Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-12
Congress OF tAe v. States /.
-..r-s.-........-.
tRrrorrIDIoK rHE \. iNtLLiIc ENcIR
liz SENAVE-IANuARY IL.
SLAVE TRADE.

! fpinNftsr. OitNfN'f cHtHt
days previous, by MIR. Burrill, Was taken
up:
Rryo'red. That the committee 10 whom was
referred the petition of the committee Of the
yearly meeting e the society Of Friends atBal.
iimorc, be instructed To enquire into fhf cNpe-
diency OF SO amending the laws oi the United
States on the subject of the African slave trade.
as more effcctualy 10 prevent said trad" from
being carried By citizcus OF the Uuited
States under foreign flags and also into the
eApedicncy of the Uuiied States taking mea
sures, III Concert with Other nations, for tke en-
tire abolition of said trade"
MIR. BURRii.L said, that, al the time
he had the honor of moving the resOiu-
tor, he had not anticipated any chico
i'nn 10 ii; but, from the debate en- The
subject, ON a former day, il appeared that
some honorable gentlemen thouyhI il nm
necessary 10 make the enquiry AT all, aud
that any concert with foreign nations, 10
attain lie end proposed, MAS highly mn
proper and dangerous. The question be-
fore the Senate was not upon the ATOP
ton of any specified or prescribed line ct
conduct, for the purpose of putting the
finishing hand 10 the great work Of The d.
boliiion of the slave trade; ii was merely
whether il should be referred TO com
mitiee 10 enquire into tie erpedieMcy of taxi
ing measures, III conccri with oilier Ha-
tons, fer this great and benevolent pur-
pose. The coiRmitiee may enquire, and
he OF opinion thai il is ineXpedieut te
dept any measures whatever, or 1T least
That tits not proper 10 take measures In
concert with other governments. IL the
Senate should refuse an enquiry INTO the
prOprie!y OF this course, HEY might be
subjected 10 the impuiailon of disregard
ing the implied obligations of the treaty
Il 4 4, A.
is reciled that both the parties are de-
sirous of continuing their efforts To pro-
mote The entire abolition tf the Save
trade, and agree that both shall use tb,lr
best e'uleqvoSS to accomplish so desirable an
object. II the Senate should refuse the
enquiry, it might give rise 10 unjust snr-
misses and suspicious as 10 the sincerity of
The government III passing laws for this
purpose, aud IN entering into The siipnla-
tlons of the treaty OF Client. The United
States cannot justly be charged with hav-
ing acted In bad faith, either i'm making
or performing treaties; and, as the Uni
ted States have the honor of having led
the way IN the glorious cause of abolish
III. The slave trade, there can be no doubt
that, III making this stipulation al Client,
our cnvoys acted with sincerity, and he
hoped were entitled TO the merit of hav
ing proposed the article. This article, as
well as the rest OF that treaty, met uniycr-
sal approbaiion. Ought we then to re-
fuse 10 refer II 10 a committee, to enquire
whether further measures are not neces-
saiy. or at least cxpcdient If any honor
able gentleman had moved TO go into a
committee of the whole on this question,
would il have been refused? What dan
ger or Inconvenience then could arise
from referring the subject for investiga-
ton This committee, If convinced that
further measures are necessary, would re-
port those measures TO the House; and,
should they recommend concert with
foreign nations for this purpose, the sub
Ject then, HAY ing some length, and breadth
and dimensions, could BIZ examined and
considered. But this could not so well
be done now, because there was no spe-
chic proposition before the House. There
was no such danger TO be apprehended
as SOME gentlemen imagined, from the
generality of the terms Of the proposition
now under debaie. This is the common
and ordinary course in commencing The
consideration of any subject in the Sc
nate, and the Senate should be cautious
not 10 give ground forihe dsgraceii,l sus-
plclon that they are not sincere and hear
his CduSC VI SulitilUH uuUldNilN.-
Every gentleman of this House wishes
for the entire abolition of this abomina-
BILE traffic, and this is tile general voice
of Il country. The gentlemen here re-
presenting the slave-hOlding states, are as
decided as any oihe S on this point, and
one OF those states( Virginia was entitled,
lie believed. 10 the honor Of having been
the first state 10 prohibit if. II WAS bet
Ter, as the subject had some coDnexion
with others which were of peculiarly de-
lIeate nature, 20 refer il 10 4 deliberate en-
9ulry in small committee, than to make
II topic of debate under some general
proposition, IN which way considerations
which did not fairly bsIong ia the sub
ject would insensibly mingle with il.
Some gentlemen he said, doubted the
proprety of the Scnate's advising or di-
recting The executive as To the commence
ment of negotiation or The purposes 90
IT. 1T was iruly singular If the Senate,
who we're to be called upon for their adj
vice and consent before any negotiation
could end ln the shape Of a ratified trea
IS, and without whom no ambassador or
envoy could even be appointed, could
not express their opinion beforehand as
TO the prOprleis or uccc> siiv OF any pro-
posed arrangement with foreign power.
They bad done il in the case referred 10
10 the debaIc Upon this motion on for.
mer day, by the gentleman from n. York,
(Alr. king) and the condemnation Ten
nessee, (NTr. Campbell) The British
House of Commons do it, though that
house possesses no part of Tie treaty
making power, and they had done so with
effect III 1858, and on other memorable
occasions
II any measures should he adopted. in
concert wiih other uaiions, there can be
no danger. assume Scnijrmcn apprehcnd,
that we sIall. by Ens means. be enlan-