Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-07-02

The Code of Virginia. with ell ia defects, the grest
eat OF which il the index, was never designed as an
ornamental work The eminent lawyers engaged il
ito codifcaiion designed the laws contained therein
to be executed, and for that purpose institution
known az the Grand Jury was soleInnly established
by he 2O6h chapter ofssid Code. Among the duties re
qured of that jury we find the following: The
Grand Jury shall enquire of and present all trones,
misdemeon0rs and uiolaionS of penal laws committed
in the urisdicon of the respective courts wherein
they are sworn" The Grand Jury; not any Vigilance
Committee, but the Grand Jury are required not on
y TO enquire Of" but to present all" offences, and
yet how often in Richmond are Grand Juries dis
charged without any indictments or presentmenti
for violation of the first second third and fourth
tions of chapter 1885, and yet there is scarcely 6
citizen that is not aware of the violations Of these
sectona7 The 3O:h section of chapter 1873 is vic
lated every night, the 3st section is grossly viols
ted every Sunday. We have selected these, not be
there not frequent violations of many others
but because these sections are notoriously violated
day after day and night after night; and grand
juries empanneed and discharged, Court az
Ter Court, and no effort is made to arrest this
open and tagrant violation Of the laws The morals
of the community are being daily and hourly ruined
by outrageous and almost open gambling, and no
effort s made arrest this fruitful source of vice, cor
rupon and dcmorsi2stion The youth of the COM
muniiy are enticed and aeduced by every srhce and
meana that wicked and designing men caR invent,
and yet the conservators of the peace and virtue Of
the community stand by in perfect Indifference, be-
,I.
offences. The subtertuge of legal knowledge covers
this pregnant source of public corruption, and day
after day and month after month, old men and young
men are squandering cn infamous gamblers the hard
earned substance OF themselves and others.
Again how many unlawful sssembages" of ne.
groes are held every twenty four hours in Richmond!
We have been informed that master discovered up
on the person OF one of his slaves the ritual and
nual of "Trayeiicrs' AssocdtiOR' for sioves and
We were informed that it waa drawn up in the Afri.
can Church. Who hss not heard of the "burial co.
ciey" among the negroes OF Rlchmondi A secret,
and, for aught we know, oath bound mutual burial
society for the interment Of negroes with carriages
professions and uniforms. Fairs and suppers are
given TO raise and increase the funds Of this society
and these fairs and suppers are secret, and none are
permitted to enter that do not pay their regular dues
Subordnation and obedience will soon become i'm
possible unless the authorities abandon the subterfuge
of legal knowledge, aud set about to End out aud
suppress these unlawful assemblies.
Another fruitful source Of the corruption OF ne.
groes il the practice that obtains among some of
the tobacco factories Of providing their hands with
weekly allowances of money to purchase food and
lodgings instead of the empuyers providing IA they
are bound by law 10 do, the negroes with lodgings
and their daily food under the supervision ct come
whit. person. We understand that it ia the practice
with some of the factories TO give their hands one
dollar and fifty csnt per week With which the negrois
10 provide himself with food ana lodging the best
way he can.
Our attention hiss been called to these fagrsnt vio.
ation. of the lave, and have been requested 10
call public attention thereto The laws most certainly
require to be- rgidy enforced, and the good OF
the Commonw-a -alth demands tina, "winking Mt often
c.s'' should cease, and that offenders should be
h0at,d ont and the city purgad OF those seductive
oollutions which now iniest certain portions. We
nope our neighbors of the City Press will join us in
the call 70 abate the nuisances.