The Hickman courier., 1871-02-11

Il
mOny.
According to previous announcement,
avery respectable meeting in point Of
numbers met at the Court House on Mon
day the 9th instant--it being County
Court day, Dr. j. NJ. Alexander was
called to the Chair and J. 7. Bynum, ap-
pointed Secretary.
The chairman explained the object Of
the meeting in few appropriate remarksi
and on motion of C. L. Randle, COM
mittee was appointed by the chair, con
sisting Of c. l.. Randle, DR.. Usher, P.
J. Oliver, w b Mcdonnell, and Henry
Campbell, to draft resolutions expressive
of the sense of the meeting upon the
subject of negro testimony in the courts
of this State During the absence of
the committee on resolutions, speeches
were made by several gentlemen eompo
sing the meeting. The following pream
bic and resolutions were reported by the
committee and read whereupon dis
cussion took place, in which Jno A.
Lauderdale, A. d. Kingman, C. L. Ran
die and n. N. Cowgill participated. Maj
Lauderdale offered the following proviso
to the last resolH ton
Prorided, That our Legislators are
not instructed to vote for said measure
unless assured that it will result in re
moving the jurisdiction of the Federal
courts in special favor of negroes to the
State courts where it properly belongs.
Which, after some discussion, was
Withdrawn.
On motion, the preamble and resolu-
tions as drawn up by the committee were
adopted unanimously, and are as follows:
WHEREAS, there is much trouble and
annoyance now existing because of the
conflict of our State law and the law Of
the Federal Government, in regard to
negro testimony whereby the United
States court under the Civil Rights Bill,
arrest our citizens and take them before
distant tribunals and try them before
courts and juries opposed to them in pol
ities, and inimical to them in personal
feelings, thereby placing all said citizens
at every disadvantage in the trial of
their cases and putting theE to enormous
expense and trouble not known in our
State eourts,-aud WHEREAS under
said Civil Rights Bill and the laws Of
Congress, all of our State judicial officers
are liable at any time if they obey the
State law and refuse negro testimony to
be indicted and subjected to such heavy
fines and penalties as to effeetually re-
move them from Office, or keep them
from the exercise thereof, thus destroy
ing their iudepedenee and efficiency
therefore in consideration of the premi-
ses, be it by the Democrats of this meet
ing,
Resolrsd, That we believe that sound
policy and common seose, demand that
the Kentucky Legislature should at
once put an end TO the Inconvenience and
oppression of our people. aud judicial
officers by passing law admitting negro
testimony in our State courts, and let
such courts aud the juries thereof, give
to such testimony such weight and cred
ibihty as may be deemed right by them.
Resolred, That our Represen entatives in
the Legislature be, and are hereby in
sti uctc0 20 70 ali tHSS CHu % ieAH oFo oUi
troubles IN this respect and vote for an
amendment to our law of evidence,
whereby this end can be secured.
Resolred, That the Hickman COURIER,
Columbus Dispatch. Mayfeld Democrat,
Paducsh Herald aud Paducah KentucE
ian. be requested to publish these pro-
eeedings.
On motion, the Secretary was directed
to forward copy of the preamble and
resolutions to each one of cur Repre-
sentatives.
j. NJ. ALEXANDER, Chm.
II RvNrzN Caoft