American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1827-01-05
Nineteenth Congress, Second Session.
Tuesday, DECEMBER 26.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

fpeba,e on Mr.. Yards resolution, concluded.l
MIR Letcher said, from the has,y examination
which he had given to the resolution now before inc
House, he had no hesitation in expressing his opin
ion that there was sort Of necessity tor Its refer
ence to committee. He did no, think 1t present
cd fit subject Of legislation. II is not a'ledged
that there is any law in existence in this District IN
relation TO free men Of color ~hoh ought TO be re
pesled or modified but it is asserted. by the mover
Of the resolution, that If any statute does exist un
der which Gilbert Horton has been injured and op
pressed that it is unconstitutional and voiG' Inc
case them Of the individual mentioned in the Teso
luton is one for the Courts and not for this House.
His redress at Law i. full aod complete and to the
proper tribunal let him appeal, and have his remedy
Believing this resolution may, by possibility, bring
UP delicate subject and by its discussion produce
unnecessary excitement, ! move 10 lay it upon the
table.
The question being put on Mr.. Letcher's motion,
it wa. negatived ayes 64. noes 90 So the House
refused to lay Mr.. Yards resolution on the table.
Mr.. Wicklifs said, that he had no wish to enter
into the present discussion, nor did he parake oil
any Of the excitement which supposed 10 be
connected with il. He had run his eye hastily over
the resolution Of the gentleman from New YORK,
and from slight examination into the fact. he was
led the conclusion tha, no such law existed in the
District OF Columbia the resolution referred t..
Abuses, no doubt Nigh, have happened under the
law which did exist, and he thought it very proba
BILE they had. The law in the district declared, (and
il was in this respect not different from the law
which was to he found in every slave holding State,
and in some States moi slave holding that persons
Of color found lettering without employment, and
supposed to be runaway slaves, might be apprehen
ded aud Imprisoned. 1t was under this law he
presumed that the individual to whose case the gen.
ileman from New York alluded, had been AIKEN up.
He was found within the District without any esl-
dence Of his freedom. and he was taken up and in'
prisoned till such evidence could be obtained i,
was OBJ, aimed from the State of New York and he
was Immediately set at liberty. Such he believed
TO have been the stale of the facts. and he thought
the statement ought 10 be made for the information
of the House. If any amendment in the laws Of
this District was needed or if any abuses had taken
place. (poins he would not undertake 10 decide
the object aimed at by the gentleman from New
York could we'll be stianed by directing .
Committee to revise those laws, and report such al
tera,ions to this House as they might deem expe
dient and proper But the discussion OF the subject
presented by the geniemsns resolution, was cal
cuated to rouse feelings and produce an excitement
which i, would be difficult 10 repress. He depre-
Gated such state of feeling he had no wish 10
the Missouri Question brough, back into this House
II the laws needed amendment, lei them be amend
ed but let not the House go on in the superstition
tha, certain laws existed which were where TO be
found With these views, Mr.. w moved to amend
the resolution by striking out, after the word Re
solved and inserting, Tha, the Committee on the
District Of Columbia be instructed to inquire into
the expedency OF amending the laws in force in
said District" upon the subject Of spprehendng
and confning in jail fugitive slaves.
Mr.. Dorsey said. IS he wa. not in attendance
yesterday when The gentleman from New York
addressed the House, he was ignorant il that gen
tleman used obscrvations calculated to excite the
feelings OF the Representatives on this floor from
the slave holding States. In the resolution under
discussion, | see nothing, said Mr. ID that
produce such result. The gentleman from Ken
sucky, (Mr. Wichlifs.) is in error to the law
Of this District. There is a iau auihorizinc a
free person Of color, arrested as runaway, and as
such committed, to be sold for his prison fees. and
the reward allowed by law 10 those who such
persOns Ii was the law of Mary Wand. and as such.
was adopted as the law Of the District for Wash
ing,on County. Among the very ea liest law. OF
Maryland, wheE manumission OF slaves was not
permitted, it was enacted in l7I5. that negroes
who should be arrested as runsways, should be
committed TO the custody OF the Sheriff oil the
county; that those who arrested such persons
should receive, as reward for so doing, the sum
OF 200 pounds Of tobacco, and that the County
Courts should dispose OF those who should be ar
rested, and il FREE il they could not pay the re
ward and fees to the jailcr, then they should be
sold into bondage, 70 discharge those expenses in.
cidental 10 their arrest In l7l9, the power vested
IN The County Conris under the act Of l7l5 wa.
transferred to the Sheriff. The principle assumed
in This act Of legislation, predi aed upon the then
existing state OF society, was ,hs, all persons OF
color we're presumed 10 be slaves In 179l the
Legislature prescribed a rule Of conduct Tor the
Sheriff directing the notice 10 be given by the
Sheriff of the commitment of runaway. Some
whe'e about the year 1886 or 8, the Legislature
passed aw legalizng manumisson; ye, the same
Pr'neiple o presumption, ha. all persons OF color
were saves I'LL the contrary appeared, regulate
the decisions Of the law officers of the State. ill
1910. when Judpr Scott decided that he would dl.