The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-01-19
Tho Texas Labor Law.

| men. The New Orleans crescent 1ur-
nishes the following synopsis. which
we e-produce, as it may furnish some
suggestions to those making contracts
for the present year:
/. No person is compelled to con
tract, yet if they do SO for period
longer than one month, the contract
must be in writing, signed and wit
messed in presence of q justice Of the
peace, County JudS,, County clerk,
or rorary public.
2. If the contract is violated Oh the
part of the laborer, all wages earned
to the time Of abandonment arc for
feited, unless such abandonment is
caused on account of harsh treat
mcnt, or violation OF contract by the
employer
3. One copy OF the contract must
be deposited with the County clerk,
and any court Of competent jurisdic-
ton may enforce the contract
4. The County clerks are to keep
an alphabetical register of the CON
tracts.
5. All labor contracts must be made
with heads of families; shall embrace
the labor Of all members of the fa-
miiy named therein, and are binding
on all minors.
6. The wages due are Ii lien upon
the crops to one-half the crop, Sc
cond, however. to the rent liens.
7. Onehalf the wages to be paid
as agreed upon, the other half may
be retained by the employer until the
contract is COMPLETED.
s. II employers wilfully fail, they
may be fined in double the amount
due the laborer, 10 be for his benefit;
andany cruelty, inuumanity, or negli-.
gence Of duty, on the part Of the
employer, may be snmmarily pun
ished by tine.
8. In case of sickness, the laborers
wages, for the time lost, to be de-
Quoted, and if feigned, he forfeits
double the wages for the time; and if
he refuses to work, when able, for
moro than three days, he may be re-
ported to justice of the peace, and
may be adjudgcd, if he refuses still
to work under his contract, on any
public work.
10. Must work ten hours day in
summer, and nine hours in winter,
unless otherwise stipulated in his con-
tract; is charged with proper care of
stock, etc, ETC., which are ut his con-
troll for laboring purposes; is re-
sponsible for injuries wilfully done,
for disobedience Of orders, etc.
II. Labe rers engaged in household
| duties are subject to all the calls of
the family where employed, at all
hours, day or night, except when
sick, provided no such call shall be
made after 10 o'clock at night, or on
Sundays, unless the exigencies Of the
family or household render such calls
necessary or unavoidable.
-. For habitual laziness, etc, the
laborer may be discharged, subject,
however, to an award, by two citi-
zens, assisted by justice of the
peace.
13. Any contract made in IA foreign
country, according to the law there,
may bo enforced here, ii properlv
authenticated
1t appears from an article in the
Crescent that the agent of the Freed
mems Bureau in Texas has nullifcd
the provisions Of this law and direct
ed his sub-agcnts to disregard ii,
and that if any contract between u
planter and Il freedman shall be found
i'll accordance with this law, said con-
! tract must be deemed and regarded
rs null and void, and of none effect
In law or equity.
We extract the following paragraph
from the comments of our cotelDpo-
rarv on this order from the Burcau:
''In common cases, and where only
common men are concerned, it will
be remembered by many middle
aged gentlemen that the laws of
States were held as constitutional,
and as such respected, until, on a
case duly brought before q Federal
court On actual suit, the State law
was found to be inconsistent with the
Constitution of the United States, or
of some Federal law made in con
formity herewith. That's old-fogy-
ism. Nowadays, all power emanates
from the radical majority in Con-
aress, and is chiefly to be executed
by the Freedmcn's Bureau What
ever is found 10 be in contravention
with the wishes OF that majority, or