Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-24
News Of Fifty Years Ago
From the Richmond Dispatch. Jan. 24 1860

In old times, Immediately after III. Christ
mas holidays. i negro hiring was familiar
scene III these parts: but alas. the is now
very ahercht we have. nevertheless been
somewhat reminded Of customs OF other days by
d;y NJ the African Church, Broad Street,
where negroes congregatc in crowds for the
putpos" OF being hired out servants 1t is
done under the management OF the church oii
GERS and they have been able to get profitable
employment for scores or durkics. 1t is Il good
thing that the freedmen are at last manifcsting
some disposition work, ii they
driven to this conclusion ANA to this method OF
finding work by the suffering incident 20 the
severe winter
The cxorbitant prices now being. charged for
wood and coal in this city are something in
toerahle. \ gang of sixty-ivc negro men
Yesterday supplied with aAcs hardware
store and hurried Oft to thu Iomunkey - cut
wood, ana 1t is to be hoped that when the
fruits Of their labors reach Richmond the
toruoners Will be brought I" their senses
General Henry y. Wise delivered "a lecture in
the First Baptist Church last night for the
hencht OF the Female Orphan Asl hum. There
was :, large attendance aud generous don:,-
tion resulted.
The hin providing for the admission OF ne
gro testimony IN legal invest cations aud to
repeal All laws in relation 10 slaves and slavery
came ur in the State Senate yesterday. MIR.
Keen. Of PittsSlvania. moved to amend the hill
:" 'h'tt the evidence of negroes should b" tax
en- only IN eases in which they are Interested
as parties lie said that thor. had always been
deep line OF denarcation between the white
and negro races. and that neither he his
constituency Was prepared To ohit"ratc that
line now. 1t must be done by another genera
ton lie said this bill hut In" stepping
stone to other changes which he could
consent Said he: I'VE vii, next hear OF negro
Jures. negro suffrage negro intcrmarrtagc with
white people and all the other ideas OF radical
innovation. will never give my
vote in favor Of these changes in obedience TO
pressure from any quarter"
In the House the bin to provide for the ru-
ployuent Of femal" clerks for til" purpose Of
copying certain grants and other papers ia
the Land Registers Once pu, upon its
third reading and !, very animated discussion
was kept up as To the propriety and economy
OF employing females. and many expressions of
rallantry We're elected. Til" bin was defeated.
not receiving the constitutional majority Of the
entire House. Later Il motion 10 reconsider
prevailed. and the bin placed the call
cndar again.
The bin to enlarge tho powers Of the Freed
mems Bureau was taken up in the United states
Senate yesterday. the question being on the
adoption OF the amendment "a restrict the juris-
diction OF the bureau to the Southern States Mr..
Cowan. of Pennsylvania. con;end"d that the
Frccdmen'S Bureau could only exist by virtue
Of war power. and he was opposed sc"in.;
loyal states placed within its grasp; If the bu-
lean must exist, It's orcfA,!"hs onHht !" be
confined to the limits OF til" states lately in
bcllon.
Forty-tw" more post-ohiccs have been re-
opened in Virginia. ANA postmasters appointed.
within the last week. most OF them in the
southwest counties
picion Of being implicated in the robbery OF
Robert Kline. the paymaster OF the old Dominion
Nail Works. of sl.750
The President has directed that no more an
plicatons for pardon be pl,fccd his desk
Ill further orders
III" number Of cmgrauts arriving in this
country IN In" last two months 81 last year
was 3S357 or these ~ came TO Virginia.
ceh, wen, North Carolina, thir,y-cirh, 10
South Carolina and about nfty TO other Southern
States. not :; vrry encouraging exhibit