American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-01-31

result Of Ignorance or Of systematic violation Il
the law The situation in which this section pac.,
the commanders oil steam boats and packets intended
for the accommodation OF passengers. is extremtly
hazardous and unjust. These vessels sail at stated
periods and at moments waning; sometimes IN
the npht--snd the utmost vigilance Of the com.
manders cannot prevent the int usion, or enable
them TO ascertain the characters, Of the various de-
scrip,ions of travellers who are passing through tn,
country. 1t must occur to the House too hot tbes,
are not the description OF vessels which came with
in the contemplation Of the law that their COM
manders have no interest in the attic that is min
riously Carried on in some parts of the State, in Iu
gi,ve negroes--and that it by any chance the com
mander Of steam boat or packet, should suffer
under the provisions OF this secton the probability
is he would suffer innocen,ly. The bill he held in
his hand, Mr.. Brobson said. went to remove this
odious feature OF the law it proposed TO except
The owners and commanders OF steam boats and
packets from the provisions OF the fourth section,
and TO place the law in regard to them it existed
before the passage Of the act. Every reflection
that he had bestowed upon the subject since The
passage of the law, had co6rmed him in the belief
that the provisions Of the section to which he had
alluded were highly unjust and entiI ely unnece,sa.
ry To effect the objects OF the law, and he INDUCED
and permit him to introduce the bill.
MIR. Gray expressed the hope, that the gentleman
would not be pemilted to Introduce the bill He
said he considered it an extraordinary aud unprece.
dented proceeding 1t is but the other day, Sir,
said he that we passed the law 10 which the gen.
tleman now proposes to bring in supplement. Il
be disapproyed OF the principles Of the law, why
did he not oppose it on ITS passage through this
House, Sir, said MIR. Gray, there is lttleness--
want Of beraliiy in this proceeding; and |, Tor
one, hope il will no, be sanctioned by the House.
W hat will the gentlemen who constituted the dele.
cation from Maryland, what will the Legislature Of
| MAJ yand think OF conduct indecoross! We
passed this law after much consultation with The
Maryland delegation, and the moment their backs
arc tured upon US, We called upon to turn upnl
our heels aud retrece our steps lie regarded the
proceeding altogether supplementary and out Of
order; it amounts to virtual reconsideration Of
the act passed during the present session, and he
believed that we had no right to pass upon that Law
until the next session. Let us try the law at least
a year, let US know its operation, and hear from The
people, who have yet no knowledge of IT and have
made no complaints, what they think Of it. Until
them he would listen 10 no proposition in regard TO
it, and lie trusted that the House would agree with
him IN rejecting the present motion.
Mr.. Brobson said he did not anticipate any op
position when be asked leave to introduce this bill
to the House. In the course Of his little experl
ence as legislator he had never known instance
where mtmber who, in his place, asked leave L
introduce a bill. which contained nothing impiope
or ndecorous, was refused that privilege. 1t had
always been deemed matter Of course, that The
house should on such occasions, grant the leas'
required; il pledged the House 10 nothing more
than TO give The subject its consideration, leaving
perfectly at liberty 10 act it should think tit whel
the decision Of the question came before it. III
had been charged with berality in this proceed
ing tu he would leave it to the House TO sal
whether there had been any thing 10 his conduct Y
sanction that imputaiion and he asked where wa
the iberali,y Of his friend who had so warmly deni
ed TO him what had never been denied TO another
Was the gentleman afraid 10 trust himself with
review OF his conduct in regard to The law whc
had lately passed the House? He had been aske
Why he had not opposed the bill when il passed tn
House He had advcred to that subject in the re
marks he had already made; and he would now say
that the manner in which the bill was hurre
through, was Unprecedented; that he had not bee
upon the committee, OF which his friend was
member, who had conferred with The Maryland de-
egation and by whom that bill had heen prepared
and that, it could not therefore be surprising, if
were not as well acquainted, as his friend, with til
bearings OF all lis provisions. He repeated aha
he had before said, that he was perfectly friendly
the general principles OF this law, and it this odor
section were out OF it, il would meet his entire az
probation. All he asked was an opportunity
take the sense Of the House upon this question b
getting this bill before II. and this small boon, III
gentleman would deny him. We had been aske
what would the Legislature Of Maryland think
our conduct Is that a consideration which shoul
tor moment influence our deliberations, if "
thought, that in our desire 10 comply with the obi
cations due to sister stale, we had done great ii
justice TO our own citizens? The gentleman ha
said that 1t was an unprecedented thing to repeal Q
amend an act which had just passed; that the pee
pie had not complained of ii, and he insisted upo
trying It's operation for year, that the people mgl
express their opinion upon it. But, said Mr.. Brot