Thirteen petitioners represent that they "have long considered certain parts of the law relative to the petitions of Negroes for their freedom as unjust and oppressive to their Masters." They assert that the filing process "produces an inevitable loss of service for that time beside the risk of an entire loss of such slave by affording him an opportunity of escaping beyond the reach of apprehension." In addition, they complain that "in every case whatever may be the decision and however unfounded the pretensions to freedom the Master is compelled to pay all costs of suit beside suffering other great expense and trouble." They therefore "respectfully suggest that so long as our Laws admit Slavery and the distinction of Master and Servant to exist they should be founded on principles of impartiality and equal justice towards both."
Result: House: read, referred to committee.
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Repository: Delaware State Archives, Dover, Delaware
