The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-19
PErERsRuRa, December Is, 1865.

PETERSBURG, Decemoer Is, 1000
The practice of sentencing criminals
guilty Of petty larceny to long terms in the
city or county Jail is one which deserves to
he reformed. In many cases it Is no pun
ishment at all, particularly at this season;
for nearly one half the negroes In the city
are more comfortably provided for in Jail
than they arc willing to provide for them
selves. It may be small matter to de-
prive man of his liberty for thirty or
sixty days-small to the individual but
the many cases of this sort which occur at
our quarterly terms are serious burden on
the public. For every day prisoner is thus
confined the people have to pay fifty cents,
which, in place like this, amounts to
quite q considerable sum in the course of g
year.
These remarks are suggested by the fact
that negro hiss just been sentenced by
the Hastings Court to twenty days. i'm
prisonment for stealing nine cabbages,
which -could scarcely have been worth
more than ten cents a head. The city IS,
therefore, to be charged with ten dollars
merely to infict nominal punishment on
a poor fellow in whom the love Of pelf is
innate.
The fact is, negroes and white people are
so essentially different that the same laws
osn never be made applicable to both races.
For thousands Of years II has been charac-
teristic of the negro to steal, just as 1t has
been TO carry burdens on his head. Some
white men steal also, but the majority are
believed to be honest whereas it is the
opinion of many persons that there Is no
such thing as perfectly honest negro.
Though they may affect to revolt Mt the
charge of stealing, yet those who have had
experience with them are well aware that
they do not consider it any disgrace to
"take." This, at least, has been their
habit from time immemorial, and will pro-
badly continue to be so throughout their
generations. Corporal punishment is be-
lieved to be the only thing that can keep
these people in awe.
The Hastings Court to-day, during the
morning session, sentenced two negroes to
the penitentiary for short terms, and three
or four to Imprisonment for terms ranging |
from twentyfour hours up to ninety days. |
One fellow by the name of Sam Pelham
became so outrageously insulting to the
court, after sentence had been passed on |
him, that he was ordered to be put in irons
and fed on bread and water till he was con-
signed to the tender mercies of Superintend-
ent Wardwell. Similar scenes, though in |
less degree, have been enacted before, and
we are glad to see that the court is deter
mined to guard against their repetition by
meeting them with irnness.
This afternoon the case of the celebrated
DR.. Prosise is to be called up. The charge
against him is for obtaining money under
false pretences. 1t will be remembered
that he was tried for some other offence last
year, and that he managed his own case.
His defence was made with so much ability
that he aStonished everybody, both court
and bar--insomuch that he was triumph
aptly acquitted. 1t is understood that he
has been making elaborate preparations for
the present occasion but whether he will
maintain his prestige remains to be seen.
The Doctor is certainly highly gifted by
nature, but unfortunately he has never en-
.joyed the entire confidence Of the commu-
nifty. S.