CIVIL RIGHTS
The Case of Capt. Brown The Cele-
brated Bill a Nullity.
The case against Capt. L. R. Brown
conductor on the Cargo and Fulton rail-
road for violation of the civil rights bill
was argued before Squire Pears yester-
day. Mr. W. H. Winfields for the defense,
and L. G. Wheeler ___ for the prosecu-
tion. The case was submitted and
taken under advisement by the Squire
who will render a decision at 9 o'clock
this morning.
During the argument, the justice in
reading section eight discovered a flaw
in the law, which will doubtles have the
effect of rendering the celebrated act a
mere nullity on the statute books. The
section reads as follows:
Section 8. That no person or persons,
transacting or carrying on any business
of the nature mentioned in the foregoing
section of this act, nor any school officer or
teacher herein before mentioned, shall make
any rule or rules for the government or
conduct of such business,schools or in-
stitutions herein before mentioned affect-
ing persons applying for accommodations,
to such person or persons, which shall
affect all persons alike, without regard
to race or color.
It was left to Esquire Pears to discover
this defect in the law. We presume, in
his decision this morning, he will tell us
what he thinks of the whole matter.
This should be another lesson to the col-
ored people, that the men with whom
they have been acting will swindle them
upon every occasion. No doubt the
word "not" was left out on purpose, and
by those who supported and passed the
bill to keep on the good side of Sambo.
