The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-05-06

TREATMENT OF SLAvEs.-We copy from re-
cent letter of pearl" the excellent correspon-
dent of the Vicksburg Sentinel, the subioned
interesting proceedings in the senate, relating
to the treatment of slaves:
General Starke, in offering his resolutions,
we'll remarked that the only true friends of At
rican slaves are the people of the southern States
They furnish them good homes in a climate pc
culiarly adapted to them. They protect them
and make them a part of their household. They
discipline them as they do their children. This
is the course, he remarked, geneally pursued
by master and managers; but there are occa-
sionally to be found monsters who in their
treatment of negroes, violate the laws of hu-
manity, and the object of senators in adopting
the code should be to fix on our statute books
some remedy that will reach, and bring them
to punishment. Humanity requires it, public
policy demands it, christianity appeals in its be-
half. If we would perpetuate the institution of
slavery, let US, he said, protectit against abuses,
and by this means We will place it on solid
basls-a basis of sound morality and philan-
thropy that will put to shame the hypocritcal
cant of abolition agtators and their fanatcal
dupes.
The house code bill relating to ''sayes, free
negroes and muattoes," being under consid-
erauon In the senate on Saturday last, Mr.
Sarke, the senator from Bolivar, offered by
way of amendment, three additional articles.
the propriety OF the adoption of which was ably
and eloquenlly advocated by him. The sena-
tor reclted instances of barbarity on the part of
cruel and unprlnclped men in this State (such
men are to be found in every community north
and south, )--rare instances, true--but such
having occurred, he deemed legislation to guard
against such occurrences, by providing adequate
punlshments, lmperatiyely demanded The
amendment elected a warm debate, in which
Messrs. Neil, West, Pettus, Drane, Davis of
Pamela, Elicit, Reynolds of Tishemineo, Rice.
Oliver, Stone, &c, participated, and was final
}y adopted by II yeas to nays. The articles
read as follows:
"lst. That whenever any person shall be
charged under oath by any citizen ofthe State,
before any justice of the peace, with having vo-
lated any Of the provisions of this act, it shall
be the duty of such justice Immediately to issue
his warrant commanding any constable or 9th
er officer OF his court to bring before said JUS
tice forthwith, the slave or slaves upon whom
1t is alleged such crime (crue and unusual
punlshment) has been committed; and it shall
further be the duty of such justice to appoint
three or more respectable shareholders to exam
inc the person or persons Of such slave or slaves
to ascertain if the proof of the inlction of such
punishment exists or not on his or her body
''2d. In all cases where it is established that
such punishment has been inflicted, the person
or persons having the immediate control of such
slave at the time of its infiction, shall, until the
contrary is proved, be presumed to have inflc-
ted the same.
esd. In all trials for offences under this act it
shall be lawful for either party to prove the gen
eral character of the accused for cruelty or inhu-
manlty to the slaves under his or her control"
Heretofore, while we had laws to punish those
who maltreated slaves, there was no provision
for an examination of the slave as provided in
the first of these articles and in fact, there are
new and stringent provisions throughout the
entire amendment.
This bill, with its amendments, contemplates
ample protection to the slave 1t requires he
should be well fed, clothed and cared for, and
in no way cruelty and inhumanely treated.
Another very important amendment (offered
by Mr.. Ellett) touches the sale of slaves and
embodies the Louisiana provision relative to
hereditary vices, defects and maladies. This
gives greater security to the purchaser, and
will make those who buy to sell again more
cautious in their selections
Another very important amendment offered
by Mr. Greer) consists of four additional art-
cles taxing free negroes between the ages of 18
and SO years, SIS each annually, to raise fund
for their transportation to Liberia, &c, the State
also approprlating from its treasury an amount
equal to the tax SO raised to be a part of said
fund. This amendment was adopted with but
little debate, and by very decided vote. 1t
is similar to the Virginia laws On the same sub
ject, and founded on them I understand The
bill passed the senate this evening with thirty
three amendments. Mississippian.
GROWING WEALTH OF THE CoUNTRY.-The
accumulation of wealth in this country has been
vast and some estimate of its extent may be
formed If we recur to the official figures with
IN our reach IN relation to some items of fixed
capital, the large amount. of which invested in
manufactures, building railroads, houses
and stores, has all been derived from home re-
sources.
The number of houses in the United States
by census, is 1868, ,427, and free families,
3,597 ,24O, or nearly one for each family If
the dwellings increase In the proportion of the
population, then the number of houses built in
the last six years was 663,OOO; at an average
OF y 900 each, this would give 1865, 100000
or S7OO, 100000 with furniture. The tonnage
of shipping built has been 1921, ,439; worth
at an average of $50 per ton, Sl15 286, $40;
the value of railroads, $287, 100000; new
banks, capital at S65OoO,0OO. These items
alone make the following aggregates;
Houses built, 1848 to 1854, 800, 100000
Shipping, 1926, $40
Railroads, 287 100 600
Banks, 65,OOO,OOO
Total, sl,167 1856, $40
In addition to this, all the vast sums for fac
tories, insurance companies, mines, ETC., will
swell the aggregate, without having made any
increase in the amount of stocks
held abroad.
The rapid increase of inhabitants in the U.
States requires the more rapid absorption of
capital for new dwellings, irrespective of the
rebuilding of stores and old ones. The de-
partment reports the arrival into the u States
last year of 400, TT persons, who will require
H. IL 70 I