The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-27
AMENDMENTS AND VOTES
Abolition of the Slave Trade In the Dis
trtct of Columbia.

Mr.. CLAY moved that the Senate proceed to
the consideration Of the bill for the abolition of
the slave trade in the District Of Columbia, with
a view to setting II down tor consideration upon
some specified day
The question being taken upon the motion to
take up the bill, IT was agreed to, on division
ayes &c, noes not counted.
Mr.. ATCHiSON. BY way Of test vote
move that the bill be laid on the table ~
The question being taken upon the motion to
Law on the table, it was decided in the negative
follows: M
YEAs-Messrs Atchson, Barnwell, Berren,
Butler, Davis Of mississippi, Dawson, Downs,
Houston, Hunter, Mason, Pratt, Rusk, Sebas-
ton, Soule, Turney and Yuee-l6.
: NArs-M sssrs, Badger, Baldwin, Bell, Benton,
Cooper Davis OF Massachusetts, Dayton, Dick
inson, Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge Of Iowa,
Douglas, Ewing, Felch Foote, Greene, Hamlin,
Jones, King, Mangum, Pearce, Phelps, Shields,
Smith, Spruance, Sturgeon, Underwood, Upham,
Wales, Whilcomb, and Winthrop-36.
September 81.
Mr.. CLAY moved postponement Of the prior
orders of the day, for the purpose Of taking up
the bill to suppress the slave trade in the District
OF Columbia; which agreed to- and the said
bill was considered as in Committee OF the
Whole.
In the first section It's provided
That it shall not be lawful to bring into the Dis
lTfCt ot COluWOiA any slave WHATEVER lot tue Puf
pose Of being sold, or for the purpose Of being
placed in depot, to be subsequently transferred u
any other State or place.
After the word "place, I" / propose to INTRODUCES
the words "to he sold us merchandise" be
leve that would be the construction Of the law al
it stands but it would be better to have it inserted
The question being taken upon the amendment
il was agreed TO.
Mr. G.. moved further to amend the bill by sub
stiuting the word s'evy" for county, and insert
ing the word County" after washington, - and
the word ..jurisdictonsP' between " its" and
% limits" in the section; that said section
should read as follows:
SKe find be 1t further enacted That it shall and
may be lawful for each Of the corporations of the
cities Of Washington and Georgetown, from time
TO time, and as often as may be necessary, TO
ahate, break up, and abolish any depot or place
of confinement of slaves brought into said Dis
trict merchandise, contrary TO the provisions
of this act, by such appropriate means may
appear to either Of the said corporations, expe-
dent and proper And the same power is here
by vested in the levy court of Washington county,
if any attempt shall be made within its jurisdic-
tional limits, to establish depot or place Of con-
fnement for slaves brought into the said District
as merchandise, or for sale, contrary to this act.
Mr.. FOOTE. simply rise to offer an amend
ment TO the BILL The Clerk will discover that the
printed form here have agreed to modify, at the
suggestion of the senator from Maryland upon
my left, Mr. PEARcE, in the manner proposed
in this manuscript. Near the end of the bill
have also accepted an amendment Of the senator
from Georgia, also nearest me, MIR. BERRlEN.l
| wish both read as parts of my amendment
Strike out all after the enactng clause and insert
the following:
That from and after the date of the approval of
this act, the corporate authorities of the city Of
Washington, for that part of the county of Wash
ington lying east and south of Rock creek. and the
corporate authorities of Georgetown, for that
rarl Of the county Of Washington lying north
and west of Rock creek, shall have power,
within those limits, respectively, to regulate by
law the ngress into, and the egress FROM the Dis
trct Of Columbia of people of color, whether free
slaves, and to regulate the residence of all per-
sons of color now residing or hereafter to reside
within the said limits, respectively, and TO prohibit
the coming of free negroes to reside within the
said limits, respectively, and to enforce all sNl.
regulations aud prohibitions by suitable penalties
imprisonment at labor, and expulsion beyond The
= limits of said District.
SEC. 2. find be it further enacted, That the sait
corporate authorities, within the respective limits
designated in the first section of this act, shat
have power to make such regulations and to pass
such laws may lie expedent and necessary t.
guard against the kidnapping or abduction from
the District of Columbia, of any slave or free ne
gro therefrom, and to punish by fine, not exceed
ing - dollars, and by imprisonment in the pen
iteniary or common jail, or by corporal chastise-
mens, any individual or individuals who may be
convicted of having forced, attempted to force,
against the laws of those corporations respective
ly, any free negro. or of having kidnapped, or
abducted, or Of having attempted to kidnap or alb
duct, or to entice or decoy, any slave from the
District of Columbia.
SEC 3. And be ii further enacted, That in cases
where there is no ground to believe, and where
more citizens shall state under oath that he
has reason to believe that any colored person has
been brought into the District Of Columbia and
held a slave, who is entitled to freedom, that
any colored person has been placed in custody or
confinement through error, or that any colored
person is about to be sent from the District of CO.
lumbia slave, who is entitled to freedom them
and in either Of the said cases, the application
of the party, or friend Of the party interested,
other person, the privilege Of the writ of habeaS
corpus shall be extended to such party, with
view of bringing the point at issue and the facts
of the case before judge of the circuit court of
the United States for the District Of Columbia,
who shall decide according to the laws of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and discharge from custody or
remand to custody or Imprisonment, in conform
ty with the evidence, the facts and laws in the
case; that all laws and regulations made by the
corporate authorities of the city Of Washington,
under the provisions Of this act, shall be subject
TO the revision OF Congress, and, IL not disapro-
we'd, shall remain in force.
The question being then taken upon the motion
TO postpone, it decided in the negative as fol-
lows.
YsAs-Messrs. Atchison, Badger, BarnwelI,
Bell, Berren, Butler, Davis Of Mississippi, Daw-
son, Downs, Foote, Houston, Hunter, King,
Mangnm, Mason, Morton, Pierce, Pratt, Rusk,
Sebastian, Soule, Turney, and Yulee--23.
NAys-Messrs. Baldwin, Benton, Bradbury,
Bright, Clark, Clay, Cooper, Davis Of Massachu-
sets, Dayton, Dickinson, Dodge of Wisconsin,
Dodge of Iowa, Ewing, Felch, Greene. Hamln,
Jones, Seward, Shields, Smith, Spruance, Sur
geon, Underwood, Wales, Walker, Whitcomb,
and Winthrop--27
Mr.. PEARC f moved the following amendment:
Add at the end If the bill the following
find be ii further enacted, That the said corpora
tons, and the said levy court respectively, shall
he, and they are hereby invested with the power
TO prohibit the coming of free negroes to reside
within their respective jurisdictional limits, and to
remove therefrom all free negroes residing or COM
Ing to reside therein, who shall neglect refuse
to comply with the laws and ordinances made, oil
70 be made, touching such residence, or the FRO
hIbI'ion thereof; and to enforce such removal, OF
compliance with such ordinances, by fine and
Imprisonment at labor, or either at their discre
ton. .EtH a,