Year: 1865

The following is the Nagrant Law


enacted by the Alabama Legislature


A BILL TO be euUtle an Act concerning Va
grants and Nagrsucy.


SEC. l. Be ;t enacted by the Senate auC


House Of Representatives in General


Assembly convened, That the Com


missioner Court of any county in this


State may purchase, rem, or provide such


lands, buildings and other property, as


may be necessary for a Poor House, OF


House of Correction, for any such


county, and may appoint suitable of


GERS for the management thereof, and


make all necessary bylaws snd regula-


tions for the government Of the iu-


mates thereof and cause the same to


be enforced; but in no case shall the


punishment indicted exceed hard Ia


Dor, either in or out Of said house the


use of chain gangs, putting in stocks if


necessary to prevent escapes, such


reasonable correction as a person may
inHict upon a stubborn, refractory


child, and solitary confinement for not


longer tkan one week on bread end


water; and may cause TO be hired out
| such as are vagrsnts to work in chain
gangs or otherwise, for the length Of


time for which they are sentenced and
she proceeds Of such hiring must be
| paid into the County Treasury for the
/ benefit of the helpless in said Poor
| House or House Of Correction.


SIC. > That the following persons
are VagraDts in addition 20 those al
| ready declared 10 be vagrant5 by law,
or that may hereafter be so declared
by law: a stubborn or refractory ser
want, 8 laborer or servant who loiters
away his time or refuses 70 comply
with a contract for a term Of service
without lust cause, and any such per
son may be sent to the House Of Cor
rection in the county in which such
offence is committed; and for want of
such House Of Correction, the Cor
mon jail Of the county may be used for
that purpose.


SEC. 3. That when a vagTaut Is found, |
any Justice of the peace of the county
must, upon complaint made upon oath, |
or on h personal knowledge. issue
his warrant 10 the Sheriff or any con-
stable Of the county to bring such per- |
81 n before him. and if, upon examiua |
ton and hearing of testimony, il ap- |
pears to such Justice that such persOl |
IS a vagrant, he shall assess a line Of /
fifty dollars and costs against such va
grant, and la default OF payment, he /
may commit such a yagrlnt to the |
House of Correction, or If no such |
house, to the common jail Of the Couu- /
.lF
and until such cost and charges are
paid, or such party is otherwise dis
charged by law; provided, that when
committed to Jail und n this section,
the Commissioner Court may cause
him TO be hired out in like manner as
in section first Of this act.


SEC. 4. That when any person shsii
be convicted Of vagrancy rs provided
for in this act, the justice Of the peace
before whom such conviction Is had,
may at his discretion either commit
such person 10 jail, or to the House Of
Correction, or hire such person TO any /
person who viii hire the same for a
period not longer than six months, for
cash, giving three days notice Of the
time and place of hiring, after paying
all costs and charges, shall be paid into
the County Treasury for the helpless
in the poor house.


SIC. 5. That all fines received by
any Justice Of the peace shall be paid
into the County Treasury for the pur-
pose as stipulated in the first section of
this act


SEC 6 That it shall be the duty of
the justice of the peace to settle with
the county treasurer at least once a
month for all fines received by him un-
der this act and for a Wilful default SO
to do, he shall be guilty Of a misde-
meanor, and upon conviction in any
court having jurisdiction shall be fined
in double the amount so received, or
collected by him, and all costs Of suit


SIC. Z. That the Court of County
Commissioners of each county shall
have full control of the public works
and public highways therein, and shall
make all contracts in relation thereto
and shall have power 20 appiOnt
superintendent Of said public works
and highways under such rules and
regulations as said court shall deter
mine, and any justice Of the peace try
ing any cause under this aci, on cons
viction shall have power to sentence
such vagrant to work on SAID public
works and highways under the super
vision of such superintendent for not
more than forty days.