The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-02-19

jnurooL.
Fres Negroes in Indiana and Kentucky.
We read that tie tender mercies of the
wicked are cruel-and il strikes us that
some late acts of the Constitutional
Convention of Indiana, and of the House
Of Representatives Of Kentucky, must
very lorcIbIy suggest, this passage of I Ioly
Writ to the minds of civilized and Chris.
tian men. The following will show to
what we refer:
The Constitutional Convention of In
diana has had under consideration the
subject of laws governing the blacks in
that State, and the following is a synopsis
of the Act reported TO the Convention
by the committee.
The first section provides lha, no me-
gro or mulallo shall come into the State
after the adoption OF the Constitution,
pass.d, ~ to 40
The second section, making all cons
sons employing thcm not less than ten,
nor more than five hun red dollars, pass.
ed, - To 50
The third section, appropriating the
fines collected under this article to the
colonization of the negroes now in the
State, passtd, 100 to BIB.
The fifth section. providing that the
Legislature shall pass laws necessary to
carry out this negro article, passed, with.
ont the ayes and noes.
TIE siSth section, requiring the sepa'
rate submission Of This article to the PEG.
pie" Exclusion and colonization Of ne.
groes and mula,iocs aye or no, passed
81 to 81.
A bili, N its character, " cruel I'M
calico for aud lmpoluc, and affecting
the condition of free negroes, has re-
Gently passed the popular branch of the
kentucky Legislature. The bill pro
sldes that each County Assessor shal
annually report 10 the Clerk of The
County Court the name, age. an1 colo
Of every free negro auG mularo, and tina
the Clerk shall keep record thereof
| and shall IN the month OF July, ever
wear, issue summons against all sucl
negroes, wlihincerlaln ages, cnmmandn!
them to appear before INN, there to ex
hlblt their free papers, or give proof o
| their freedom. The Clerk Is also /,
make record Of the name, age, sex
/ heinht aud visible marks OF such free ne
groes as appear before him, and stat
when they were emanclpaled and b.
whom, or born free and Tor ibis serylc,
the Clerk is to receive a fee from The fire
negr0,S or muiaftosS-an and If the free ne
gro fail to appear, or fail to pay the fee
or comply With the law in other respects
he is made lia,le to a fine of ten dollars
and if the fine and costs are not paid in
Stdnter, the " cOngjct" is to be hlret
out to any one who will pay the amour
for the shortest period of service.
Another section of this inhnman bill
provides that if any free negro acquires
IN any way except by descent, title Il
real estate or slaves, such real estate o
slaves shall be forfeited to the STATE.
The Louisville JOUtndL denounces til,
bill as cruel, uncalled for and Impolii
and says that ifiI becomes law, it vii
be Jiot on the State I.cgIsaturc-a dis
grace to the people of Kentucky. Tn
journal further says, that If the object u
the Legislature were to make the free ne
groes as worthless as possible, 1t coul'
not have devised surer expedeat thai
this bill The Legislature are remlnde'
that even in South Carolina, recent ell
fort to legisIaie to the injury of the FIRE
negroes was summary disposed oi-tha
in that State, whore ultraism prevails S
lameniably, the various churches vie wit
each other in extending the benefits q
religious Instruction to the negroes of a
conditions and the J0urUai hopes tina
the Kentucky Legislature will be as wis
as that OF .SOHth Carolina.