The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-29

The notion seems 10 prevail that this sale
OF human beings would be so repugnant
TO the people of Rhode Island that even
though the laws permitted such pun
ishment II would not be inhjcted. AS 10
that, il may be said the practice OF selling
the convicts was not very different from
the mode OF dealing with them al the
present day. Indeed, the difference IL
more in terms than In anything else, Tor
while the colonial offender was sold out
right 10 person for a certain specihed
term of years, the labor OF the convict OF
the present day is sold to contractors
while the State takes the responsibility
of keeping him in confinement and see-
ing that he performs his task.
One instance may te given TO illustrate
how the "selling into slavery" as IL was
called was practiced in the earlier days. In
this case the sentence OF sale was not aDso-
lutte but alternative and was to be enforced
only in the case OF the refusal or failure
of the culprit TO do certain other things
imposed upon him.. In Septem her. 1866,
Joseph Hart, who appears TO have been
one of the bad men of these plantations
about that time, was accused OF the serious
crime of burglary. Ii appeared at his
trial that he had broken into the store vf
Obadiah Sprague in North Providence In
the night time and had carried of goods
TO the value OF three pounds, not very
heavy or valuable haul viewed in the
light of the big booty sometimes secured
by the latter day turglar, but enough TO
get Hart into very serious entanglement
with the laws and their enforcers.
The proof against the culprit was of the
plainest and most eliminating, ana the
jury promptly found him guilty as by
their oath as good ren and true they
were sworn to do. The court of assize
and general goal delivery, as 1t was desig-
mated, before which he was tried sem
fenced him. lie was ordered to restore
TO Obadiah Sprague, the victim OF his
nocturnal raid, six pounds, the two fold
value OF the goods stolen, to pay. rs fine
to and for the use of his majesty ten
pounds OF lawful money, or, on the Sd
day of October following, between the
hours OF and IL O'Clock in the morning
to be whipped on his naked back, at
CARTS tail, at six several places in the
main street of the town, five lashes at
each place; to pay all the costs OF prose-
cution and conviction and on non-pay-
ment of the twofold value of the goods
stolen and costs to be sold for term not
exceeding three years, and to stand COM
mitted till sentence be performed.
Among the bills passed By the lower
branch of the General Assembly yester-
day was one increasing the cost OF IL
censes for itinerant venders. This Is in
tended To give better protection TO local
merchants from competition by "tre and
bankrupt sale" promoters, than they now
enjoy, ard no ooubt will work we'll in
that direction. There Is another class
of venders who need looking after quite
as much as those affected by the bill
passed yesterday. Tney are the men who
travel about selling fruits, vegets bies,
ETC., many OF whom are not over scrupu-
lous In the matter of the measures they
use. Indeed, II is a notorious fact that
very manv CT these venders use what are
known as "skin" measures; that is, meas
ures that hold considera bly, less than the
legal bushel, peck or quart, as the case
may be. Hardly week passes that does
not furnish some instance OF this sort OF
dishonesty, but as the law stands, IL IS
practically impossible to punish those
who are guilty. When the sealer of
weights and measures finds, as he fre-
Quently does, skin measures In the posses
sion of a vcnder, all he can do is to con-
an actual sale from them in order to sue
cessfully prosecute. What is needed to
put a stop TO this sort of swindling, for
II Is nothing less, is q law similar TO that
in force in Massachusetts, aud several
other States, which makes the possession
OF short measures punishable offence.
IL any one Is in doubt OF the urgent need
of sucn law TO protect her people from
this sort OF imposition, or II he thinks
the dishonest practice IL not very prevail
ent, LET him visit the Office of the seaier
of weights and measures and examine the
collection of "skin" measures that have
been taken from dishonest dealers from
time to time.