The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-04

! The CHAIR replied that il would be in order.
Both the substitute and the bill open to amend
| ment.
! Mr. PEARCE then submitted the following
amendment;
Ind be IL further enacted That if any free person
or persons, within the District OF Columbia, shall
enco or induce, or attempt by persuasion or other
TO entiCe or induce any save or slaves 10 ruu
away from his her, or their owner or lawful pos-
SCISSOR or shall IN any manner aid, abet, or assist
any lave or slaves in running away escaping
from the owncror lawful possessor of such slave or
slaves or shall harbor any slave or slaves with the
intent TO assist him, her, them, TO escape from
the service of such possessor, such person
or persons shall be liable to indictment in the Grim
ina court OF the District of Columbia; and upon
conviction by verdict, confession, otherwise,
I shall be imprisoned IN the pententiary not more
! than ten nor less than two years.
! SEC 49,. Ind be IL further enacted, That in case
any slave or slaves 80 induced, persuaded, or en-
ticed To run away, assisted in running away, or
harbored with the intent 10 assist him, her them,
! in running away, or escaping from service shall
! actually run away and escape from the service Of
the lawful owner or owners, any person convicted
az aforesaid of such cutcing, persuading, assist
ing, or harborng, shall also be sentenced by the
said court Ia pay TO the owner or owners Of said
slave saves, the value OF the same 10 be assessed
and determined by the said court, TO be recovered
! by execution as in cases OF other judgments.
Ind be IL Jurtho enacted, That the said corpora
tons and the said levy court respectively shall be and
they are hereby invested with the power TO prohibit
the coming Of free negroes TO reside within their
! respective juri5dictional liiuits and to remove
thereirom all free negroes residing, or coming to
reside therein, who shall neglect or refuse to
! ply with the laws and ordinances made or 10 be
made touching such residence, or the prohibition
| thereof; and 10 enforce such removal or compi-
! ance with such ordinances, by fine and imprson-
ment at labor, or either ut their discretion,
! MIR. PEARCE explained that for the offences con-
templated by the first branch OF his amendment,
the law of Mary land of 1876. provided adequate
! punishment The penalty was u fine, 10 go to the
! owner, vi two hundred dollars. The offences
cred by this part of the amendment were frequent
and most daring and Infamous He desired to fur
nsh an adequate remedy, az the best means of pre-
venting their recurrence.
The second branch OF the amendment afforded a
means OF protection against the vast increase of
tcce negroes. This class Of population lie had been
informed, had become a pest upon society here.
Mr.. CLAY opposed the amendments as part of
| this bill. They would be proper if there was code
OF laws for the District before the Senate lie could
not support them as part of this bill
! Mr.. Bt TIER said that from information laid
before one of the committees, he had ascertained
that two thirds Of the time of the criminal court OF
this District was taken up in the trial of free ne
! groes.
Mr.. PRATT said that this subject of the slave
| trade in the District was greatly misunderstood
in the country. 1t was affair of very little i'm
! portance, certainly not of such importance as To
call for the action whioh the Legislature of Vir-
| gina had resolved upon. That Legislature had re-
solved that, upon the passage of any law by Con
gress providing for the suppression Of the slave
trade III this District, the Governor to convene
the Legislature to take such steps for redress as
might be supposed necessary. He considered the
importance of the subject had been greatly magni.
! ned. He then referred to, and read, the law of
| Maryland Of 1876, which prevented the utroduc
ton of slaves into that State, except by persons ac
tuaily coming into the State to reside there, and
the penalty OF making the slave free if brought in
under any other circumstances. That law, he said,
had been extended over This District by the act OF
! Congress in 1901.
/ = i 4. NJ
1902, declared that persons might come into this
! District from Maryland with their slaves. Until
the act OF Congress Of 1912, persona residing in AL
exandria, or in that portion OF the District coded by
Virginia could not be brought into that part of the
District coded by Maryland. Congress, by the act
of 1872 did away with that difficulty There being
al tins time part of the District that coded
by Maryland, the law now is, that no slaves be
brought into this Dstrc! except from the Stotc of
Maryland. The whole slave trade IN this District
consisted, then, entirely in those slaves brought
here from the State Of Maryland; bother State had
the least possible interest in the question of the abo
hton of that slave trade. lis then argued in favor
| OF the constltutionaty of the bill.
! He said that as his State was tho only deeply
interested IN this bill, and he and his colleague
I were compelled to be absent tomorrow, he moved
! the Postponcment Of the bill till Monday next
And the motion was disagreed to-ayos l., noes
10.
The question recurring on Mr.. PEARcE amend
MIR UNDERWOOD asked for division Of tho
question lie could voc for the first branch of it,
but that part relating to free negroes lac could not
! vote for.
The question was then taken on the first branch
| Of the amendment, aud it agreed to--ycas 20,
! nays l5-as follows.
! GEAS.-Mcssrs Atchson, Barnwcll Benton,
Berren, Bright Butler, Davis of Mississippi. Daw-
/ con, Dickinson, Dodge Of Iowa, Downs, Foote,
! Houston, Hunter, Joncs. King, Mason, Morton,
! Pratt, Busk Sebastian, SoulG, Sturgeon, Turncy,
] Underwood, and Whtcomb-26.
Ra1E
| Davis Of Massachusetts, Dayton, Dodge Of Wiscon-
sin, Ewing. Greene, Hlmln, Seward, Smith,
/ Spruancc, Wales, and Winthrop-l5
/ The second branch Of the amendment was also
I agreed to-ycas %, nays Is, az follows:
YEAS.-Mcssrs. Atcbison, Barnwcll, Benton,
Berricn, Bright, Butler, Davis Of Mississippi Daw-
son, Dickinson, Dodge Of Iowa, Downs, Footc,
/ Houston, Hunter, Jones, King Mason, Morton,
/ Pratt, Rusk, Sebastian, soubc, Turney, and Whit
comb-2i.
| NAYS.-NIcssrs Baldwin, Clarke Clay, Cooper,
Davis OF Massachusetts, Dayton, Dodge OF Wiscon.
sin, Ewing, Frlch Greene, llamlin, Seward, Smith,
/ Spruance, Sturgeon, Underwood, Wales, and Win
thrOp-lS.
Mr.. FOOTE said that hc would, if no objection
was made. Withdraw his substitute
/ Mr.. BERRIEN asked what would be the effect
now upon the amendments just adopted If the sub.
siitutc OF the Senator from Mississippi were agreed
I 10,
The CHAIR replied that II the substitute were
agreed TO the amendments just adopted would be
stricken out. No objection being made, the cub
sttutc was Withdrawn.
/ Mr. MASON moved that the Senate adjourn
And then, by a vote Of ayes y, noes not counted
The Senate adjourned.