Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1850-05-30

lhe committee then lndul re the hope
that if the fugitive bill with the propo.
sed amendments shall be passed by
Congress, il will be ctfectual 10 secure
the recovery Of all fugilives from ser.
vice or labor, and that ii will remove
all causes of complsnt which have
/ hitherto been experienced on that irri.
tating subject. But if, in its practical
operation, it shall be found insufficient,
and if no adequate remedy can be de.
vscd for the restoration 10 their own
ers of fugitive slaves, those owners will
have ust title TO indemnity out of tle
treasury of the United States.
! 1t remains TO report the resolutions
in relation 10 slavery and the slave
trade 10 the District of Columbia. With.
out discussing the power of Congress,
TO abolish slavery in the District, ip re.
gard 10 which a diversity Of opinion
exists. the committee are Of opinion
that it ought not 10 be abolished. l.
could not be done without indispensa.
bIe conditions. which are not likely 10
be agreed TO. Ii could not he done
without 'iling great apprehension
i oiIN 'li III NtC SidNG cluiCS. II INe
power were exercised within this Dis.
trlct, they would apprchcnd that, under
some prc,ext or another, it might be
hereafter attempted to be exercised
within the slaveho!dng States.I Ii is
true that at present all suclepowerais
almost unanimously dsavowed and dis.
claimed in the free States. Bntexpe-
ricncc in public affairs has too often
shown that where there is desire to
do particular thing. the power to &C.
cnm2lish i, sooner CT later, will be
! found or assumed.
Nor does The number ofslavcs within
the Distric, make the abolition Of sla.
very an object Of any such consequence
as appears to be attached TO it in some
parts of the Union. Since the retro.
cession Of Alexandria county TO Nir-
ginia. on the south side of the Potomac.
the District now con sisis Of only Wash.
| ingtoA county. on the north side ofthut
river; and the returns oflhe decennasv
enumeration Of the people Of the Unit
ed States show rapidly progressive
decrease in tie number of slaves in
Washington county. According to the
census Of 1850 the number was 4.jO5;
and in lS4O it was reduced to 1890:
showing 4 reduction in ten years of
nearly one. third. If il should continue
10 the same ratio, the number. accord.
inc . the census now about 10 be taken,
will be only Iiltie upwards Of Two
! thonsand.
But a majority Of The committee think
differently in regard 10 the slave trade
wi!hin the district. BY that trade is
meant the introduction of slaves from
adjacent States into the District, for
sale, or to he placed in depot for the
purpose of subsequent sale or transpor-
tation 10 other aud distant markets.
That trade. ma ajoriIy Of the commit.
tee are of opinion, ought TO be abolish
cd. Complaints have always existed
against it, no less on the part Of mem.
bers Of Congrets from The South than
on the part OF members from the North.
1t is trade sometimes exhibiting re-
voting speciacles, and one in which the
people of the District have no interest,
but, on the contrary, ale believed 10 be
desirous that it should be discontinued.
Most, if not all, of the s'aveholdiug
States have, either in their constitution
or by penal enactments, prohibited
trade in slaves as merchandise within
their respective jurisdictions. Congress
standing in regard to the people of this
District on this snbiect in a relation
similar TO that Of the State Legislatures
to the people of the States, may safely
follow the examples of the States
The committee have prepared, and
herewith report, bill for the abolition
of that trade, (marked d. the passage
Of which they recommend to the SEN
ate. The bill has been framed after
the model of what the law of Maryland
was when the General Government
was removed 10 Washington.
The views and recommendations con.
tained in this report may be recapilula.
ted in few word:
]. The admission of any new State
or States formed out Of Texas, to be
postponed until they shall hereafter
present themselves 10 he received into
the Union. when it will he the duty of
Congress fairly and faithfully TO exc
cute the compact with Texas by admit.
ting such new State or Statas.
.. The admission forthwith of Cal.
ifornia into the Union, with the boun.
daries which she has proposed.
8. The establishment of territorial
Governments without the Wilmot Pro.
viso for New Mexico and Utah. en-
bracing all the territory recently &c.
quired by the United States from Mex.
leo not contained in the boundaries Of
California.
4. The combination of these two last
j nn nnlioned me nisnrns in lhe ahme hill