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Show 242 A l1 PE ND IX T O NOTE S . to fix a limit. I do not know th n.t we cnn lay down nny other rule thnn to give what nppcar8 to be the popula.r mca.uing_of the word : to wit, that where there is a. distinct nnd Yisiblc ndLm:durc of_ D<>gro lJlood, the person is to be denominated a !n~latt_o, or person of color. I t is a question for the jury. ln dc tcrmmmg tt, _they may h:wc the C\•idcncc of inspection as r:o color, nod the pccuhar ncr.;:1·o features ; the cYidcncc of reputation, ns to parcntn.go; nnd_ such cvu.lcnco_ ns w:ts c1ffcrcd in tho present cnsc, of t he person hm·mg been rccCJvcd m ~Soc i ety, and exercised the pri,• il c~;c of a white nu~ n . " . Ju l.ou~:~ iaJIU. and Nonh Co.. rohnn, a presumptiOn of sl:wcry a r1scs from a. black complexion, but none from tlmt of a . . mulatto :- vide ::iT An: vs. C.~-:c u., 2 .l\fartin'1:1 La . Rep. 20tl; Pu.a: vs. L .uANni:: ct :\1. l iJ .i\'fartin'1:1 La. Ucp. 648 ; Oouu vs. Gonu, 1 Taylor's N. C. Hop. 104 ; ScoTT vs. Wu.J,U.YS, 1 Do,·ercnux's N. C. Hop. iHG; and others. Prescription is never plcn.d.able against a claim of freedom. DELI'JIJNE vs. Dn•Ez..:, Juno '1'. 1824, 14 ~hrtin 's L:\. Hop. 650. Per. Cur. Porter, J. "The plaintiff urges, she is descended from one Marie Catherine, n. negro woman now d eceased, who was the :~~~~[ f~c~~rb~;jl:;i:~r~e a1~~r~~~r a~1l~il~~~~~~1}~l~~~~~c~~ L:~c::~~~~:fi8~~~~~ rinc, the mother of the petitioner. She compla.ins that the defendant illegally holds her in slavery, and prays that she mny be dcca·ced free, and recover damages for the injury sho has sus ta.incd by being held in servitude. 'l'he defendant pleaded the general i:;Huc, n.nd prcscri p-i:~~; w1~~h s~~~~~~;sb~f~~·cs:c:~d''~~o~:~~1''~o1;1~~~es~c~is/;~s:JI~fd~1;~n~~~~~i·~ answer. w·c do so by referring to tho third Partida, title twentynine, law twenty-four, in which we find it provided , thn.t if a. man be free, no Jh uttcr how long he may be IJCld by a nother, as n. shwc, his titn.tc or condition can not be thereby clmngcd, nor can he be r educed. to slnvcry, iu nny mnuncr whatever, on account of the time he may htwe been held m scniludc. 'l'hc plaiutiff is en titled tQ l1cr freedom." 0ATFJELD n. "'ARI~G. l\Iny '1'.1R17, 14 J ohnson's N. y. Rep. 188. P er Our. Spencer. J ·. * * * " .All presumptions in fa.vor of perliOn a! liberty ought to be mad~." 1\IF.T,H'ER vs. MET.<\YER. J an. '1'. 1810, G l\fartin's L:t. Rep. lG. Held hy the COIII't a s~avo who enjoyed her .frced_om in J.fispanioh during the late r e\'olutton, may reckon that tunc m cstabhslung: her right to fJ·ccdom by prc~;criplion. Jn suits for fl't'Cdom, hca n:wy evidt•nco is admissible to J)rove pcdiJ; I'ee:- vide JENK INS vs. T o ll et nl. 1 Wa~ h. Ya. Ucp. a.u L \Ut:UAN vs. l'mmr., 1.1\l:u·tin and Ycrgcr'kl 'J'cnn. Hcp. 1. MAHONEY ,.s. AsuTos. Oct. '1'. 1i!J7, 4 Ha rri~J nnd I\t'Hcnry's :1\fd. ltcp. "On a. trial for freedom, the depos ition of Hen ry Davis ":as 1·ead, in which he stated, that he haLl heanl his uncle, David Dav1s, (who is dcccusct.l,) say, that it \Ht~ the rcl)Ort of the ncig bbom·hoo1l that if she, J oice, (mcani11g the nnccstor o · the petitione.r,) had had justice d~n c her, s.bc. ought to haYc bc~n free ; and tins he h t.;:~nl sundry times from Ins u n~lc when bt lk.mg the I~! :titer 0\'Pr .. I !w counsel for the defendant oiJJCctcd to readwg the C\'ldt:ncc to the Jury. APPF. ~ DJ X T O NOT E S . 