Thirteen "members of the Grand Jury, for the County of Bedford & state of Tennessee," request the passage "of some law for the more effectually preventing negroes from selling, meats, chickens, fruits &c upon public days, at public places." They declare that they "have seen & felt the evil effects of the system now prevailing upon that subject," as "the only way most of the things thus sold are obtained is by stealing -- and your petitioners amongst others suffer from their petty thefts." They therefore propose a law "authorising any person, when they see negroes thus trading, to have them taken up before a magistrate & publicly whipt, unless the negro can produce a written permit from his or her master or mistress, authorizing them thus to trade."
Result: Referred to committee on judiciary.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
