The New York herald., 1868-02-25
THE GEORGIA STATE CONvEN TIOS.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or THE Hsaalo.

The Legislative observation-disclosures TO
Introduce n social Equality Parngraph-It
is Clcverly Met-The Whole Matter Laid On
the Tabie-Fhe Delegates Receive Seventy.
i've Dollars Each-A Ltvely Scenc.
ATLANTA, Feb. 10, 1868.
The proceedings Of the Convention to-day were
lively and interesting. After some unimportsnt
business had been transacted the consideration Of
the legislative department article was resumed
and several paragraphs adopted. when Mr.. Bedford
(radicaD introduced the following Us an addition
to paragraph =
The General Assembly SHALL at their first session sftor
the adoption OF this constitution enact sucn laws as Will
compel all common carriers provide equal accommo.
daton for all persons without Discrimination
Mr.. Bedford supported his proposition in q
lengthy speech in which he declared that the time
had come when the colored race should be fully
protected in their rights and privileges. They
were called upon TO pay the same fare on the rail-
roads as white persons paid, and yet their accom-
modatons were greatly inferior to those given to
the latter. Colored travellers were placed in
dirty cars just as If they were SO much freight A
stop should be put to such practices without delay.
Common carriers should be compelled to furnish
the same accommodations for colored people that
they did for white people, and II they deted the
law they should be made to pay ample damages.
MI Campbell (negro) gave an account of the i'll
ao"uheut uo Hpu Ifgelfeu Wnle ON TRIP iUom
Augusta to Macon. He told, in his usual drawl.
ing, disagreeabe accent, how he had been refused
admttance 10 the cars where white people were
how he had paid an exorbtant lare and received
. ticket Tor supper and bed, and how neither
was Forthcoming. He Tad taken o terrible cold,
which was troubling him now, from exposure that
night. Had he not felt himself compelled TO
attend TO the interests OF his constituents he would
not have been able to attend the Convention.
Although be was q Northern man the cold he had
taken had seriously injured him. Dust as If North.
ern men are generally proof against coldsD Mr..
Campbell wanted no distinction to be made be-
cause Of color. SO long as man wore the image
Of his Maker he was entitled to every equality, no
matter II his skin was black.
Mr.. Dunning followed with one OF his scream
Ing speeches. lie favored Mr.. Bedford's measure,
because gross outrages were being perpetrated
to sit in dirty, filthy cars, surrounded by OBJ
scene takers and smokers. The tobacco chewers
made a puddle on the floor OF the cars deep
enough to float Confederate gunboat Qaughtcr),
and the dresses OF colored ladies'" had TO trail in
this mass Of filth. II was gross outrage upon
that white people paid, and he would never agree
to have il continued. Mr.. Dunnng spoke at
length, winding up with the declaration that the
negro cars on the Georgia railroads were nothing
better than unmentionable and decidedly unpleas-
ant places.
Mr.. Mckay fmoderate) hoped that the mea-
sure proposed would not be adopted. Gentlemen,
he said, were probably aware law existed In
Georgia this day compelling common carriers TO
furnish equal and comfortable accommodations 70
all travellers regardless OF color. TWAS true that
mixture of the whites and negroes was forbid
den but IL was expressly stipulated in the law
that as good cars should be provided for the one
race as for the other when both paid the same
fare. II the law had been violated, and II coored
men had been forced TO travel in filthy, III yenti-