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City, for the reason that the colored people have not the means to prosecute actions at law in their own behalf, and if the Grand Jury is not in session at the time of the assault, the criminal is left at liberty, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth.  In the paper mailed "B" which was written by  Mr Sherard after he was aware of my situation to report his action in this case, he says "I saw that the applicant was so grossly intoxicated at the time he made the complaint to me, that I might well have refused to act upon his statement at that time, upon the ground that he was not in a condition to make an intelligible statement of his case, or to comprehend the responsibility of the preliminary oath he would properly have been obliged to take, to justify me in issuing the warrant."  In reply to this statement, I must say that when I directed the man to apply to Mr. Sherard, he was not grossly intoxicated, nor was he when he returned some time later from Mr. Sherard's office, and the fact of his refusing to take an oath that he was afraid of future injury, when asked to do so by Mr. Sherard (see paper marked "B" proves that he was in a condition to 

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