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