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persons, it is provided as follows:

"That no contract between a white person and a colored person, for the labor or service of the latter for a longer period than two months shall be binding on such colored person unless the contract be in writing, signed by such white person or his agent and by such colored person, and duly acknowledged before a justice or notary public, or clerk of the County or corporation court, or overseer of the poor, or two or more credible witnesses, in the county or corporation in which the white person may reside, or in which the labor or service is to be performed. And it shall be the duty of the justice, notary, clerk or overseer of the poor, or the witnesses, to read and explain the contract to the colored person, before taking his acknowledgement thereof, and to state that this has been done in the certificate of acknowledgement of the contract"

This provision, I am informed by prominent members of the Assembly, was designed expressly to prevent oppression of the freedman, and to secure for him the proceeds of his labor, and that is obviously the effect. It prevents imposition upon him by the designing
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