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5th.  What rule of action does your Board propose for its own Govt on the entire subject of Colored persons.  These questions apply to the present year & include the whites as well as the disposition of your Board in the premises?

Answer - 
The rule we propose for ourselves is to do what is in our opinion just & proper to be done.  what a true and Christian benevolence would suggest - not only for this year but for every year.  Our County is able to take care of its poor & the disposition of the Board is to do so.

I have now fully & explicitly answered your interrogations & I hope satisfactoraly [[sic]].  To do so was respectful to you, as a government officer and my duty as a county officer.  I hope I may now be pardoned for adding that I have for some years held my present position and of course must be well informed as to the condition of the poor of this county.  My information is that in consequence of the absence of a large portion of the laboring class, principally coloured, labor is in such demand here that these needs must be, but few paupers black or white in this county.  At least on third of those who were paupers prior & during the