What is meritorious manumission?

The Meritorious Manumission Act of 1710 was the legal act of freeing a slave for "good deeds" as defined by the national public policy. Meritorious Manumission could be granted to a slave who distinguished himself by saving the life of a white master or his property, inventing something that a white slave master could make a profit from or snitching on a slave rebellion.