Alexandria Gazette

THE GAZETTE.

SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 27.

A Joke - The Culpeper Observer tells a first rate story of the adventures of Col. Wm. H. Browne, whilst he was a member of the Legislature, and shortly after his introduction of a bill, known over the State as "Browne's Free Negro Bill," which had for its object the deportation of all the Free Negroes from Virginia, under the pain and penalty-if our memory does not fail us-of being sold into slavery, if they remained. The "Observer" says:

Some years before the war, a bill was offered in the Legislature providing for the immediate transportation of all Free Negroes to Liberia, and as was likely, the measure excited the indignation and ire of the class presented for proscription. The black cauldron was boiling over in Richmond, which the author was aware of, but the tonsorial fraternity being entirely composed of that class, to divest himself of superfluous hair, the distinguished Legislator had to submit his throat to the tender mercy of the sable artist. Whilst seated comfortably in a spring backed chair in the basement of the old Powhatan, our member regarded suspiciously the flourishes, gyrations and extra touches the Knight of the strap was giving his Wostenholme or Rogers, and was by no means relieved when the pertinent question was asked. "Is you the man who writ a bill to send all the colored folks to Africa?" "What is his name?" timely asked our delegate. "Brown," answered the barber. "How does he spell it, sir?" "B-r-o-w-n I suppose." "Then it is not me, sir," bravely and gladly shouted the Representative, "My name ends with 'e'-my name is Browne, sir."