Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-04-04
DAILY EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.


accordance with petition from the principal
brick makers of the city, asking the privilege
of bringing colored labor into Washington. the
following bill, reported from the Committee on
Police. was brought in by Mr.. Davis, and led
10 long debate:
An act supplementary to the s'Act eonesyu,no
free 1iSgToes, muiattoes, and ska,ss an,
yrorsd Dec. 10Th, 1850.
Be 1T enacted, DE-, That from and as,sr ,b o
passage OF this act, every free negro or mn
latto, whether male or female. shall. within
I'VE days after their arrival in this eity. and
Oh the tenth day OF December thereafter annu-
ally. record his or her name and the name or
names Of every member of his or her family,
in the books Of this Corporation, and at the
same time pay into the treasury of said Corpo-
ration, Tor himself and family, or for himself
and family 50 registered, the SUN of ten dol
lars, upon which registration, and payment
of the sum aforesaid, the Mayor is hereby au-
thorlsed and directed to grant a permit of
residence to such free negro or mulatto, which
shall entitle him and his family, or her and
her family, to a residence within said Corpo-
ration; and on failure TO comply with each
and every provi,iOn of this section. he, she, OF
they, so failing, shall forfeit and nay to this
Corporation n sum not less than five nor more
than ten dollars and shall be ordered by the
Mayor to depart forthwith from this city and
failing to depart therefrom, shall be subject TO
the conditions and penalties prescribed in the
first section Of the ''Act concerning free ne
groes. mulattOes, and slaves approved Dec r
10th. 1850. Prorided, Nothing in this act
contained, shall be 90 construed as to apply to,
or affect the condition of any free negro or
ululatt1, who may come into the city in the
service Of any transient person or member of
Congress while IN such employment, or who
may have been sent to the city by his or her
employer on temporary business.
SEC. ?. And be az enacted, That every ne
gro and malatt) slave brought into the CITY #
Washington, and there manumitted or be
made or declared to be free, in any other man
ner o. form whatsoever, or who, being now
within said city, shall be hereafter manumit-
ted, or be made or declared to be free, in any
other manner or form whatsoever, shall, with
IN FIVE days after such manumission and on
the tenth day of December thereafter amt
ally. record his or hername. and paw into the
Treasury of said Corporation the sum of ten
dollars for the permit of residence provided for
in the first section OF this act; and in case of
failure to comply with each and every REQUIRE
ment OF the said first section of this act, he,
she, or they, shall be subjec. to all the penal
ties prescribed and inflicted by said section.
SEC 3. AHd b. 1T further fuacted That the
I'd section of the act, to which this is amenda-
tory, approved December 10. $780, entitled
An Act supplementary 20 and amenia ory of
al act. supplementary TO an act, concerning
free negroes, mulattoes, and slaves" and also
the act approved February 4th, 1851, entitled
An Act supplementary to an act, supplement
tary to aud amendatory of an act supplement
taFy to an act concerning free negroes, mulat-
toes and slaves, approved December 10TH
1876, be. and the same are hereby repealed
Mr. Towers explained that the bill was in
tended as an amendment to a section of the
act of 1850, and to repeal that of 1851 by re-
ducing the amount pail for each free negro
from $50 TO so. By the present law a negro
manumitted here, has to pay $50, and it was
made originally. to keep number of free
negroes belonging to the estates of Mrs. Fitz-
hughes from settling in the city from Virginia
There were numbers of negroes here who never
complied with the law. and he knew only of
one instance where it had been done The
law was quite imperative, bee ause it reuuir ed
negro with three children to pay $3.50 per
annum.
A member asked whether the law of 1850 did
not repeal the other acts9
Mr.. Towers. That of 1927 still stands on the
statute books, all negroes have to be registered
at the City Hall.
Mr. Morgan said he was prepared to vote
for any law that would be enforced The first
law made the sum TO be paid $1,000, it was cut
down to $50, to bring the affair within the
reach of a magistrate; it was however a dead
was sure would be enforced, if it was even for a
premium to bring negroes into the city.
Mr.. Towers said that he was not inclined TO
keep on the statute book q law that was inop-
erative- The act of 1850 was sufficiently bur
densOme to please the most ultra that could be
found
Mr.. W. Morgan said he would be satisfied 10
cut it down to nothing; and mentioned several
facts within his knowledge to illustrate what
be advanced.
Mr.. Magruder said, s'Ail the reasons that
have heard, clearly show that the law as il
L stands at the present, and S stood for some
years. is no law at all. The city CO Incils have
passed laws so onerous to keep out f ee ne
Zroes, that few that are good will come in, and
they are screened from the action of the law
by the citizens who employ them. While the
Eorthless are tax upon the contributions of
iae benevolent or are sent to the work-h
which they have no objection Why should
ne law be kept on the statute book, when it
L Z of no use, il would be better to make one
hat should be rigidly enforced; it would be
letter to have one less rigid, that would be put
1 INTO efect''
Mr.. Hill said that the law was not so inope-
| fauve as was stated; it was intended to prevent
The introduction of more negroes than we can
I nlintain- if it was brought down to a reason
able sum, all would go for it readily.
Mr.. BOrrows said that such a law might be
enforced in Russia, but could not be enforced
| here There was not member Of the Board
4 PRESENT who would not hide some particular
uegro from the operation Of the law. He
sould do so, although he assisted in making
ne law The superior energy of the Saxon
| Eould destroy the African. He had no doubt
nat one half of that Board were violating the
aE with respect TO negroes.
Nh. T. P. Morgan spoke in behalf of the
III IetltIOn of the DemoriaIists IL unuld an
'ouTage manufacture in the city. At pres
su; there were only two articles that we ex-
FSrted, namely, empty whiskey barrels and
i'd rags.
Mr., Magruder spoke laudatory of the gener-
religious conduct Of the negroes in his and
lie adjoining Ward
Inc bill was read third time and passed.
l Common COUnest.-The joint resolution re-
'pecting the city railway, which had passed
ne Board Of Aldermen, was passed by a vote
\ Ii to ) The other business done consisted
Mostly OF local improvements, and the Board
1lourned, without takiI up the above men,
loned act, that passed the Board of Aldermen.
IHE METHODIST CHURCB.-The plan selected
'9r this new edifce, is that of Mr.. Samuel T.
y aorsell. and the site selected is on space
/ ground ut the corner of c and Al streets,
aaving at this corner a steepls, 200 feet high,
,Irmounted by n handsome carved ornament.
bis spire will be lighted with twelve windows,
| -i1 Of which of which will be ia the shaft. The