Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-03-07
THE BOGUS LEGISLATURE.

The present Kansas Legislature seems disposed
to rival its predecessor in the enormity of its legis,
%lation. Among other acts it has passed ore 'to
punish reJelion." Says the correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Gazette, speaking of this act:
Sec. 1st provides that if two or more persons
shall combine by force to uS,rp the government of
the territory, on any department thereof, the person
ofendin E shall be deemed guilty of rebellion, and
suffer death. By this section none of the bogus
officers, imposed on the people by this Legislature,
must be resisted, or they will be liable to q death
penalty. If even the sheriff should act in the
outrageous manner in which Jones and others
have acted formerly, and the citizens, in self
defense, should resist them, those thus resisting
will be liable to be indicted and tried land executed
as rebels.
The second section is still more liable to obiec.
ton, as 1t makes it rebellion for twelve or more
persons to consptrc to ley uar on any part of the
citizens of the Territory. AS all the pro-slavery
and border ruffans belong to the militia, and are
subject to be called out by their officers, they will
not fall within the meaning Of this act, and when
in arms will be a portion of the ''territorial author.
ity." Only the much abused settlers will have
this extra milestone tied about their necks.in case
they should be driven by outrages to defend them.
selves.
The other sections of this outra geous law are
not less enormous. One of the provisions is, that
if two or more shall ~conspire to remove any Dor.
ton of the inhabitantsf from their habitattons, il
shall be rebellion, and SO punishable. Thus a
mere quarrel about a Claim, than which nothing
is more common or probable, will give the pro.
slavery men, through the aid of the pro-slavery
courts and officials, the power of driving any
Free State man from the country. or of hanging
him as a rebel if he stays. In order to secure
punishment, in cases where it would be difficult to
infict the death penalty, the courts are allowed an
] o1tarD n : u in thar Aianrafinn n ,oAJ,a. IL n
der to the penitentiary for twenty years. This il
the most infamous enactment that ever disgraced
a republican country. 1t is squatter sovereignty
carried out.
A not less infamous law is one to punish mob,
and soditious ~assemblages. There is also a law
regulating assault cases, which is Of a dangerous
partisan character. Several other laws of tbt
same kind have been framed-all of them are in
tended as traps to catch Free State men, and W.
may expect that legal persecution will again b,
resorted to in order to keep the Territory clear o
free-soilers.
A most dangerous power has been conferred or
the County Courts. These COur's have been erea
ted and the Judges appointed by this Legislature
They have got extended jurisdiction to an amour
as regards civil cases, that will embrace ninety
nine out of every hundred cases. They have al
so got criminal jurisdiction in all cases where tn,
death penalty is not to be inflicted. Thus, with
cut jury, they can try and sentence to imprison
ment or fine any person brought before then
on a charge, and the party thus tried need no
ever be indicted, but shall be put on trial a
once, and the bogus judge, without q iury, shall
try and sentence, and there is no provision fol
appeal from these decisions. There are to be
public prosecutors appointed by these courts il
every county.
The amount of letter writing in the United
States may be inferred from the number of pos
tage stamps used. The number sold by tho Gov
eminent last year reached nearly one hundred
and ffty millions of stamps. .