Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-03-30
The Fugitive in Canada.

The Montreal Herald reports an interest
ing and important debate in the Assembly
of the Provincial Parliamenton a bill for
the arrest of offenders from the United States.
Mr.. La Fontaine, a member, said In relation
TO the object Of the bill, that the treaty OF
extradition Of 1912 was not perfected III the
bill of last year was passed at Washington
at the time of its visit. But the English act
was defective in the first clause, inasmuch as
il made il necessary that the fugitive from
Justice should be publicly claimed Of the
Government, which gave occasion for the
party to escape. This bill would give pow
er 10 the Judges of the superior Courts and to
justices Of the peace to carry o0t the law
Should such power be given to justices OF The
peace, fugitives may as well remain IN The
States as 90 to Canada. According 10 slave
holding law every slave is a thief, tor the
clothes lie wears belong TO his MASTER Ii
therefore a justice Of the peace in Canada Is
empowered 10 give mp every criminal who may
seek refuge there from the States, every slave
who crosses the line will be demanded as a
fugitive from Justice /; that he is a might've
from Slavery also can be kept out OF sight II
necessary, or, if known, may be disregarded
if he %pleases, by the justice. In that case
England can no longer boast that her provin-
CtS OH HE NuIliIttl dAt q IVY ~ ~ "
those who fy from the tyranny Of the repub-
lie. Slaveholding law will have become the
paramount law OF Canada, as it is now, of
The Northern States. The Compromises
will have crossed the line, and from Labra-
dor to the Rio Grande there will not be a foot
Of Free Soil, where the weary fugitive can
rest with the assurance Of his liberty; if he
escape the bird of prey that tyPiiies his ma
tive land, il will only be to fall under the
hand OF beast as merciiess.
We copy the debate from the HaGid. and
should the bill unhappily become a law, we
shall announce that result as soon as we hear
OF it.-.Anfi.siarery Standard.
Mr.. Papineau objected to Justices of the
Peace being invested with power 10 arrest
fueitives from the United States. He was
for placing il only in the hands Of the Judges
of toe Superior Courts, of the Circuit Courts
in Canada East, and of similar Courts ir
Canada West; providing, however, that tht
Justices of the Peace should be only permit
ted to arrest the offenders, and take them be
fore the nearest Jndg e Of the Superior Courts
or Circuit Court. This was only an act o
Justice to a foreigner.
Mr.. LaFontaine said that this bill was on
ly to carry out the treaty, in the same way
as it was now carried out by the law Of tn
United States. There was nothing more il
il than in the American law, and il was o
course necessary 10 act in good faith will
the American Government.
Mr.. H. J. Boulton said that as the British
Conveniently were spending millions of pound
10 put down Slavery, they had probably for
gotten one point. 1t was within his obser
walton that nothing was more common thai
to trump up a charge against a man Of hav
ing committed the crime Of arson, robbery
&c. 1t was a mere scheme by which slaves
were reclaimed. Some years, ago, a cargo
of slaves were shipped at Charleston 70
New Orleans. The slaves rose, rescued
themselves. and carried the vessel into Pro
violence in the Bahamas. Those slaves wer,
charged with piracy by the American Con
sui. Now if slaves had fed from the mas
tiers who treated them like cattle or brut
beasts-who had been subjected 10 law
which made ii . capital offence to teach then