11484701https://dlas.uncg.edu/petitions/petition/11484701TennesseeBedfordCounty20121847Legislativereferred to committee on judiciary0010Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TennesseeThirteen "members of the Grand Jury, for the County of Bedford & state of Tennessee," request the passage "of some law for the more effectually preventing negroes from selling, meats, chickens, fruits &c upon public days, at public places." They declare that they "have seen & felt the evil effects of the system now prevailing upon that subject," as "the only way most of the things thus sold are obtained is by stealing -- and your petitioners amongst others suffer from their petty thefts." They therefore propose a law "authorising any person, when they see negroes thus trading, to have them taken up before a magistrate & publicly whipt, unless the negro can produce a written permit from his or her master or mistress, authorizing them thus to trade."Theft by enslavedClandestine economy Whipping