Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1850-03-13
Rccd-YHilc.

and the bill introduced inn the Senate at its
late session by him, entitled "a ball for ihe re-
lief OF the coiored population of the State Of
Indiana and al the same time demon ing on r
course III regard TO the same, justice TO ours=lf.
requires that should briefly refer 10 the mat
ter. We are not. however, disposed ia d. e nj
. m0.ices III the course We pursued. or The
, sincerity OF opinions "a regard to the mat
ter Hypocr,te> may iiud il necessary DO so
we 30 not. We shall deal in facts ans leave
Alr. Vale 10 sfenl Mr.. Reed AM his bill, aud
: reconcile their free soil friends to such i course
comparison between the bill as introduced by
Mr. Reed. aad the law ii stands.
The FIST section OF Mr. Reeds b;Il declares
THAT any black nu!atto person resident in
the State or '@ho may come OF be brough, in
it, 10 resi,e, who shall violate aay of the penal
laws of the State, or has no visible means Of
support. "shail not reside therein, unless he
give bond and security, Of 500, conditioned
that he viii not become a county charge--aIso
for hi- good behaviour during his residence IN
the State, and provides that SUI, may be brought
for its violation.
, The second section, makes IL the duty OF the
prosecuting attorney of the county TO make
presenimeni" TO a Justice of the peace of any
negro or muiatto, ''n0ir resiient" or who NAV
come. De brought IN the State, violating any
penal law, or being county charge If on tri-
al he is s'aiJuIg ed guilty" "hktiy to become
a county charge" he shall give bond and secu
, rity "wi,hn twenty four hours or be removed
out Of the State paupers are, or sent to the
: peer house.
The difference between these sections aud cor
, responding in the law of Feb. 10, 1881, is,
that the latter old law, requires all blacks or
malatto persons coming in The State, inter- the first
Of September oiloring, TO give bond and security,
as is provided ia Reefs bill. Reeds bill would
: operate upon persons who are "nor residents
as well as those who may be hereafter. The
old law only designed to prevent the emf
gration Of negroes TO the State, AMI Reeds bill
in addition was drive them all out of the
: State. This would be AN outrage upon our pres
2 en-: co!ored population. Amy negro or mula,to,
though he might be an old citizen, and an extern
+ sive property holder, violating any penal law
of the State, however trivial or unimporiant.
would be liable TO be arrested and brought be-
fore justice Of the peace, AMI if "aIJudged
y guilty. would have to give bond aud security OF
= $500, within twenty four hours. conditioned
r. and not become a county charge, or in default
the reof would be removed from the State, or 10
the poor house. This feature of Reeds bill IS
. more Objectionable and more oppressive than any
thing in the old law of 1881. That law made
V il the duty of the ovcrseers of the poor, Of the
! townships TO execute it; but as there was more
than one in each nsiip, each might shift the
responsibility upon the other, 50 it generally
= it upon the prosecuting attorney of the county
| to enforce the law, an it would be his duty UNI
der his oath to Go so, notw Outstanding public
opinion might be az tiust it. He cou! not throw
off the responsibility upon another person.
Il The .hire section Of Reeds bill! imposes pen
atty of $500 on any person enticing away slaves
| &c. There is no provision Of this kind in the
: act Of 1891; but there is similar oae in the
Revised Statutes. Sec. rs, Chap. ., which
Reeds bill proposed TO repeal. The thru sec
ton of the law of 1891, imposes y penalty Of
$500 on any Sheriff or i;lor for committing any
Il negro or n1uiatto to prison, without ni,ttnns.
Reeds bill contains such provision, and .
: she Tiff dior can impraon negroes wth i.nPu-
nifty.
The itI section Of Reef BIZ relates 10 testi-
mony; bat amounts TO nothing.
The ijh section Of the old law imposes pen
: atty of not over 500 for hiring harboriag a
II negro or nluatto, coming il the State, who ha-
] ne; given boad. This provision is not in Reed
: BILL lie protects the whites, while he Furnishes
the negro.
The sta section of each bill provides that slave
holders may pass through the State with then
Slaves. Was Mr. Reed sent to indianapolis to
mass law. Ia license SLAYER. ia iu..i4na9
, There are but five sections in the law of 1881.
The sixth section of Reeds bill proposed 10 re-
peal the old law of 1891, the section above allu-
ded to, and the 37th sec. of the 18th chap. oil
Revised Statutes of 1881. There IS no such sec
II ton in the book
The old law Of 1881 was passed when the pub
lie mind had not been agi;ated the sub &c
and simply with view Of preventing negroes
from engrating into the State. 1t even
II then condemned, and has ever since been u de ad
Ie,erupon the statute book, Ian ''obsoete idea :
e particularly in this part Of the State. Why is
:, 1t to he revived at this day Why should tbs
Senator of the free soil and abolition party o
Union county be the instrument of reviving such
an odious law. Was he sent there for that pur
x posel
), Reeds bill more odious than the old law
. because it applied TO resident inhabitants as vel
those who might come here 1t was intro
duced in opposition to pnblic opinion in this par
I of the State at time when the people, his con
u stituenis, had demanded The repeal of the bacl
laws. He had made professions Of freesoisu
was endorsed by Mr.. Vale supported b h.-
i party. ana then betrayed their trusts
n After the bill had been published, and receiv
q ed the condemnation of the people, Mr. Reed
made report, condem ming the very features O
the bill he had introduced. 4 motion made
i to print 800 copies of it for the of the Sen
ate. On this motion, stated distinctly tia
= were in favor of printing the report, and Of
q fered to congratulate the chairman Of the com
:, rlttee the apparent change which had ;akeI