The following newspaper article in The Macon Telegraph gives another indication that new laws were enacted in 1818 pertaining to free persons of color. Olivia Description: Free Negroes in Georgia Could Own Slaves Before the War. Date: April 28 1907 Newspaper published in: Macon, GA To the editor of the Telegraph: If Judge C.J. WELLBORN will examine the case of BRYAN against WALTON, in Volume 14, of the Georgia Reports, page 204, he will find his question of yesterday as to free negroes holding slaves answered in the affirmative. We learn from that case that many years ago a family of free persons of color by the name of NUNEZ, residing in Burke County, owned a number of slaves. Joseph NUNEZ in the year 1816 sold some of his slaves to Alexander H. URQUHART a white man. The matter afterwards got into the Supreme Court of the State and it was held that Joseph NUNEZ being a free person of color could not sell his slaves. Chief Justice LUMPKIN in his opinion gives a very interesting statement of the status of that class of people. This case of BRYAN against WALTON is a leading one on that subject and it went to the Supreme Court at least four times. By reference to the case and to the authorities cited by Judge LUMPKIN, it appears that previous to the year 1818, there was in this State no restriction upon the ownership of property by free negroes; but in that year the Legislature from considerations of public policy, passed a law prohibiting them from acquiring real estate or slaves. The next year another act was passed explaining that it was not the intention of the law to forfeit the property held by these persons when the first law was passed, "but that the same shall remain in the owner or in his or her descendants after his or her death." The court in construing this law decided that while such property would go to the children upon the death of the owner, it could not be disposed of by will or otherwise, and if no children then it escheated to the State. Inheritance from collaterals was not allowed. These acts of the Legislature may be found in Cobb's New Digest, pages 993 and 995. The result of this legislation as construed by our court was that such free persons of color as owned land or slaves in 1818 were allowed to keep them as long as the owners lived, and at their death the property went to their descendants, if any; but after 1818 they could not acquire land or slaves except by inheritance from their ancestors. This continued to be the law up to emancipation. W.L. GRICE Hawkinsville, Ga, April 26, 1907 -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 36682 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message