A five-man committee, representing the "Citizens of Charleston, in the County of Kanawha," seek to amend "the Laws ... to prevent all persons, and especially officers of Steam boats from bringing within the limits or waters of this state under any pretext whatsoever, free negroes from the Northern States." They declare that "the existing laws are wholly and utterly incompetent to remedy the evil contemplated" and "that the presence of free negroes from the northern states, among other things, tends to the destruction of our social institutions and our civilization." The petitioners "are at a loss to know how it is that the Legislative power of the state permits the continued and repeated visits and intercourse of the vicious, corrupt and degraded free negro of the Free states into the bosom of our servile caste." They therefore "suggest that the Law be amended."
Result: Referred to committee for courts of justice.
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Repository: Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
