Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-06
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASHINGTON

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASHINGTON
Tuesday, January 5.
1t delights me TO announce to you that
the denominations of the dealers in human
flesh seem to force themselves every day
with more vigorous effect upon the atten-
ton of the representatives Of the American
people; and that we may reasonably hope
at no distant period to see their devices OF
every kind exposed, and, if not punished,
at least defeated. Yesterday MIR. Mercer
q am happy to see that such sentiments
come from member of slave-owning
state) lose in his place and stated to the
house that in a British publication he had
lately read, the melancholy fact was dis
closed that that detestable trade had been,
since the late war, carried on to an extent
much greater than had ever before been
known! BY the statements in that publica-
| ton he said his mind had been attracted to
the subject in all its aspects with more than
| its accustomed care, and his attention been
particularly given to the consideration OF
the law upon it !; and he was persuaded that
by that law a remedy was afforded for the
evils he complained of. In the publication
he alluded to he said that the names were
set forth of not less than twenty vessels tt-
ted out in the United States for that detes-
table practice-and that appeals had been
made from Sierra Leone to the court OF adj
miralty in Great Britain, giving record of
| the names of the vessels, persons, and hou-
SEES engaged in and connected with that bu-
siness. He therefore moved this resolution:
Resolved, That the secretary of the
navy be directed 10 lay before this house
copy of any Instructions which may have
| been issued from his department in pursu-
ance of the act of congress of 1917, prohi-
biting the importation of slaves, to the COM
manders of the several armed vessels of the
United States, for the purpose of intercept
| Ing, on the coast of Africa or elsewhere,
such vessels of the United States as may
| be engaged in the slave trade"
This resolution was assented to by the
house with an almost seeming unanimity.
Mr.. Mercer thenrose again antihtorned
the house that he held in his hand another
resolution, granted on a different branch OF
the subject. twas too generally under
stood. he said, to leave it necessary 70: him
to state, that persons, negroes, muIattoes
and others who had been taken in vessels
condemned under our aforesaid law, had
been seized by the civil authorities OF this
country, and by them were sold as slaves
for life. He therefore moved a resolution
that the secretary OF the treasury should be
directed TO report 10 that house the number
and the names of the slave vessels which
sailed from the ports of the United States.
! Mr.. STROLLER, Mr.. Floyd and Mr.. Cobb mo-
we'd to amend the res luton by directing it
to be specified what the particular ports
were from which such vessels sailed, where
they were owned, and to whom individual
ly they belonged, in order that the weight
of the guilt OF such practices mght'be laid
on the proper shoulders, and notupon the
innocent, but that the ignominy should be
attached to those to whom ii belonged. The
amendments severally proposed by these
gentlemen to the effects just stated, were
cordially adopted by the house, and the re-
solution passed without one dissentient
voice in the following form and words:
=" Resolved, That the secretary Of the
treasury be directed to report to this house
the number and names Of the slave ships,
ii any, and the ports from which they sail
ed, and where and by HON owned, and
condemned within the United States for
violations of the laws thereof /; against the
importation of slaves, and if any negroes,
muattoes, or persons of color have been
found on board such vessels, their number,
and the disposition which has been made OF
| them by The several state governments
under whose jurisdiction they had fallen.
A petition Of the marine insurance COM
panies of Baltimore was presented b. ge-
neral Samuel Smith, praying the adoption
of some further measures for the effectual
protection of vessels ascending and de-
scending the Chesapeake, by the erection
of buoys, floating lights, and other dislin-
gushing marks.
| The secretary Of the treasury transmitted
a letter, stating the exports of the country,
of domestic produce and foreign merchan-
die, for the last year to be 93,28l, 1888
dollars.
Of which Great Britain took S46,7l7,83e
| Eranco 1aQs0 500