The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-16


Mt.ti"s e M.reAnnt,.-A number Of mer.
chants OF this city assembled yesterday. at 1
O'Clock, At the ofiice OF tho Merchants fnsu.
rance Company, to take into consideration the
tax proposed to be levied upon merchants by
the bill now in progress through the Legisla.
Mr.. LEWIS WEBB was called to the Chair
and Mr.. GEORGE j. SUMNER appoint ted Secre-
tnry.
The object OF the meeting was explained BY
Mr.. II. L. KENT. who declared the proposed
tax OF one per cent. on the sales Of merchants
10 be oppressive. Mr.. II. stated that Mr..
PEACHY X. GRATrAN had been kind enou Gh
to prepare \ memorial on behalf Of the mer.
chants to the Legislature, which. in compli-
ance with the wish Of the meeting, was read
by Mr.0.
On motion Of Mr.. H. L. KENT, the memorial
was adopted mem. Goa, and also, on his motion,
the thanks of the merchants were voted Mr..
fRATTAN for the ability with which he had
prepared it.
Messrs. WIN. s. BURR and T. !. MCCANcE
explained to the meeting their positions " it'll
regard TO the measure now before the Legisla.
ture: L had been stated that they were friendly
TO It, They were not !; but they had used their
exertions to obtain certain amendments Of it,
explanations Of the bill.
On motion OF Mr.. II. L. KENT, such mer-
cnants as approved the memorial were re-.
quested to sign it, and number did SO. Also,
on his motion, a committee Of three-viz
Messrs. Win. Ferguson. H. G.. baskerville
and j. Henry Rives, were appointed to presen
the memorial 20 the citizens and solicit their
signatures.
On motion, the meeting then adjourned.
Cong at Large.-A negro fellow. calling him !.
sell William kenney, and protesting to- belong
to to his mother. Eliza Kenney, a free resressi Of
charlottesville. was arraigned before the
Mayor yesterday, to answer the charge Of
threatening to assault and kill William H.
stuart, white man. From the evidence it
appears That the prisoner has been passing as
Tree negro for several years, and as such has
been employed a a train hand by two or three
OF the railroad companies. On his person was
Iound pass permitting him to get employ
meht on MS own terms and to collect his hire
-tnus showing that he Is either & slave going
al large, free negro without papers, or Il run
away and in order to ascertain his irne sta
tus, the Mayor committed him until Sat tursiay
next.
Ii our readers. both hirers of negroes and
owners of slaves, could he induced to act in
accordance with the laws of the State con.
cernlng negroes, slave property would be
much better protected and the strolling abe u I
OF free negroes would be prevented. The law
imposes tine on any person who may hire a
free negro who has not n legal register Of his
freedom. Let hirers, then, see the registers
before hiring free negroes. 1t prohibits slaves
from hiring themselves out and collecting the
hire-thus guarding against the public annoy
ance OF slaves going at large. 1t imposes q
fne on any one hiring free negro who has no
d,
tered in one county, from remaining a mother
longer than sixty days, without applying to
the county or corporation court TO be allo wed
to remain. Not more than two years since, a
slave who had been passing as a free negro for
several years, and As such had been employed
by number OF persons. This could not haye
occurred, had the ,aTs Of the State been rigid
! ~ observed. There ere now scores of runa-
ways employed rs free negroes, and their mas.
fers are deprived of their services simply be-
cause hirers VIII not take the trouble to see
that their employees are really free, or have
the proper authority for seeking employment.
highs Of PyoF.Y'y.-SsElon St,inliEe ap~
peared before the Mayor, yesterday morning,
TO answer the charge Of thu atening to assault
and beat Abraham Hirsh. The difficulty be-
| tween the parties seems to have originated i'll
dispute about the right TO property which
both claim. For five years past, Hirsh has
owned and held possession of a lot on Broad
street, adjoining Steinline's, and leased it to
Messrs. Maule & Beyille those gentlemen
recting paint-shop upon it. When the time OF
ne les>ees expired, the shop was purchased by
S:einiine, to be removed a. a given day, Stein
line then renting the ground on which the
! house stood Of IIirsh, and paying him for it.
After the shop was removed, Hirsh fenced in
the lot on Broad street thus keeping it in pos
session. and short time since determined 10
build upon 1t. MIR. Stelnline, since the reno
| val OF the shop, has set up claim to three OF
| four feet Of the lot as belonging TO him, and,
III order to maintain mat claim, erected /. fence
along the line. Hirsh, after conterring with
| counsel. pulled down the fence, but Steinline
| re-erected it, and yesterday morning, when
Hirsh was about to remove the fence Stein.
line prevented him from SO doing, threatening
! to shoot any one that dared attempt its re
| moval. At this stage of the proceedings Hirst
procured n peace warrant, and SteinIine wa.
| held TO bail TO keep the peace until this morn
| ing, when the case will be fully heard and de
cided. The question of the right of propert,
must be determined by higher court; bu, i
Hirsh satisfies the Mayor that he has enjoyed
| quiet possession Of the ground for five years
and has never parted from it, the defendan
will have no other recourse than to bring sui
| upon his claim.
| The Seamen's Bsthei.--This noble enterprise
| we are Gratided to learn, has received 80 mucl
| encouragement as to Justify the putting of tn,
| work under contract Al an early day. Th'
! City Council has generously donated $4,000 t,