243 1'hc court, Cltasc, Ch. J., ove,·rulcd the ohjectiou, aud dctormiued it sh uul ~l be g:ivcn to thcjut·y." lL. The l•'ug itivc Sla \·e Law. No. 3 l. A a Act to amend a~ul supplementary to Lite .Act entitled " An .Act n;specting }il,qitives f rom jwiftice and person.~ escapht[J f rom tlte service of llleir masters," approved Febmary 12, 170:3. Uonunissioncrs of th~ Circuit Court of the United Statcl'!, now, or hereafter to be, appomted under any act of Cong,·cs~, and thereby nuthori1.cd to exercise powers given in Hection 33 of t he n.ct of &:pt(•mbcr 2-1, l781J, aa·c authorized 1wd r equired to perform the dutic~ l'erpli red by this :tC't." Tho Superior Com·b~ of the or~ani1.ed 'l'crritoric~ nmy appoint conuni~s ioncrs, who shall have the same powen1 :1s comnliss iotlf'rs of t he sai(l Circuit Court.'\f"and the IHIIll hf'l' of t•ommissivne r.<~ shall be from tim() to time enlarged, with a view to ;dl(wd r{'ntlonable facilities to rccl:l im fugitives from h bor, n.nd prol'(pt ly to disch:trgc tho duties imposed by this a?t. '1'1toy. sha-ll hayc concuncn t.ju1·isdiction wi th the jud~J;CS of t he s:ud courts m te1·m tnne and vacatiOn, and shall g rant certificates to claima nts, upon sa tisfactory, proof, wi th authority to tako and r emO\'C such fugitives, under the restrictions herein contnincd, to tho Stntc or 'J.'crr itory from which such per sons may hn.ve escaped or fled, and shall rccci\·c in full for services a fcc of 810, if o. certificate is gran ted, or of S5 where tho proof docs not n.llow the g rn.ntinoo of a. cer tificate, in either cn,so to bo paid by the claimant. And the b etter tQ enable tho said commissioners to execute their duties fai thfully and c.fficicn tly, thc.y nr~ hcr?l!Y em powc~cd, wi thin their counties rcspcct1vely, tQ a.ppomt., 'In wntmg, any su ttablc persons, from time to tunc, to execute a ll such processes as may be issued by them in the Ja.wful performance of their respective d utic!:l, with :wLhority to such commi!:! sioncrs, or the persons to be nppointcd by them, to execute process ns aforesaid, to summon and call to t heir ai(l t ho bystanders or posse comitatus of the proper county, when necessary, and the persons thus appointed shall each rcccivo from tho claimant $5 for ouch person arrested and taken before :L conuuissioner, with other r easonable fees for addition~! ncecss:u·y s?n ·iccs. All good citi.zcns arc hereby commanded t.o a.1d nnd ass1st 111 tho prompt nnd cffit:Hcnt execut ion of this law, whenever ~heir services may be required, as a foresaid, for that purpose, and sn1d wara·ants shall run and be execu ted hy said officer~ nnytfherc in the State wi thin which they arc issued. Jj· nny marshal or deputy mur shal shall refuse to rccci\·e any process, when tendered or to usc all proper means diligently to execute the same he sh:lll o~ eo~viction thereof, Lc fin ed in the suni of $1000, to t he' usc of s'uch chumant, on tho motion of such clfliumnt, by the Circuit or District Court for the district of such marshnl, and after a.rrcst of such fucriti vo by such marsh~!. 01' his t.lc.puty, or whi lst nt any .time in hi8 cu~tody tu!dcr t he p rov1s1ons of Uus act, should snch fug1tivc escape, whether w1th or w1tho~t the as~cnt ?f. sue!' marshal or his deputy, the mar~ simi sh:d l b~ lm.blc on Ins ofhcml bona to be prosecuted for tho benefit of such cla un:wt, for the full val ue of tho service or labor of said fugitive in the.Statc, '1'crr itory, or District whence he escaped. The ma.rshn!, ~cputiCs,.clcl'~s. ~c., shall be paid for their services !ikn fcc~ as for sumln.r serv1ccs Ju like cases, tQ be paid wholly by the claim- |