ed out the
good they had been to the community,[42] and the Governor who in his
annual message raised the question as to propriety of removing them,
said that the laws of the State had theretofore treated the free
people of color with "indulgent kindness" and that "many instances of
solicitude for their welfare" had "marked the progress of
legislation."[43]

A bill for removal, however, was promptly offered on the
twenty-seventh of January.[44] On the first of February there was
presented an additional report deeming it expedient to set apart for
the removal of the free colored population so much of the claims of
Virginia on the General Government as may come into and belong to the
treasury of the State.[45] A few days later Mr. Moore submitted a
resolution covering the same ground and calling upon the Senators and
Representatives of Virginia in Congress to use their best efforts to
promote this project.[46] The Matter was tabled but on the 6th of
February the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole to
take this bill into consideration. After prolonged discussion the
matter was again tabled with a view to future consideration. The
feeling of the majority seemed to be that, if the Negroes were
removed, no coercion should be employed except in the case of those
who remained in the State contrary to the law of 1806.[47] $35,000 for
1832 and $90,000 for 1833 was to be appropriated for transportation. A
central board consisting of the governor, treasurer, and members of
the Council of State was to decide the place to which these Negroes
were to be expatriated and the agents to carry out the law would also
be named by the same board.[48] The bill for the removal of free
Negroes was indefinitely postponed in the Senate by a vote of 18 to 14
and therefore was never taken up.

The next effort of the legislature in dealing with the Negroes was to
strengthen the black code as it then existed so as to provide for a
more adequate supervision and rigid control of the slaves and free
people of color. There was offered thereafter a bill to amend an act
entitled "an act to revise under one the several acts concerning
slaves, free Negroes and mulattoes." The important provisions of the
bill were that slaves and free Negroes should not conduct religious
exercises nor attend meetings held at night by white preachers unless
granted written permission by their masters or overseers. Thereafter
no free Negro should be capable of