The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1866-03-21
AN ACT CONCERNING NEGROES AND
PERSONS OF COLOR OR OF MIXED


BLOOD.
Belt enacted 5y tie General assembly of the
State of North Carolina, and 1t is hereby enac-
a ted 6y the authority Of the S1hne, That negroes
and their ISSUE even where one ancestor In
each succeeding generation to the fourth in
elusive, is white, shall be deemed persons of
color. .f1t
2. BE it further enacted, That all persons
of color who are now inhabitants of this
State, shall be entitled to the same privileges
and subject to the same burthen and disa-
bilities as by the laws of the State were con-
ferred on, or were attached to, free persons OF
color prior to the ordinance of emancipation,
except as The same may be changed by law.
3. BE 1t further enacted, That persons of
color shall be entitled to all the privileges of
white persons in the mode of prosecuting,
defending continuing removing and trans
fering their suits at law and in equity; and
likewise to the same mode of trial by jury,
and all the privileges appertaining thereto.
And in all proceedings in equity by or against
them, their answer shall have the same force
and effect in all respects as the answer of
white persons. -
A. Be it further enacted, That in all cases
of apprenticeship of persons of color under
chapter five of the Revised Code, the master
shall be bound to discharge the same duties
to them as to white apprentices, and the
words " as are white in section three. line
three, are hereby repealed, and the word
apprentice shall be read after the word
"such, in said line, and the words if a white
person in the second line of section six are
hereby repealed Prorided al,oays, That in
the binding out of apprentices of color, the
former master of such apprentices, when
they shall be regarded as suitable persons by
the court, shall be entitled to have such ap
prentices bound to them in preference to
other persons. sasl
5. Be it further enacted, That in all cases
where men and women, both or one of whom
were lately slaves and are now emancipated,
now cohabit togetherin the relation Of hus-
band and wife, the parties shall be deemed to
have been lawfully married as man and wife
at the time of the commencement of such CO.
habitation, although they may not have been
married in due form of law. And all per-
sons whose cohabitation is hereby ratified
into state of marriage, shall 90 before the
clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Ses-
sions of the County In which they reside at
his office, or before some Justice of the Peace,
and acknowledge the fact of such cohabita-
the clerk shall enter the same in a book kept
for that purpose; and if the acknowledge
ments be made before Justice of the Peace,
such Justice shall report the same in writing
to the clerk. of the Court of Pleas and Quar-
ter Sessions, and the clerk shall erfer the
same as though the Acknowledgement had
been made before him and such entry shall
be deemed prina .tacie evidence of the allie
cations, therein contained. For making.
such entry and giving certificate of the
same, the clerk shall be entitled to fee of
twenty-five cents, to be paid by the party for
whom the services are rendered --
6. Be At further enacted That if any ofsuch
persons shall fail to go before the Clerk Of
the County Court orrsome Justice of the
Peace the Countyin which they reside, and
have their marriage recorded before the first
of September 1866, they shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeamor, and punished at
the discretion Of the court and their failure
for each m nth thereafter, shall constitute a
seperate and distinct offense. s,5s+
+ z. BE at further eaacted, That all contracts
between any persons whatever, whereof one
Il or more CT them shall be person of color.
for the sale or purchase of any horse, mule,
ass, jennet, neat cattle, hog, sheep or goat.
whatever may be the value Of such articles
and all contracts between such persons fol
any other article or articles of property what
ever of the value of ten dollars or more; and
all contracts executed or executory between
such persons for the payment of money oftht
value of ten dollars or more shall be void as
to all persons whatever, unless the same bt
put in writing and signed by the venders o.
debtors, and witnessed by a white person wht
can read and write, ,..s.-..-,.. siage
Us. Be 1t further enattsd, That marriages
between white persons and persons Of colo
shall be void and every person authorized
to solemnize the rights Of matrilnony, who
shall knowingly soleninize the same betwee1
such persons; and every clerk of a court wht
shall knowingly issue license for their mar