Answer :
The Fugitive Slave Act 1850 stipulated that any slaves who escaped from their masters and fled to northern, free states would be returned to their masters if found. This of course was upsetting to many Northerners, who believed that slavery should be abolished, and that at the very least if a slave escaped to a free state he or she should be free.
accused runaways was to stand trial in front of a special commissioner instead of a judge or jury. the commisioner was paid $5 dollars if the slave was freed but if it returned to slavery he got $10
