The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-03
and soon their arguments brought about g

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and soon their arguments brought about 9
motion and vote to reconsider: A new
debate ended in another vote to non concur
AZ to 37--and new committee OF conference
was appointed This committee reported
back the bill with the words that are above
enclosed in brackets stricken out, and In the
new shape it was forced through both houses.
1t was Immediately engrossed and approved
by Governor Parsons, and the wires flashed
forth to the world, (at Washington,) have
no doubt, that the privilege of testifying in
to the freedmen.
With white judge, white lawyers, white
juries, and the privilege of his white anita
gonist to "swear back at him"-much good
will it doubtless do him.
CURIOUS BILL.
Pending all these proceedings, the House
passed very curious bill curious when you
compare its contents with its title. It is
called a bill " to protect the freedmen of Ala
bama." 1t provides that any white person
or free person of color, or any corporation
who leases or rents, or otherwise lets to free
persons of color any tenement or land, or
PClullto tuClu W IClIldlu III ally CCuCllCub VI
on any land, for any length of time, shall be
responsible for the necessary food, clothing,
medical attendance, medicine, and for all
taxes that may be imposed or laid by law on
such free persons of color during the time
such free persons of color are permitted to
remain, in such tenement or tenements, or on
such land" If the party letting, &c, does
not furnish all this, he is declared guilty of
misdemeanor, subject to an Indictment, con-
viction, and fine of not less than fifty or more
than one hundred dollars in each case. For
each conviction under this act the solicitor
prosecuting shall receive fee of twenty-five
dollars. The vote on this beautiful bill was
yeas 81; nays 26.
THE BLACK CODE.
The Mississippi Legislature passed law
prohibiting negroes from renting or acquiring
lands. This was promptly disallowed by
the United States authorities Hence, the
representatives in Montgomery do not pro-
hibit the negro from leasing house or lot,
but they make the man who lets him either
house or land responsible for his bills to his
butcher, his baker, his tailor, his doctor, and
to the tax-collector. Ofcourse no black man
can hire himself home under such law.
= He will be driven out upon the roads with
his family, and be at once vagrant.
Then comes into play the vagrant law
The Senate passed stringent law upon the
subject of vagrancy. 1t provides that the
proper county or town authorities should
purchase or rent lands and buildings for a
house of correction, and make rules for the
government of the inmates.
All Migrants might be sent to such house
of correction, or to the county Jail, for term
not exceeding three months. For a second
conviction within six months, the offender
shall receive thirty-n lashes OF his or her
bare back or be fined fifty dollars, at the dis
erection of the justice, who also had discretion
to hire out such vagrant for not exceeding
six months, instead of committing him to
the Jail or house of correction This law
made no distinction between white Migrants
and black ones. 1t is stringent anil sum-
mary law, well calculated to meet the ext
gencles OF the times. There can be no ques-
ton that severe measures must be resorted to
to put down the evil of laziness among the
negroes.
But the House referred it to their commit
tee, who reported a substitute for the whole
bin, providing that white vagrant should
be imprisoned for the first time ten days,
and on second conviction, twenty days !;
while black vagrant should be hired out at
auction on first conviction for six months,
and il he. does not work faithfully for the
person who hires him, he shall be brought
before the justice, and, if convicted, shall be
adiudged guilty of vagrancy again, receive
thirty nine lashes, and be hired out for twelve
months, and so for every subsequent convic-
ton.
This substitute is made the order of the
day for Monday next, with probability of
its passing the House. The Senate may con-
trol-the spirit that would thus legislate the
negro back into the hands of the planter on
whatever terms the planter might choose to
give him but the fact that the House shows
such spirit is a sad commentary upon the
loud protestations of universal desire to
deal the freedman even-handed justice and
protection.
The Senate has spent nearly all of to-day
hammering out a bill to regulate contracts
with freedmen. The principal debate was
upon section that provided that the laborer
should have lien upon the crops raised for
his wages 1t was first amended to except
contracts made with the owner of the land,
for the reason given that the land was re-
sponsible for the wages, and the lien ought
only be afforded to protect the negro against
the designing people who would come down
here from the North, hire FARMS and go of
with the crops without paying Sambo. Fl
nally, however. the section was stricken out
| This bill is still under consideration.
Intelligent negroes assure me that the
freedmen do not want any of all this protec-
ton. They say that these people are not SC
ignorant of business as is alleged; that they
know how to make their own bargains, and
that they will be more oppressed by the
trouble and expense involved in all these
proceedings to hedge them round than ben
Gifted by their operation. They do moi
agree with the legislative idea that they
need guardians. All they ask is to be per
mitted to make their own bargains for labor
just as white laborers do in the North. They
say that the attempts of the Freedmen's Blu
reau to regulate the terms of their contracts
have done them more harm than good.
| K.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 10. 1865,