over age five shall be bound out.

Acts of 1864, Ch. 105
An act to repeal and reenact Secs. 42-43 of Art. 66, Public General Laws, re manumissions, passed 2-11-1864

• Sec. 42: Manumissions by will or deed are reinstated.

Acts of 1867, Ch. 54
An act to repeal Acts of 1864, Ch. 105 and Secs. 42-43 of Art. 66, Public General Laws, re manumissions, passed 2-25-1867

• Sec. 1: Acts of 1864, Ch. 105 and Secs. 42-43 of Art. 66, Public General Laws, re manumissions, are repealed.

Acts of 1867, Ch. 189
An act re slave statistics, passed 3-22-1867
U.S. Congress in 1862 resolved that the U.S. should cooperate with any state that adopted gradual abolishment of slavery, giving financial aid to compensate any inconvenience produced by such change. Federal legislation in 1864 provided for the enrollment of able bodied male colored persons into military service and for compensation to the loyal person to whom slavery service might be owed. Thus many Maryland slaves left their owners and enlisted. Very few of the loyal owners have received any compensation. Art. 24 of the Declaration of Rights of the Maryland Constitution of 1864 have declared all slaves to be free. No compensation to the owners has been given by the federal government. General Assembly has resolved that Maryland has a valid and just claim for compensation.

• Sec. 1: Governor with the consent of the Senate shall appoint one person in each county and BC as a commissioner of slave statistics, who shall give bond to be approved by the clerk of the county circuit courts or BC Superior Court. Governor shall fill vacancies.
• Sec. 2: The commissioners shall procure forms on which to record the following information:
  
• names of the former owners of slaves at the time of the adoption of the 1864 constitution
• names, number, ages, sex, and physical conditions of the slaves
• whether slaves for life or term of years and how many
• whether enlisted or drafted into U.S. military service and, if known, regiments
• any federal or state compensation for the slaves enlisted or drafted
• Sec. 3: Commissioners in the counties shall visit each election district, giving at least ten days notice. BC commissioners shall set up an office and give the same notice. Commissioners shall take evidence of the former ownership of slaves. Testimony shall be the sworn statement of the owner or legal representative, confirmed by the oath of two witnesses.
• Sec. 4: Commissioners shall copy the information in books in alphabetical order and index them. The books and original papers shall be deposited with and preserved by the clerks of the county circuit courts and BC Superior Court.
• Sec. 6: Commissioners shall perform their duties within twelve months after their appointment and qualification.

Acts of 1868, Ch. 254
An act re slave statistics in WI, approved 3-30-1868

• Sec. 1: WI Slave Commissioner shall be appointed per provisions of Acts of 1867, Ch. 189.
  

Acts of 1868, Ch. 385
An act to repeal and reenact Sec. 6 of Acts of 1867, Ch. 189, re slave statistics, approved 3-30-1868

• Sec. 6: Commissioners shall perform their duties within two years after passage of this act.