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Commonwealth versus Chambre, The U.S. 143 (1794)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0055 and id is 1 raw text is: SUPREME COURT
or
PENNSYLVANIA.
September Term                 1794.
The Commonwealth versus Cbambr .
AIHABEAS corus.  was issued to the jailor of PhiladelpIda, to
bring before Judge SHIPPEN, the 1odies of M3agdalen and
Zare, two negro women, committed as the absconding slaves of
'Irs. Chanzbr . The Judge, after hearing the case opened, ad-
journed it, for argument and decision, to the Supreme Court, on
the 13th of Septemler 1794, when the following facts appeared:
Mrs. Chambr  was a widow lady, in the island of St. Domingo,
and owned the negroes in question as slaves; but on the confl:r-
ration at Calpe Trancois, she fled, bringing them with her, to Phi-
lAdelph a; where she resided five calendar months and three weeks;
a period that exceeds six lunar months, in computation of time.
She then removed with the negroes to Burlington, in the state of
Xet- ersey, designing, as it was suggested, to avoid the ope-
ration of the act, for the gradual abolition of slavery; hut no
proof was offered, that she had ever intended to settle in  -
sylvania. The negroes absconding from Mrs. (.Tanzbre, came to
Philadelphia; and now they asserted their freedom, under the
10th section of the act, which declares all unregistered negroes
and mulattoes to be free, except (inter alia) the domestic
4 slaves attending upon persons passing through; or sojourning
in this state, and not becoming resident therein: provided such
 domestic slavvs be not aliened, or sold to nn inhabitant, nor
retained in this state longer than six months. 1 vol. Stat,
Lan's, 841. Dall. edit.
For the negroes, it was contended, that, upon authority, th.
general legislative expression, must be construed to mean lunar.
and not calendar, months: for which were cited, .5 Co. 2. Crc.
'f. 167. 1 3Stra. 446. 2 B. (.'%. 141. 1 Burr. 1.455 D1)tg. 446.
4(,-2

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