The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-03-28
FREE PEOPLE OF COLOUR.

II SUI. o. Ns
In the house Of representatives, Feb 10, re-
4 ferred TO the committee on the judiciary.
l To the honorable the senate of the house Of re-
| personalities of the U. States, in congress
asssmbled-- .tEFt
The. petition ofthe undersigned, mas
tiers OF American vessels lying in the
port of Charleston, 9. e. sheweth--
That the mariners employed on board
of their vessels, are such persons as tho
laws ofthe u. States requirc-native and
naturalized American seamen that ma.
| nv of these are free colored persons, ma
tive citizens of the United States that
on the 2lst day of December, 1899, the
legislature of South Carolina passed an
act which not only deprives us of the
services Of our colored mariners, but
subjects our vessels to a considerable OK
penss and detention and they have pro.
vided by tho said act, that if any vessel
shall come into any port or harbor of this
state, from any other state or foreign
port, having on board any free negroes,
or parsons of color, as cooks, stewards or
mariners, or any other employment, on
| board said vessels, such free negroes and
persons Of color shall be liable to be
seized and confined in prison, until the
vessel they were attached to shall clear
out, and depart from the state and when
said vessel is ready to sail, the captain
or master Of said vessel shall be bound to
carry away the said free negro, or per.
son OF color, and pay the expenses of his
detention and in case Of his neglect or
refusal SO to do, he shall be liable TO be
indicted, and IN conviction thereof, shall
be fined in a sum not less than one thou,
sand dollars and to be imprisoned not less
than two months and such free negroe
and persons of color shall be deemed and
taken as absolute slaves, and sold in con.
formity to the provisions OF the act, pass
ed on the Goth day of December, 1890.
That since the passage ofthe act of 1922,
several vessels, under the command of
many OF your petitioners. have arrived in
the port OF Charleston, all OF which had
on board, az cooks, stewards or marihers,
free persons of color, native citizens of
the United States that upon the arrival
OF The said vessels in Charleston. they
were visited blythe sheriff Of Charleston
district or his deputies, and all free per.
sons of color, native citizens of the Uni
ted States, were seized (without writ or
any crime aliedged,) and forcibly taken
out of the vessel aAd lodged in the Jail
of the state that thereupon one Of your
petitioners, capt. Jared Bunce of the
Georgia Packet regular trader between
Philadelphia and Charleston, did appeal
to court of the state of South Carolina
for haoeas corpus, to inquire into the
cause of the arrest and detention of An.
drew Fletcher, (steward,) aud David
Ayres, cook, both free colored persons,
and native citizens Of the United States !;
that the said writ being a)lowsd by the
said court, and the sheriff having return.
ed that they have bsen arrested and i'm
prisoned, under the before mentioned at
of 1922 . and d motion having been made
for their discharge on the ground tina,
the said act was contrary to the constr
tuition of the U. States, and the court hsv
ing determined that the said act was mol
unconstitutional, the case in question wa
removed by appeal, 10 the highest Iribu
nal of the state, where after argument,
'he said court being divided IN opinion,
the case was suspended, and the priso
ners were deprived of the relief for WHICH
they moved and do siill remain in con-
hnoment.
The undersigned petitioners have
therefore been induced to submi: their
grievances before the general govern
nent, to relieve then, from the effect o.
an act which they believe is in violation
of the constitution of the u. States, and
Of the authority Of the federal head.
That the act in question does destroy
the liberty Of freemen, and regulates
commerce by interfering with the free
dom Of navigation, and the employment
of seameD, musa be apparent when il is
seen that the object Of it is to expel from
81 vessels entering the ports of South
carolina all free persons OF color.
Your petitioners pray that the govern
nent of the United States will interpose
their behalf. and will adopt such e.
nergetic measure as will relieve them
rom the situation they are laboring IN
der, by exposing their free colored ma.
riDers to an unlawful imprisonment, and
their vessel to an enormous & unnecessary
expense and detention.
Charleston, S. c. Re5. z, 1898.
"A number of armed negroes are said
TO be encamped in the neighbourhood of