The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-27
THE VIRGINIA vAGRANT ACT.
GENERAL TERRY ORDERS IT'S NoN%.ENFoRcEMENF
The following important order has
been issued by Major Gen. Terry
GENERAL ORDERS-No
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
RICHMOND. Jan. "a. IS66

RICHMOND, Jan. "a, 1850.
By a statute passed at the present ses-
sion of the Legislature of Virginia, en-
titled "a bill providing for the punish
ment of v~agrants," ii is enacted. among
other things, that any justice of the
peace, upon the complaint of any one Of
certain officers therein named, may is
sue his warrant for the apprehension of
any person alleged to be a vagrant and
cause such person to be ~apprehended
and brought before him and that if
upon due examination said justice of the
peace shall find hat such person is a
vagrant within the definition of vapran-
cy contained in the statute, he shall is
sue his warrant directing such person to
be employed for q term not exceeding
three months, and by any constable Of
the county wherein the proceedings are
had, be hired out for the best wages
Which can be procured, his a to be
applied for the support of himself and
his family. The said statute further pro-
vides h In case any vagrant so hired,
snail, during his term of service, run
away from his employer without suf-
ficient cause, he shall be -apprehended
on the warrant of a justice Of peace and
returned to the custody of his employer.
who shall then have, free of any further
hire, the services-of such vagrant for one
month in addition to the original terms
or hiring, and that the employer shall
tnen have power, If authorized by a JUS
tice or the peace, to work such vagrapt
with ball and chain. The said statute
specifies the persons who shall be con-
sidered Migrants and be liable to the pen
alties imposed by it. Among those de-
clared to be Migrants are all persons who.
not having h wherewith to support
families, live idly and without employ
ment, and refuse to work for the usual
n commonswages given to otherlaboi-
ers in the like work in the place where
they then are.
In many counties of this State meet
ings OF employers have been held, and
unjust n wrongful combinations have
been entered into for the purpose of de-
pressing the wages ofthe freedmen below
the real value of their labor, far below
the prices formerly paid to the masters
for labor performed by.their slaves. Nv
reason of these combinations wages nj
terly inadequate to the support OF them.
selves and their families have, in many
places, become the usual and common
wages oithe freedmen. Theefiect of the.
statute in question will be, therefore to
compel the freedmen, under p~enaltv ~
punishment as criminals, to accent and
labor for the wages established bv these
combinations of employers. IT nlaces
them wholly in the power of THERE EN-.
ployers, and 1t is easily to foresee final
even where no such combination now
Exists, the temptation to form them of
iered oy b statute will be too strong 10
De resisted, and that such inadequate
wages Will become the m AMI
usual wages throughout the State. The
uilmate effect Of the statute will be To
reduce the freedman to a condition of
servitude worse thar that from which
they have been emancipated-a copdi-
ton which will be slavery in all but its
name.
1t Is therefore ordered that 10 maeis-
! trate, civil oficer or other person shall In