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come without the consent of the court of the city, which we need not say would never have been given. But our slave laws have been annulled by the United States military authorities, and the freedmen have been permitted, if they have not been encouraged, to congregate in the city, filling up every cellar and shanty that can afford them a shelter, and subjecting the coloured population properly belonging to the city in common with themselves to exposure and suffering from the want of shelter and employment. The people of the city and the authorities of the city have had no agency in producing this state of things; but it has occurred without our consent and against our wishes. Nor have we any power to correct it, as we might formerly have done by sending them back to the counties from which they came. We cannot therefore recognize the obligation of the city to assume the burthen of providing at the public expense for the large number of these people who, we are informed by the communication of Lieut. Merrell, are now fed by the United States authorities.

The Committee have not enquired how many of those who are provided for by the United States authorities properly belong to the city of Richmond. It would probably be difficult to ascertain, and the destitution which requires such extensive relief has been in fact produced by the large number who are here that do not properly belong to us. If these were returned to the counties from whence they came the others could find employment, and thus comparatively few of them would require public relief.

If the obligation to provide for the large number of these

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