The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-16

| ing and failed.
Tenant and Land Lord Bill.
II. b. To protect landlords and ten
Mr.. Aaron said the bill was original
| ~ prepared for the county of Wayne.
and that in the House several amend
ments including other counties were
inserted
Mr.. Burton said the bill was very
! drastic and dangerous. He said it was
not needed in Rockingham county. but
/ the Representatives in the House had
| orered the amendment including his
county, and he wanted il to be known
! that he was not responsible for his
county being included. The bill af-
| fects generally the counties of the
East. very few Western counties be-
| ing included.
Mr.. Williams said the bill did not
affect his territory. but he would vote
against the bill as he believed it to be
| clearly unconstitutional to imprison
any man for debt.
Mr.. Turner moved that the bin be
/ laid upon the table.
Mr.. Aaron asked that the motion
be withdrawn, and Mr.. Turner with
drew it.
MI. Ward said the bill was purely
local. greatly desired by the county for
+ which it was originally drawn and
the House thought so we'll of II,
/ that other Representatives. included
| their counties.
/ Mr.. Mason, of Northampton, said
| this bill does not provide for impris-
! onment for debt, and does not recover
| simply for a breach Of promise, but
| the bill meets a want that no other
| law does meet. and Furnishes for the
! clement OF fraud that enters into
the kind of contract. There is no
other law that protects those who Gull
I tivate the SOIL when the laborerS do
! not live up TO their contract. The law
will have a good effect. and will COR
rect this evil. This act makes it a
criminal act for a man to commit
fraud in inducing a landlord to make
contract and then deserving it.
| Mr.. Jones. of Johnston, said he
/ would take more pleasure in voting
for this bill than any other that has
come before tho Senate.
Mr.. Mclean said the bin should be
, entitled an act to run men out OF
Scotland county into South Carolina.
! Mr.. Mason, of CASTOR, disagreed
with Mr.. Mclean, and said il might
! be called a bill TO prevent men IN
Scotland county from leaving the en-
ployment of a landlord after he has
made u contract and gotten provisions
on the strength of this contract, and
/ fleeing into South Carolina. The bill
is more important, he said than the
immigration bureau. and should pass.
Mr. Fleming said the bill was local.
and If il were injurious, il would act
injuriously To only such counties TO
which il was applicable. and there
should be no oppos1tiou.to it.
Mr.. Pearson said he would vote for
the bin if he could hear Mr.. Williams
argument answered. A lie is not in
dictable. There is no difference in q
| tenant getting his goods from a land
lord and from q merchant. All the
tenant has done is to make a contract
and brake 1t. Contracts are made all
over North Carolina and broken. and
ii is unconstitutional to make it a mis-
/ demeanor. The law would drift di-
| rectly TO peonage. The law WOULD!
be abused by the worst classes
The law would place an ad-
| dltlonal ban upon the labor
! of the State. When the right is in
vested in the hands OF a Justice Of the
/ peace to send ~ man to the roads az
! to jail for thirty days for breaking u
contract the State Constitution is
broken which forbids them 20 do il.
The Legislature cannot single out any
one class in the state and protect ii
| from debt. 1T is important 10 protect
| agriculture, but the class it will affect
| is so poor that their voice can never
be heard before the Supreme Court.
Mr. Coke said a similarity between
| the debt to merchant, and the mis-
demeanor explained by this bill. can
not be made. The agricultural inter-
ests need a law of this kind. There
is clearly an element of fraud in the
| breaking of Il contract of the charac-
ter stated in this bill. and sufficient
evil was there To make it "a INSIDE
meanor.
Mr.. Gillian said the argument had
been made principally that the bill
was aimed at the tenants, but it pro-
vided for the landlord. too. The Leg
| istature may enlarge the scope of a
misdemcanor. and the bill is in keep
ing with present statutes. Tho bill
aims not only at the tenants, but to
those who entice away q tenant from
another landlord. He objected to one
provision of the bill which attached
a criminal penalty to the simple vio-
lation of contract. He offered an
amendment striking out section four
which Was objected 10 by him. and
the amendment provided that when a
contract for service or rental OF land
ensuing year is entered into between
j tenant or cropper and a landlord
and the tenant fails 10 perform his
duties stated in the contract. he shall
| forfeit his rights, and the landlord
may recover possession of the land.
! Mr. Aaron accepted the amendment
This debate on motion was closed
and the various amendments emitting
some counties and including others
were put and carried.
The amendment Of Mr.. Gillian was
put and adopted.
The bill WAS put and carried
ii. y. To fix the time for holdiug
the courts of Warren county.
II. Is. To amend chapter 715, Pub
lie Laws Of 1901, TO provide for The
payment of half fees to officers o.
the court in Caswell county when a
true bill is not found
On motion the Senate adjourned I'M
til 1890 o'clock Thursday morning.
HOISE-THIisTY-S DAY
The House was called to order AT
ten thirty o'clock by Mr.. Speaker
Guion, and prayer WAS offered by Rev