The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-23
PRICE ONE CENT.


Oaf CouscIL.-A called meeting of ~ :.
AZ was neid at the Chsmberlap,s o;sa
-i,ta ~, fsceive report of the Police Cor
turers praying the ION OF various tobacco rnanufac-
ordnance concerning Negroes" passed 5,s. 81 q. a.
| Nil, ssnnds,. ssen,ts-Messrs. Myers McCance.
Snead, Grattan, Talbot ana Shsnns.d hii',
| M'Husss-Ihe minutes Of the last u,e.t;r, .,a~.
| Spseiql Busiaess.--Mr. Scott, from, ,hs r.,..
on Police to whom was referred the memorial az ~
Tobacco Manufacturers reported hy ordinance ,'i ir
| favor of repeating the following section AZ
| Every slave shall be provided each dev h. ~;
owner, or if he be in the employment nf snc,L @
person, by bis employer with food safcien, 60 =;
sustenance and suitable place in which to coo snS
eat the same and shall BE- provided every night vt
place for lodging and whatever is necessary or his
sleeping in the last mentioned place For every dav
or night on which there is a failure TO make such
provision as to any slave, the person falling shall
be fined not exceeding twenty dollars Such foe
shall be imposed notwithstanding the slave be fur
nlshed with money other thing, in lieu of food
and lodging"
Mr. Scott in presenting the report desired the
Council to bear in mind the fact that he voted for the
present ordinance when upon its passage. believing &
that msortv of his Ward were in favor Of it that
time, and for the simple reason that they presumed
its effect would be- TO rid them of the annoyauces
which they subjected by negro trespassers upon
their premises If he satisfied that the section
now under consideration would have that effect he
would now oppose its repeal bat as the ordinance
already in force requiring every servant habituay
visiting the premises of another person than his
er or hirer TO have the written consent of the pro-
prietor of the premises where his visits made,
has failed to prevent trespasses he felt assured that
the section alluded to could not be successful
If the ninth section is retained how isit be carried
out2 Are the Police to invade private premises and
make an examination to see If food and bedding
furnished servantsi Certainly not--for no gentle
man would submit to such invasion upon his pri.
vate rights. The giving of beard money by tobacco
mauufa facturers not the of the great evil
Take the pittance of seventy-ive cents from them
which they now receive as board money, and thew
will then have left the g. or S5 made for overwork,
t. dispose Of as they please. Manufacturers may
furnish food for their servauts but they com
pei them to eatit; and as the hirelings turned
out at breakfast dinner and night, privilege that
will never be denied them they can then go where
ever they wish. and with the money earned by their
overwork, procure whatever they desire. If any
plan could he adopted to correct the evil complained
OF ne would cheeriuly support it; but believing that
the ninth section" applies no corrective She yyould
sum or the report of the Committee.
DIR. snead, when he read the ordinance in the
newspapers ives surprised that the Council had pass
ed it he was then satisfied that it could not be
carried out and was therefore opposed re forcing
law-ioviug men to become la,y-hreakers If the or
dinance merely designed to say that the and
hirers OF negroes should furnish food and lodging for
them at anv place places they might select, that
was already practically done by the effect of the
dnance to which Mr.. Scott alluded-and if its in
tention was to compel manufacturers to coop up
their servants together in Que large house, it would
not only he impracticRb .. but injurious to the
health and morals of the negroes, and tend to in
subordination. Gentlemen had the power to
prevent negroes from visiting their lots, if they
He believed the ninth section of the ordinance i'm
Iracticable. and should vote for it's repeal.
Mr. Darlington glad to find that Mr.. Scott had
changed his mind, aud would now vote for the
peal of the ninth section. He opposed it at the time
OF its adoption, beev it to be impractica6le and
did not now believe that it could be euforcsd.s
hr. Grattan thought tho nuisance, against which
this ordinance was directed, great and crying
one. and should he abated. Every hirer of slaves
should be made to take care of them Manufactu.
were Just much bound to provide for the two
or three hundred negroes they employed, as were
their service
mr. scott remarked that some of the rlanufacfu-
rers had declared their intention to resist the ordi-
II 1t not repealed and test its coastitu-
tonality before the Circuit Court.
Nh Grattan. AS to their resistance. let them try
il The Council has the right to legisiate on the
subject and to pass ordinance for the protection
of citizens. He imagined there would be less diff
Guilty in enforcing 1t than gentlemen supposed. What
ught have the hirers of negroes to turn them loose
to prey upon the community their pleasure7 Ex-
| ercisng no control over their morals and KNOWN
nothing of their conduct after working hours, these
negroes are allowed to go where they please and
thus become corrupt and often worthless. The evil
was growing one, and the Council should take
| steps to have it corrected.
| Mr.. Hill did not think the board money was given
| as a matter of economy.
Mr.. GTattan. No--but to trouble.
Mr.. Scott. Large manufacturers assure me that
they fifty per cent. the doctors bills and Sc.
venty-ive per cent the stealing, by the present
! feeding them at the factories.
| Mr. Grattap, And the community lose one hnn.
dred per cent by the change, in the amount stolen
| IN them.
| Mr. McCance was in favor of trying the ordinance
| as 1t stood, one year. number of the manufactu-
rers had arranged TO carry out the acquisitions the
ordnance it now stood, and the others should be
compelled to do All admitted that the evil was
| great one, and he was anxious to find = remedy
| for Il.
| DR.. Mills would readily sustain the present ordi
if it could be enforced, hut believing to be
nlpracticable one he should vote for its repeal
| The question then taken repeating the ninth
section and carried in the affirmative, Messrs Grat
| tan and McCance voting aganstit and Messrs. Scott
Saunders Hill, Darlington, Talbot Rich rds Shep-
pard. Snead and Mills voting in favor of it.
| Petitions The Committee whom was referred
| the petitions of Messrs. Beers P0ndexter and J
w. Evans asked leave TO be excused from their fur
| ther consideration, and the request was granted.
Several memorials were then presented and refer
| red ; after which the Council adjourned.