Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-11-22

! it, as it is and do the best we can for the COM
mon veal of the white and the black
| The most prominent subjects demanding new
| legislation, is crime and pauperism. Our courts
have been 80 occupied with the criminal side of
the dockets that little attention could be given to
civil suits, and our jails still crowded. Stealing
formerly regarded as the meanest OF crimes, and
of infrequent occurrence in this State, from tho
other causes, has come to be regarded a rather
venerable offence. The action of our courts has
done much to check it. It is still frightfuy CON-
mon. Negroes compose much the larger class of
these offenders. Much the larger number of con-
victs of all colors, are insolyents and the expen
ses of their prosecution and Imprisonment swell
largely the frightful burthen of taxation under
which our impoverished people are laboring. This
evil must be remedied, if possible.
Under our existing laws, recently enacted, pow
er is conferred on the Justices OF the Peace to
erect warehouses for their respective counties in
which insolvent convicts should work out tho
fines imposed, ard the costs Of prosecution. The
erection of proper buildings will cost much Coun-
ties cannot bear the expense OF erecting around
them sufficient walls to prevent the escape of
prisoners. The salary of the superintendent Gnd
other employees must be considerable: How can
the convict be compelled to labor? What is he to
work at IT mechanic, is it contemplated to sup
ply each county workshop with the necessary tools
and materials? Is leather to be provided for the
shoemaker and saddler coal, anvil hammer and
bellows for the blacksmith plank and planes for
the carpenter, &c? If not, what is he to work at?
Or if he be not mechanic, what is he to work at
This would require the keeping of mules or
horses with uncertainty whether any, or how many
convicts would be sent to the work house. The SUI
perntendant could not pitch his crop in uncertainty
whether he would have any hands or how many
he would have, and almost certainty that when
he put his convict i'll the field to work he would
runaway. l submit whether it would not be better
to keep up our highways by taxation, and to COM
pei insolent Migrants and Others convicted of mis-
demeanors to work with ball and chain on the high
ways or other public works Of the Counties, allow
no them prOyiIa1 Comfy WOrIlOuSe
Acts to raise the fine and costs by apprenticing
themselves.
PENITENTIARY.
As to convicts for the higher grades of crime, /
think Penitentiary should be erected. This mode
of punishment has been in long use in most of the
States. 1t has never been discontinued, so far as
L am informed, in any State which has adopted it,
and regard this experience decisive III favor of
the plan. Ii this recommendation be approved,
further recommend that provision be made for en-
ploying convict labor as far as practicable in the
construction of the necessary buildings and that
proper commission be constituted to carry out
the design in the best manner.
PAUPERIsM.
The number dependent for subsistence on pub
lie charity is vastly greater than it ever was in any
past period of our history. benevolent feature
Of the Freedman's Bureau was the issuing of ra-
tOns to INDECENT blacks. This, understand, will
be, has been discontinued. Large numbers of
them, too old intirm to labor, and still larger
number of children, too young to labor and with
out parents with parents not providing for them,
must be cared for. In addition to these is the
large number made dependent by the loss or the
manning of their parents in the late AS to
the number of these, last cannot furnish the sta
tistics, contemplated by the resolution OF the GEN
eral Assembly of the 10th of March last the Chair
man of the County Courts of some three or four
Counties only, having sent me any returns, and
these do not profess to be full and accurate. The
pauper negroes formerly supported by the master,
must go to the poor houses. recommend
revision Of the poor laws. l am not prepared to
suggest any specific alterations of them, but hope
hn nf
lightning the heavy burthen which the proper care
OF the poor must soon impose upon us.
APPRENTICESHIP.
Recommend a revision of our laws in relation to
apprenticeship The future well-being of the State
depends much upon the manner in which our chill
dren and youth are brought up. Great numbers
of the rising generation, white and black, are
growing up without proper training in the habits
Of steady industry essential to make them moral
and useful citizens; some of them children having
no father to guide them; many of them, lin the
language of one of our statutes,) "where the pa
rents with whom such children may live, do not
habtualy employ their time in some honest, in
dustrious occupation" But to attain the proper
ends OF apprenticeship, no pains should be spared
IN selecting the masters to whom the tutilage OF
such children is committed In this, / think the
administration of our laws requires amendment.
When a child is to be bound apprentice fear that
our County Courts, to which this duty is confded,
and which are expected to act IN loco pdTentiS of
ten neglect to look properly to the fitness of the
master to bring up the child. Now, when the well
fare Of the State requires the exercise OF this pow
er much more extensively than formerly, it is we'll
to inquire whether something may not be done for
the better protection and rearing of this class In
practice, fear, that the emnently wise and benc-
hcent provision of our Statute, Rev. Code, Chap.
"a, Sec. 49, has not been sufficiently observed 1t
requires the grand jury of every county, annually,
at the Orphans Churt, to present to the Court, in
writing, the names of all orphan children within
their county, " that have not guardians, if not
bound out to some trade or employment; and also
all abuses, mismanagement and neglect of such
guardians are appointed by the court of their
county," l recommend that the provisions of this
section be enlarged so TO embrace all children
VIII. you may declare fit subjects of apprentice
ship and that the Jury report at every term of the
court, and that it be made the duty of the county
attorney, at each term to give the act in chargeto
the grand jury l suggest further, that it would
tend much to the security and proper care OF APP
prentices, if it were made the special duty of the
county solicitor to attend to the binding of each
apprentice and attest the indentures, with power,
in every case where he may deem it eXpcdient, to
carry the case by appeal to the Superior Court,
and that proper provision be made for his COM
pensatiOn for this service.
have received from ThOs. p. Devereux, an aged
citizen, distinguished for his intelligence, and
long the owner and manager of large number Of
slaves, a letter on this subject, presenting many
views and reflections, result ofhis experience.
/ transmit his letter, with this message and COM
mend his suggestions to your consideration.
1t has been the policy Of the General Assembly,
since the ordinance of emancipation to reform
our laws as to personal rights, that no distinction
should exist to tie prejudice Of the blacks. find
some distinctions sui exist as TO apprenticeship,
inadvertently overlooked, l presume Our laws
require the binding of white females to
the age Of eighteen years, and colored
females to the age Of twenty-one years, and
power is conferred the court to bind as appren-
tice the children of free negroes when tie parents
with whom such children may live, do not habitu-
ally employ their time in some honest, industrious
occupation. There is provision for binding
white children so neglected by their parents.
hope the law will be altered as to abolish these
determinations, and all others, if any others be
found to exist. An embarrassing difficulty as to
the binding of negro children, has lately present
ed itself. On being notified by a citizen, to whom
negro childIe en- had been bound apprentices by
the County CO.rt, that he had been notified by an
officer of the Frcedman's Bureau, that such bind
ing would not be respected, and that he was re-
quired to surrender such children, the indcntures
having been declared null by authority of the Off
GERS of the Bureau. had had no previous notice
that such interference was contem plated. In
ply to a letter of inquiry, which thcreupon adj
dressed to Brcvet-Major General Robinson, the
Assistant Commissioner of the Frcedman's Blu
reau in this State, he sent me copy Of the order
under which his subordinateG acted, in these
Words-"The Civil Courts will not be allowed to
make any discrimination between whites and
blacks, in the apprentisng Of children. No child
whose parents are able and willing to support it,
he wit fl,ac