Clearer and more significant was the ordnance passed by the police board
of the town of Opelousas, Louisiana. (Accompanying document No. 34.) It
deserves careful perusal. Among a number of regulations applying
exclusively to the negro, and depriving him of all liberty of locomotion,
the following striking provisions are found:

Section 3. No negro or freedman shall be permitted to rent or keep a house
within the limits of the town _under any circumstances_, and any one thus
offending shall be ejected and _compelled to find an employer_ or leave
the town within twenty-four hours. The lessor or furnisher of the house
leased or kept as above shall pay a fine of ten dollars for each offence.

Section 4. No negro or freedman shall reside within the limits of the town
of Opelousas _who is not in the regular service of some white person or
former owner_.

Section 8. No freedman shall sell, barter or exchange, any articles of
merchandise or traffic within the limits of Opelousas without permission
in writing from his employer, or the mayor, or president of the board.

This ordinance was at first approved by a lieutenant colonel of the United
States forces having local command there, and it is worthy of note that
thereupon the infection spread at once, and similar ordinances were
entertained by the police boards of the town of Franklin and of the parish
of St. Landry. (Accompanying document No. 35). The parish ordinance of St.
Landry differs from the town ordinances of Opelousas and Franklin in
several points, and wherever there is any difference, it is in the
direction of greater severity. It imposes heavier fines and penalties
throughout, and provides, in addition, for a system of corporal