Maryland free press., 1866-07-26

yeou,tcied. s.aail hase t,e same figtitin every
State aud Territorysin the United States, to malfe
aid enforce contracts, to sue, to be parties and
give esidcpoe, to inherit pdseAise, Aease, sell,
hold and convey real and personal property, aad
to full and equal benefit VI all laws and proceed
ngs for the security of person and property las Is
enjoyed by white citizens, and shall DC subject to
like punishment, pains and penalties, and 10 none
other, any law, statute, ordinance, regulation or
custom, to the contrary notwithstanding,
BY the provisions OF the act full protection Is
afforded, through the district courts OF the United
States, TO all p irsons injured, and swhose priyi-
lcges Ore there declared, are In any way impaired
and heavy penalties are denounced against the
person who wilHully violates tue Jaw. need not
state that the law did not receive my approval,
yetits remedies Are far preferable to those pre-
pared in the present bill; the one being civil and
the other military.
by the sixth section of the bill herewith return
ed, certain proceedings by which the lands in the
''parishes Of Saint Helena and Saint Luke, South
Carolina" were sold and bid in, and afterwards
disposed ofby the tax. x.commssoners, are ratified
and confirmed. By lhe seventh, eighth, ninth,
tenth and eleventh. sections, provisions by law
are made for the disposal of the lands thus ac-
the quietng of titles is deemed very important
and desirable,G the Discrimination made in the
bill seems Objectionable, as does also the attempt
to confer upon the commissioners judicial powers,
by which citizens of the United States are to be
deprived OF their property in a mode contrary to
that provision of the constitution which declares
that no person shall be deprived Of life, liberty
or property without due process of law" "'
As agcneral principle, such legislation is un-
safe, unwse, partial aud Unconstitutional. 1t
may deprive persons of their property who are
equally deserving Objects of the nations bounty
as The whom by this legislation, Congress seeks
to benefit. The title to the land thus to be por-
TONED out to a favored classo citizens must de-
pend upon the regularity of the tax sale under
the law as it existed at the time of the sale, and
no subsequent legislation can give validity to the
rights thus acquired as against the original claim
ans. The attention Of Congress is therefore in
vited to mole mature consideration Of the mca-
sur proposed in these sections cf the bill.
In conclusion, again urge upon Congress the
danger of class legislation, so we'll calculated to
keep the public mind in state of uncertain ex-
pecation, disquict and restcssncss, and to en-
courage interested hopes and fears that the M =
tional government will continue to furnish O
classes of citizens in the several States means for
support ana maintenance, regardless of whether
they pursue a life of Incidence or labor and re-
gardless also of the constitutional limitations of
the national authority in times of peacca tram
guilty.
The bill is herewith returned to the House of
Representatives, in which it originated, for its
final action. AMpREw JoHYsoy.
2 Washington, July lG, 1866.