Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-08-07
From the Democratic Standard 8. Waig @'76.
Black Laws.

A correspondent has sent US four questions,
with a request that they be answered. This
we shall do, giving the questions, with their
nswers, as concisely as possible.
l.. Do the laws of the state make any pro-
visions for the relief of poor colored people
Ans. The first section of an "Act for the
Relief of the Poor passed March II, 1881,
-(Swan's Statutes. page 63l,) proscribes
the mode, in which persons may obtain a Lee
gal settlement in any township in the state.
Section Five of the same law, (Swan, p.
635.) and Section Nine of " An act to author
ize the establishment, of Poor Houses" (page
63O) provides that no person shall be entitled
TO permanent relief except those who have
gained a legal settlement.
Section Second of the first named law pro-
vides, ''that nothing in this act shall be so
construed as to enable any black or mulatto
person to gain a legal settlement in his state"
-(page 635.)
Thus poor colored people are expressly ex-
cepted from the provisions of the laws design
ed for the relief Of the poor.
BY the Eighth Section of this law, (page
&C., "the overseers of the poor in each
township shall also afford Temporary relief or
support to any person within their township,
and not having a LEGAL settlement in the
same, when such relief or support is needed"
This would seem To entitle colored persons
to temporary relief or supp IT. But this in
ference is excluded, by an act published
March /, 1884, (page GID by which, the
temporary relief intended to be afforded by
the above section, is confined to those per-
sons, who have not a legal settlement in the
township where they are found, hut hare one,
in sumo other township. Consequently, col
orcd persons are entirely excluded, because
they can gain no legal settlement in the Siate.
This act provides Z" that when the over
seerS Of the poor of a township, in any coun-
ty in this State, in which there is Il poor
house, shall be called upon to furnish tempo
rary relief to any person." under the above
provisions, they are required to remove such
person 10 the county poor house i" provided
such person is in a situation 10 be removed
upon the Order Of The trustees Of the proper
tO,ogshjpi - that is, upon the order Of the
trustees of tho township, in which such per-
son had a legal settl ,ment. By an act pass
ed Jan. 25, 1907, (Swan, page $685. no me-
gro or mulatto person is permitted to settle
within this state unless he or she can give
bond in the sum Of $500 with tW0 or mDre
freehold sureties conditioned for his or her
good behaviour, and moreover, to pay for
the support of such person, In case he or she
should thereafter be found within any town
ship in this state, unable to support them
Selves And on noncompliance, the over
seets of the poor are required to remove them
from the State. (rhe injustice Of this law is
only equalled by its senselessness. What
can be the use of requiring security against
their becoming a charge on the township,
they never can legally become so! 1t the
overseeIs should relieve poor colored persons,
il would be ii violation Of their duty. for
which they would be personally responsible.
The public can suffer no loss Tor what then
do they want security y Consequently color
ed people are entitled to no benefit from the
law for the relief of the poor, either tempo
raTy or permanent.
,. Is the property of the colored people
taxed tor the support of the poor!
Ans. 1t is the same as that Of other per-
sons. The fund for the support of the poor
is taken from the general revenue of the conn
try, (Section II, page 637.) The expense of
buying ground for poor houses is to be de-
frayed ''by a tax levied on the objects Of coun-
ty taxation for that express purpose, (page
63S.) The county com nissioners are auth
orized, sin case the ordinary revenue Of the
county shall prove insufficient for the sup
port of the poor. to levy and collect a poor
tax, not exceeding one mill on the dollar of
the valuation Of the property taxable for stlte
and county purposes, to be valued on the
grand list and collected as other taxes, (page
GID
The real and personal property Of colored
persons is subject 10 taxation for the general
revenue Of county and state, to the same de-
gree that the like kind of properly is belong
ing to other persons.
3. Are the colored people taxed directly
or indirectly for the support OF common
schools.
Ans. They are not directly. The prop
erty Of black and mulatto persons. Is express
" excepted from the direct school tax of two
mills on the dollar, (Swan, page e2l.) But
they are for this purpose taxed indirectly.
The property of these persons is taxed Ia
raise the general revenue for the support Of
the State.
In addition to the above school tax Of two
mills on the dollar, there is established "a
conmon school fund, consisting of the inter
est on the surplus revenue at 5 per cenium,
the interest on the proceeds of salt lands, the
revenue from banks, insurance and bridge
companies and other funds to be annual
provided by the State 70 the amount Of two
hundred thousand dollars per annum." (Swar
page s2l.)