Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-18

were aliepabIe at pleasure. he second OF VII
lians regardent, were adscripH gIebe, or attach
ed as freehold property TO the SOIL Ana the
third or last, Of copyhold bondmen, who mao
tenemen,s Of land for which they were bound
to nav in services. The Williams first mention
ed, or those of the lowest class, had all these
pradations 10 pass through, from the first INTO
the second, and from the second into the third
before they could become free men. This was
the plan from which Mr. Steel resolved TO bor-
row when he formed his plan for changing the
condition of his slaves. He did mol, however,
adopt it throughout, but chose GU. OF 1t what
he thought would be most suitable TO his pur
pose, and left the rest.
He erected his plantations into manorS and re-
pistered in the manor-book all his adult male
slaves as copy-hoiders He then gave to these
separate tenemen,s or lands which they were to
occupy, and upon which they were 10 raise
whatever they might think most advantageous
to their support. These tenements consisted
Of half an acre Of plantable and productive
land TO each adult, a quantity supposed to be
sufficient with industry, 20 furnish him anc his
family with provision and clothing. These te.
ne ments were made descendible TO the heirs oil
the occu2iers or copy-holders, that Is TO their
children on the plantations; for no part OF the
succession was to go out Of the plantations 10
the issue of any foreign wife, or in case oil no
such heirs, they were to fall into the lord to be
regranted according 10 his discretion. 1t was
also inscribed that any one OF the copyhoders,
who would not perform his services 10 the ma
nor (the refractory and olhers) was to forfeit
his tenement and his privileged rank and go
back to william in gross, and be subject 10 cor
poral punishment as before.
'He put an annual rent upon each tenement,
which he valued at SO many days labor. Hc
set a rent also upon personal service as due by
the copyholder to his master in his former qua
lily Of slave, seeing that his master or prede-
cessor had purchased property in him, and
his he valued il the same manner. He then
added the two rents together, making so many
days work altogether, and estimated them in
the eu,reu, money Of the time. Having done
this, he fixed daily wages or pay to be receiv-
ed by the copyholders for the work which they
were to do They were 10 work 900 days i'll
the year for him, and to have 48 days besides
SUNDAYS for themselves. He reduced these
days work tn current money. These wages he
fixed at such a rate that "they should be more
than equivalent to the rent Of their copyhods
and the rent OF their personal services when
put together, in order 10 hold out TO them an
evident and profitable incentive to their indus
try" The copyholders were not 10 work Tor
other masters without the leave Of the lord
They were 10 work ten hours per day. Ii they
worked over and above that time, they were 10
be paid for every hour tenth part Of their dali
ly wages, and they were also to forfeit tenth
part for every hour they were absent or deficient
in the work of the day" A store was kept on
the plantation, from which the copyholders
were furnished with all such clothing and pro-
visions as they could not make raise them
l., r l. t~
them al the lowest market price, The hospital
and medical attendance was continued at the
expense Of the proprietor" "Such," says
Clarkson, "was the plan Of Mr. Steel. and
have he pleasure of being able 10 announce
that the result, of il was highly satisfactory to
himself In the yesr 1888, when only the first
part OF il had been reduced 10 practice, he spoke
Of it thus. "a plantation" says he. "of between
seven and eight hundred acres has been gov
erned by fixed laws and negro-c curt Tor about
FIVE years with great success. In this planta-
ton no overseer or white servant is allowed 10
lift mis- hand against negro, nor can he arhi-
trariy order punishment. Fixed laws and u
court or jury of their peers keep all in order
without the ill eHec, Of sudden and Incorporate
passions. And in the year 1890, about year
after the last part Of his plan had been put TO
trial, he says i'll letter to DR.. Dickson:-"My
copyholders have succeeded beyond my eXpeC-
tations This was his last letter to that gen
tleman, for he died in the beginning Of the next
year in the ninety-irst year Of his aye.
II is highly gratifying to us to be able TO state
that these changes not only contributed to the
health and happiness of the negroes, but in
creased the rerenues of The estate three fold in the
Course Of few wears. "Mr. Slrel," says his
editor DR.. Dickson, "saw that the negroes, like
all other human beings, were 10 be stimulated
to permanent exerlions only by sense OF their
own interests in providing for their own wants
and those of their offspring He therefore tried
REGARDS, which Immediately reused the mos,
indolent to exer,ion. His experiments ended
in regular ,cases, which the industry he had ex-
cited among his whole gaAs, enabled HIM 10
pay. Here was natural, efficient, and prohta-
bic reciprocity Of interests. His people be-
came contrnted, his mind was freed from that
perpetual vexa,ion and that load of anxiety
which are isseparable from the vulgar sys.
tenn, and in lillle more than four years the an
nual nett clearance of his property ,cas more
than. kipied." Again, in another part OF the
work, MIR. Stee's plan may no doubt re-
emma imnroyemepfs whirh his GREAT