nd patiently
waited the event of petition after petition, by them
presented to the legislative body of this State, and cannot
but with grief reflect that their success has been but too
similar.

"They cannot but express their astonishment that it has
never been considered, that every principle from which
America has acted, in the course of her unhappy difficulties
with Great Britain, bears stronger than a thousand arguments
in favor of your humble petitioners. They therefore humbly
beseech Your Honors to give their petition its due weight
and consideration, and cause an act of the legislature to be
passed, whereby they may be restored to the enjoyment of
that freedom, which is the natural right of all men, and
their children (who were born in this land of liberty) may
not be held as slaves after they arrive at the age of
twenty-one years. So may the inhabitants of this State (no
longer chargeable with the inconsistency of acting
themselves the part which they condemn and oppose in others)
be prospered in their glorious struggles for liberty, and
have those blessings secured to them by Heaven, of which
benevolent minds cannot wish to deprive their fellow men.

"And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray:--

LANCASTER HILL,
PETER BESS,
BRISTER SLENFEN,
PRINCE HALL,
JACK PIERPONT, [his X mark.]
NERO FUNELO, [his X mark.]
NEWPORT SUMNER, [his X mark.]"

The following entry, bearing the same date, was made:--

"A petition of Lancaster Hill, and a number of other Negroes
praying the Court to take into consideration their state of
bondage, and pass an act whereby they may be restored to the
enjoyment of that freedom which is the natural right of all
men. Read and committed to Judge Sargent, Mr. Dalton, Mr.
Appleton, Col. Brooks, and Mr. Story."

There is no record of the action of the committee, if any were ever
had; but at the afternoon session of the Legislature, Monday, June 9,
1777, a bill was introduced to prevent "the Practice of holding
persons in Slavery." It was "read a first time, an