Perhaps it refers to a disability a black man faced in attempts to enforce debts against white debtors; what were the limitations on free blacks' right to testify in TN? Constantine Gutzman ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Finkelman" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 3:16 PM Subject: Porving accounts > The following are from Tennessee Legislative peititions. Does anyone > know what "proving accounts" are? > > "The Petition of the Subscribers to that Gasper Lott a free man of > colour of great industry and Honesty, by his exertions, has accumulated > considerable property, and by the Laws as they now are he is deprived of > > the privilige [sic] of proving his accounts, which tends to deprive him > of the common benefits of a citizen, which we conceive may tend to check > > him and they behaving well from making the efforts they otherwise would > do to gain an honest livelihood, we therefore pray your honorable body > will take his case into consideration , and grant him such relief as to > your Honorable body may seem just & your petitioners will pray &c. > 4 August 1803. > > > Greene County citizens petition to give "Joshua Hall a freeman of > Colour" "the privilidge [sic] of proving by his own Oath, when he cant > by any other person, his account [sic]..1st he pays tax. 2ndly he he > does military Duty-3d he performed a Tour of duty during the late War > with credit to himself-&lastly because we believe him to be an honest > man." > 1817 > > (Legislative Petitions Collection, Tennessee State Library and Archives) > > > > > > -- > Paul Finkelman > Chapman Distinguished Professor > University of Tulsa College of Law > 3120 East 4th Place > Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-2499 > > 918-631-3706 (office) > 918-631-2194 (fax) > > [log in to unmask] > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html