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76

Florida

of people made free by the operation of the war,
the sooner the wardship, the Government has as-
sumed over them, can be dispense with;
and, states that he does not wish to propose
any plan to be adopted in making such
provision for the paupers of the State be-
cause there are plenty of gentlemen in the
Legislative Body who could easily prepare
a Bill that would embody all that would
be necessary in the case.

Florida

On the 30th of
December, in a letter to Hon Wm Marvin,
Prov. Governor, Col. Osborne strongly ex-
presses his disapproval of those provisions
in the Series of "Bills reported by Commis-
sion" for the action of the Legislature of
of Florida, which super-adds to the oth
er modes of punishment provided for
the commission of certain offences, the
punishment of stripes on the bare
back and standing in the pillory.
He requests the Governor to lend his in-
fluence against their becoming the laws
of the State, points out how inconsistent
withe the views held in this enlightened
age are such barbarous punishments,
declares that in the government of so peace-
able a class of people as the freed men of
Florida, such punishment is uncall-
ed for, and urges the Representatives again[st?]
the adoption of such legislation.

Col. Osborne also objects to a section of
one of the Bills above alluded to, in which
it is enacted that any negro, mulatto, or
person of color convicted of assaulting
a white female with intent to com-
mit a rape, or be accessory thereto,
shall suffer death, on the ground that
such legislation is partial, the same

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