It provided, further, for the intermarriage of freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes, and for the legalization of all previous and existing cohabitations between them, and the legitimation of the issue therefrom; but it forbade intermarriage between them and white persons, under penalty of life imprisonment, and it defined freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes as comprehending all of pure negro blood, and all descended from negroes to the third generation inclusive, although one parent in each generation should have been white. It provided, further, that freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes should be competent as witnesses in all civil cases, in which they themselves or other freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes were parties or a party to the suit, and in criminal cases where the crime charged was alleged to have been committed by a white person or persons upon or against the person or property of a freedman, free negro, or mulatto. It provided, further, that every freedman, free negro and mulatto should have a lawful home and employment, and should have written evidence thereof in the form of a license from the police authorities to do irregular or job work, or in the form of a written contract for labor. It required that all contracts made with freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes for labor for a longer period than one month should be in writing, a copy of which should be furnished to each party, and that if the laborer should quit the service of the employer before the expiration of the term fixed in the contract, he should forfeit his wages for that year up to the time of quitting. It provided, further, for the arrest of any freedman, free negro, or mulatto quitting the service of an employer, and for the determination of the question whether {51} the quitting was for good cause or not, and for the disposition to be made of the deserter. It provided, further, that enticing or persuading freedmen, free negroes or mulattoes to desert from their legal employment, or employing deserters from contract labor knowingly, or giving or selling them food, raiment or other thing knowingly, should be a misdemeanor punishable by fine, or by imprisonment in case the fine should not be paid. It provided, further, that no freedman, free negro or mulatto, unless in the military service of the United States, or licensed thereto by the police authorities, should keep or carry arms, ammunition or murderous weapons, and that every civil and military officer should arrest any such person found in possession of such articles, and commit him for trial.