ted
of a society that was accomplishing a great Work. Where it was
impossible to secure freedom for the enslaved, religious training was
imparted, and many excellent efforts made for the amelioration of the
condition of the Negroes, bond and free. A society for promoting the
"_Abolition of Slavery_" was formed at Trenton, New Jersey, on the 2d
of March, 1786. It adopted an elaborate constitution, which was
amended on the 26th of November, 1788. It did an effective work
throughout the State; embraced in its membership some of the ablest
men of the State; and changed public sentiment for the better by the
methods it adopted and the literature it circulated. On the 15th of
February, 1804, it secured the passage of the following Act for the
gradual emancipation of the slaves in the State:

"AN ACT FOR THE GRADUAL ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.

"SECTION 1. _Be it enacted by the Council and General Assembly of
this State, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the
same_, That every child born of a slave within this State, after
the fourth day of July next, shall be free; but shall remain the
servant of the owner of his or her mother, and the executors,
administrators, or assigns of such owner, in the same manner as
if such child had been bound to service by the trustees or
overseers of the poor, and shall continue in such service, if a
male, until the age of twenty-five years, and if a female, until
the age of twenty-one years.

"2. _And be it enacted_, That every person being an inhabitant of
this State, who shall be entitled to the service of a child born
as aforesaid, after the said fourth day of July next, shall
within nine months after the birth of such child, cause to be
delivered to the clerk of the county whereof such person shall be
an inhabitant, a certificate in writing, containing the name and
station of such person, and the name, age, and sex of the child
so born; which certificate, whether the same be delivered before
or after the said nine months, shall be by the said clerk
recorded in a book to be by him provided for that purpose; and
such record thereof shall be good evidence of the age of such
child; and the clerk of such county shall receive from said
person twelve cents for every child so registered; and if any
person shall neglect to deliver such certificate to the said
clerk