Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-02-18
Words and Deeds.

|
! Legislature at Albany-both introduced by the par
| ty having the majority there-which when brought
face to face, do not exhibit the family resemblance
generally supposed to exist between children of the
/ same parents. One is Personal Liberty BILL and
the other series of resolutions avowing entire de-
| votion to the Union, and determination 20 pre-
serve it. The Personal Liberty bill is the same in
| substance with that passed by the Assembly last
winter, which was lost in the Senate. Among va
rious other provisions, section declares that " No
person, while holding Office of honor or trust and
emoument under the laws of this State shall, in
any capacity issue any warrant or other process or
grant any certificate under by virtue of an act of
Congress passed the 10Th day Of February, 1893,
entitled An act respecting Gugitives from justice
and persons escaping from the service of their mas
tiers" &c Section 10 provides that every officer
who does issue such warrants shall be deprived of
his office, and shall thereafter be Ineligible to
any office of trust, honor or emOument under the
laws of the State"
The bill would be much shorter and more inelli-
gible if it would declare that all officers shall
lose their commissions and be thereafter inegi-
BILE to any office of trust honor emolument under
the laws of the State, who shall cndeavor to carry
out the provisions of Section Article of the Con-
stitution of the United States. We have always
condemned these personal liberty bills frivolous
and uSeless-neither calculated nor intended to Sc
cure personal liberty to any one and introduced
solely for partisan purposes.
The one now before the Legislature in Albany is
referred to solely 10 show what extraordinary
pair of legislative acts it makes with the resolutions
in favor of the Union and the Constitution. The
proposition expresses patriotic devotion to the
Constitution and the Union the other strikes at the
compact itself One extends to the SavehOldng
South tn, hand of fellowship pledge to the faith
fn ument of the contract entered into; the other,
at the same time annulS All important part of that
contract. 1t is not at all surprising that Southern
men should in all declarations of attachment to
Jha NV oh lariSl ariv
acts as this Personal Liberty bill" nothing but
the bittereSt n.Ockery; is it to be wondered at
that your Southern brethren should say: Gentle
men, We want fulfllment of your fraternal con-
tract and nothing else can be expected to satisfy us
that orr language is sincere" But if the rights and
feelings of the South are o. no importance at Albany
trust at least, that the Legislature will rot stu
tfv itself and New York by passing both the rcSOu-
tons and the bill. Massachusetts has earned an
elusive right to this kind of legislation, and New
York should not attempt to deprive her of the envi
able position she has secured"
We give below the personal liberty bill" which
passed the House of Delegates of New York at the
last session, and failed in the Senate The present
BILL says the Times is in substance the bill of the
last session. We publish it in full, that read
ers may see for themselves the kind of legislation
proposed in New York, whose chief City has been
built up the profits Of slave labor. We would
respectfully suggest to those Opposition meetings
in North Carolina which have passed resolutions
looking to unconditional submission to the aggreS
sions of the black Republicans, that it would be well,
in their future proceedings to incorporate and set
forth the "two measures mentioned by the 7TmeSby
which New York proposes to perpetuate our - glo
rious Union" And as the Editor of the Register is
about to strike the flag of resistance to black Repub
&. l.
these two measures " as the ground on which he
proposes to do battle of the champions of the
Opposition meetings referred to-
An Act to Protect the Rights and Liberties Of the
Citizens Of the state of Nec York.
The people of the State os New York, represented
in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows
Sec l. No person within this State shall be con-
Sidered as property subject to sale, purchase or
delivery; nor shall any person within the limits of
this State at any time be deprived of liberty or pro-
perty, without due process of law
Sec 2 Due process of law mentioned in the pre-
ceding section of this act shall in all cases be defined
to mean the usual process ard forms in force by the
laws of this State and issued by the courts thereof
and under such process such person shall be entitled
to a trial by jury.
Sec 3. Whenever any person of this State shall
be deprived of liberty, arrested detained on the
ground that such person owes service or labor to
another person, not inhabant of this State.
either party may claim trial by jury, and shall
have twenty peremptOry challenges, and in addition
thereto the other challenges to which person in
dicted in this State is entitled.
Sec f. Every person who shall deprive or attempt
to deprive any other person of his or her liberty.
contrary to the provision OF the preceding sections
of this act shall be guilty of felony and shall
conviction thereof be subjected to fine not exceed
ing five thousand dollars nor less than thousand
dollars and by Imprisonment IN the State prison for
term not exceeding twenty years nor less than five
years provided nothing in said preceding sections
shall apply to effect the right to arrest or impri
son for any contempt of court.
Sec 5. Neither descent near or remote, from an
African whether such African is or may have been
slave or not nor color of skin complexion,
shall disqualify any person from being or becoming
citizen of this State, nor deprive such person of
the rights and privilege thereof.
Sec 6. Every person who may have been held as
a slave who shall come or be brought or be in this
State with the consent of his, or her alleged master
or mistress, or who shall come or be brought into
this State, shall be free.
Sec T. Every person who shall hold or attempt
to hod in this State in slavery, slave any per-
son. or anv free person in any FORM for any time
however short, under the pretence that such per-
son is or has been slave, SHALL on conviction there
Of be imprisoned in the State prison for term not
less than five years nor more than twenty years,
and be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor
more than ten thousand dollars.
Sec. 8. Any person sustaining wrong or injury
by any proceeding punishable by the preceding sec
tons of this act may maintain action and recover
damages therefor in any court of record in this
State.
Sec. 9. No person while holding an office of hon
or trust or emolument under the laws of this State
shall in any capacity issue any warrant or other
process grant any certificate under or by virtue
of an act of Congress approved the twelfth day of
February, 1893 entitled IAN act respecting flu
gitives from justice and persons escaping from the
Service of their masters" under and by virtue of
an act of said Congress approved the 18th day of
September 1850, entitled IAN act to amend and
G1ritiraS