The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-25
VIRGINIA.
THE vAGRANT LAW AND THE FREEDMEN-oRDEE OF
GENERAL TERRY.

THE vAGRANT LAW AND THE FREEDMEN-oRDEE OF
GENERAL TERRY.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
RICHMOND, January a. l866.-By statute law
of Virginia. entitled "a bill proViling for the
punishment of vagrants," it is enacted, among
other things, that any justice OF the peace,
upon the complaint of any one OF certain
officers therein named, may issue his warrant
for the apprehension OF any person alleged
to be warrant, and cause such person to be ap-
pretended and brought before hum, and that IT,
upon due examination, said Justice OF Peace
shall find that such person is vagrant within
the definition of Vagrancy contained in said
statute, he shall issue his warrant directing such
person to be employed for term not exceeding
three months, and by any constable OF the county
wherein the proceedings are had, be hlred out for
the best wages which can be procured, his wages
to be applied to the support OF himself and his
family. The said statute further provides that,
in case any vagrant so hired shall, during
his term OF service, run away from his employer
without sufficient cause, he shall be apprehended
on the warrant OF q Justice of the Peace, and re-
turned to the custody OF his employer, who shall
then have, free of any further hire, the services
oil such vagrant for one month, in addition to
the original term OF hiring, and that the en-
ployer shall then have power, il authorized by
Justice of the Peace, to work such Vagrant with
ball and chain. The said statute specifies the
persons who shall be considered vGgrants, and
be liable to the penalties imposed by 1t. Among
those declared to be vagrants are:-
All persons who, not having the wherewith to
support their families, live idly and without en-
ployment, refuse to werk for the usual and
common wages given to other laborers for the
like work in the place where the are.
In many counties of this State meetings OF
employers have been held, and unjust and
wrongful combinations have been entered into
for the purpose of depressing the wages of the
freedmen below the real value of their labor,
and far below the prices formerly paid to mas
ters' for labor performed by their slaves. By
reason of these combinations, wages utterly in
adequate to the support OF themselves and
their families have in many places be-
come the usual and common wages of
the freedmen. The effect of the statute in
question will be therefore 10 compel the freed
men, under penalty of punishment as criminals,
to accept and labor Tor the wages established
by the combinations of employers. 1t places
them wholly in the power of their employers,
and it is easy to toresee that even where no such
combination now exists, the temptation to form
them offered by the statute will. be too strong
to be resisted, and that such inadequate
wages will become the common and usual wages
throughout the State. The ultimate effect OF
the statute will be to reduce the freedmen 10 q
condition of servitude worse than that from
| which they have been emancipated, condition
which will be slavery in all but its name. 1T IS
| therefore ordered that no magistrate, civil OH
| Ger, or other person shall in any way or manner
apply or attempt TO apply the provisions OF said
statute to any colored person in this department
BY command of
Major-General A. H. TERRY.
| E. w. SMITH, Assistant Acknowledgement.