Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-01-05
ACTS
OF THE GRNERAL ASSEMBLY,,

| tho Constitution lately ratiiifd. did recognize
the emancipation Of slaves. and GSe'are tha:
''neither slavery nor involuntary servitu.a,
| except az punishment for crime. shall ever
be re-estnblShed in this State" and did direct
| that, fer each DIetrict in the State there
should be esta hlished an Inferior Court, to he
styled "ihe District Court, which Court shall
have jurisdic'ion Of oil civil causes wherein
one or bn,h Of the parties nre persons Of color
and Of all criminal causes wherein the ac-
eused ia a re,aon of color" Therefore.
Be it enacted by the Senate and Hon.e of Rcp
| resrntativ's notc met and sitting in General Dis
| se0'6ty. and by the a. t or 3 Of the same. That
| this Act shall be preliminary to .'An Act to
| esiahlish and r. gulnte the domestic rela io.e
| of persons of color, and to sn,rnd the law in
| relation to paurers. vagrancy aud hs.tariy;"
and an Act TO establish Dis,ric, Courts. aud un
| "Act to amend the cri iual law" which Acts
have been duced ly the Constitution afore-
said and that in reference to these Acts the
following p'ovis al all Obtain:
| SEQ. II. Words import ing the singular num-
Der only shall be rued to apply to sever.
al persons or things as we'll as one person or
thing. and every word importing the maeculine
gender only, shall be construed 10 extend to a
female as we'll a male where the context
| docs not forbid such construction.
SEC. Ill. All free negroes. mulattoes. all
| freedmen and frredwom+n, and all descend
| ants through either eex of any of these per-
sons shall be known as persons of color except
that every such descendant. who rnsy have Of
| Caucasian blood seven eights or more, sl,all be
deemed white person.
SEC. Nv. The statutes and regulations con-
| cerning slaves are now inapplicable 10 persons
of color /: a,,i though such persons are not
| entitled to social or political equality with
white prrsons. they shal. have the right to
acquire, own and diepose of property; to make
controc.s 70 enjoy the fruits of their labor: to
cue and he eued; and to receive protection un
der the law in tl,-ir-persons and property
SEC. V. All rights and remedies respecting
persons aud property, and all duties and liza
biIities under lave, civ and criminal which
| apply to white persons. are extended to per-
cons Of color. euljecr TO the notifications
fore mentioned.
In the Senate House, the twentieth day Of De
eenher. in the year Of our Lord. one thou
sand eight hundred aud sixty FIVE.
". d. PORTER.
President of the senate.
G. H. SIslONTON,
Speaker Of the House Of R.prescn, uiives.
AN ACT TO AMENh TIE CRix,N,L LAW.
Be il r.dchd by Tie St"otc anl Rouse Gf Rep
resrntdtires n." mct and sitting in Gtneral As-
senbiy. and Ly the au hority Of the came, us fol-
lows:
BONE IELoNIEs WITHOUT BiSHFlT OF CLERGY
SEC. ]. Either Of the crin-e specified in this
first section shall TIC f"iony without benefit of
clergy. 1" wit: Tor a r,son OF coirr to com
nit any ~illul homicide unlc.s in self ,i.fence:
for person of ccinr TO rou,tni, nn assault ulnn
| a white woman with n,nnIicst intent to ravi>h
her: for PERSON of cn!ot 10 have s-xl.l inter-
conrse w!th Il " hi'e w.HsL; ny l.eisura..ug :,-r
hushaE,i; FOR Il pr:son q: ."inr " r.isc -, ir
sni rcc'i"n o. rebe e:iion III th:! State: lnr RI.y
Pers"n TO tnr"ish arms or arE:nnn!'.ou :" "i:..,
tersons who are i'll q state Of a::ua. IN I":r.,-
| ton or renciiIon. or p.r!n T. ii"n TO resort %
bis house Tor advancement OF Ihe;r e,ii rur-
pore: for any person to administer, or enrse
| I" he taken by any mh-r -r-nu, any Juis.n
chlor""rm. soroih Or other d"slInr,ive thug
or to shupt NJ, stall. crt nr wnund. any other
person. or by any means whatsoever to caI.e
bndil! ,rjnt tsto any other pers'n, whereby, in
any Gf tb-Se cases. II bodily injury dangerous
| to the lille Of any other rcrecn IL caused with
| intent in nHv of these cases to sonunit iir
crime OF murder Ur The crime of rape, or the
| crime Of robbery. burglary Or larceny: for any
person who had been Transported under sem-
| tence to iri"rn to tile State within the reriol
OF prohibition coPtained IL the sentence: ar
for prrsnn to steal n horse or a mule, or cot
ton packed in luie ready for mrrket.
! exc. ii. 4 kitchen, etn"k- house r,rn crib
! store room. dairy, s"rv-nrs room. carriage
house, barn or srr'e. ',!c- founding mil,
| thrsshing mill. re.'.n,n,' uI,n h"us-. gin
| house, work shop factory I,oa:o ho ise
within two hu.dred yards of dwelling hus..
aud uted 10y auy person residing in lite dwell
ing. house, or in eih her OF the tuiid;rps here
enumerated. shall br considered parcel If such
dwelling honse it, respect to the crsmes of bur.
| gIary and arson, and q u erimes which, either
by common law OF sta, ute. ar. Guns, itut-d or
aggravated BY being commiuet in dwelling
house. And undri This section. any honss in
! which dwells q watch,nan or other rsrsun ap-
poinlsd to wstch or protect property, shall be
cohsi.!eied parcel Of tile dwelling dudae, Of
which all the buildings just enumerated shalIc
be projected. ~ -.
SOME rkLoMEs WITH BENEFIT ov oIrRoY.
Sec. III. Either of the crlnes Rsp.cfed in
this thtd section shall be felony with benefit Of
clergy. to wit: Fur any person;to attempt 70
raise an insurreeton or rsbeIipn1ip this State
| or TO couasei, aid or hire any ether person 10
| raise any insurrection or rebellion, although
no insnrreotion or rebellion may take place !;
4 for asy person to sdminister, or cause TO be
taken by any other person, any poison, chioso
form, soporsdo or ether deleterious thing, or
to shoot at stab, eus or wound any other per-
SON, or BY means vhatsrever, 10 cause bodily
I injury 70 apy other pcrson. whereby, IN any Of
H.. l.
danser5us ID life, is.caus. t. any other person.
With intent in any of these enses TO commit The