New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
MR.. SICKLES AS A LEGISLATOR ON ADUL-
Terry.
r. as Edito, Of The ". Y. Tribsa

MR.. SICKLES AS A LEGISLATOR On ADCL-
Terry.
t. hs Edito, Of The ~ L. Tribnae
SIR: The Sickes trial. fortunately, is ended-its les
sons remain lost entirely, hope, upon Mr. Sickes
hmseh ana those of his class. think that when Mr..
Sckles was first aware Of the little pains that was
taken TO corcea the amos of hey and his wife from
class of people disqualified by the law ON account OF
their color from testifying in courts OF justice I'M"
even be must have begun TO think OF the barbanty OF
such disqualification. The law was made TO screen
white people for outrages upon coored persons but
here il was operative in another direction.
So, too, when the Gaze Of the negro in North Car
olua was cited and relied upon by the prosecution to
show that adultery with the wife was not justification
for killing the aduterer, if the prisoner felt the
halter draw" little when that authority was INTRO
duced, he, perhaps for the first time, saw the
wrong and outrage of making men unequa
befor. the law" in this country; and when the force
of that authority broken by the shameful dechon
that the Court was compelled to make, that the
slave husband Lad marital rights he could
ave had no very high estimation OF the hind of law
by which he was relieved. 1t ia possible too, that
he may have learned that adultery was more HEM
Gus otfense than be considered it when As legls-
laor be had had very good opportunity to give evil
deuce of his estimation Of the crime. IL had come,
in his opinion, to merit death; time was when he
thought quite differently.
I have looked at the journal of the Assembly of
which Mr.. Sickles was member in 1917, IN when
remen, bered that he had something to 40 with tins
question. A bill was introduced by Mr.. Flanders,
from the Judiciary Committee, containing not very
severe penalties against this ofense but it was intro
duced in good faith, and would have passed the
House had itno been defeated by legislative chica
merry Soon after its introduction, Thomas Smith OF
sebobarie (who could not have been suspected OF a
wish to make the act retrospective if such thing
could have been done) became the champion OF the
measure, though not a member of the Judiciary Com
mi,t.e Upon bis motion, il was twice made special
order. by which il would have gone TO the Committee
Of the Whole, and been open for amendment but, a
day or two before il was to have been considered in
Committee of the Whole Mr.. Sickles, from the Com
mittee Of nine reported batch OF bills as proper 10
be taken from the Committee of the Whole and re-
feired to select Committee to report complete and
this bill WAS among them.
IL was then referred to Select Committee, and
both Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Sckles were put upon il.
This was on the LIST of May, and no more was heard
from it TIL the Fall Session which commenced on the
9Th September On the llth of October, on motion
of Mr.. Small the House ordered the Committee to
report in three days, and on the 9th November-3O
days. instead of three-Mr Smith reported that the
COMMITTED had gone through the bill and agreed 70
"the same, with amendments"
The report was agreed to, and the bill ordered 70
be enyro-sed for q third reading; but when the
amendments came TO be examined, they were found
70 he moi merely clerical but substantial. The bill of
the Judiciary Committee required indictments for
seduction or adultery to be presented within year
from commission OF the oaense.
Messrs. Smith and Sckles's Committee changed
this To six months, and added that no conviction
should be had under the third section OF the act
fer adultery except upon the complaint In writing
of the husband OF wit. of Of the parties to the
" adultery or sexual intercourse therein mentioned,
10 he filed in the Office Of the Clerk Of the County
"where such ofense shall have been committed
The Committee also added to the sixth section
(which imposed penalty for enticing or invelging
npy female into house of designation or prosttutonl
this very comprehensive and atful provision:
Provided however all the party eharssd under
female wa. at the the essn's charged woman OIL an'
chsste or ewd character
The fir,t section proposed TO punish in the county
iail not exceeding one year, for seducng or having
carpal intercourse with any unmarried female.
Nv the amendment, proof Of the offense established
good plea in bar.
When the bill came to its third reading, Mr.. Bascom
moved to refer it to Select Committee, with instruc
tons to report il to the House forthwith, oy striking
ont of the first section the words county JAIL one
wear" and insert three" SIX months, IN the
fourth section and the artful provso in the sixth.
debate was had thereon, pending the question,
when on motion Of Mr.. Sickles the House ad'
"iOuned."
This carried the question over for one day.
The next day, Nov 30 the bill, as amended by the
s.ect Committee ordered printed, and 1t was not
r.acbed again until the Sth December when Mr..
Bascnr modified bis motion To strike out the
limitation Of tix months and insert three year,, and
also the mtful proviso.
TIL. motion was carried the bill amended, and
put 10 vote and lost for want OF hye more 'otes-
yr Sckles no, rottng though present; for, upon mr.
Rutherford asking to be excused from voting, ana
that being denied, Mr.. SIcKLEs moved that be nave
lenye 70 enter the reasons upon the Journa, which
was denied. Could Mr.. Sickles have then foreseen
III. fn,ure that was before bin, his votes and MS
,c,ion mon that question would probably have been
difrre.t had no wish for his conviction at WASH
pgop. but could not bu. reflect upon the grace with
which be could urge that the Law afforded no ade'
ouste punishment for the adulterer; and with how
l,Ie grace either he o, bic counsel could complain OF
the rues and precedents and customs that stared his
c,s4 more than once in the face. And If he sees THIS
rn,;n;.cepee am sure he will not suspect that any
NIX feeling prompts IT, b.
NFssRs. FILLMORE AND TALCOTT.
To ne ESi,oy Of The " y. Tribsne
sIE: / observe that you have pnnted RON IN