Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-02-23
The business Of Slarc.ratchIng.


S nlto has introduccd bill which might
well lJc entitled AN Act tn make Slave
Catching Easy or .to aid Masters in the
Pursuit of Slaves an Ter DiGcutes.' We
have not a copy Of this bill before us, but
Mr.. Mason OF Virginia has proposed certain
amendments to it, of which u correspond
cut of tire New York. Tribuuo furnishes the
following synopsis:
Mn. Mason would authorize each Of tic
40 l.. :. District Judges leach IN his District I
tO create three commissioners in ebcli Cuuii-
ty, to determine complaints uud uUtlioriZ /
claimants to carry back the slaves cl.imcd. .
IN short lac would provide nearly 4,UCO ud /
ditolial Judges OF slave cases, besides II largo |
batch in the Territories.
50 Commands L. States Shcrills MAR |
shuls) aud their deputies to obey the 1,UCO /
Judges, who nrr to appoint discreet persons
tu execute their process, and to summon the
aid OF the ncighbors 10 help 10 catch aud
keep tho escaping Slaves, or the whole force
OF the County II wanted; all good citizens
being command Il TO assist.
3 Permits Slayc-proprictors or their
agents TO chase, catch, aud reclaim their
Slaves who shall have fled to other States;
TO seize them with or without warrant; to
carry them before II United States Court or
before one of the 1,GU0 Judges, who is "to
hear and determine the case of such claim
ants IN a summary manner" ain 40 hinl or
hearing shall the testimony of such alleged
fugitive he admitted in evidence Allidi-
Wits of claimants, duly attesled, shall cuti:c
them to carry of their alleged Slaves, using
all necessary force and restraint. Jurcs Of
the ncighborhood, there are 10 he none.
AN..l. 4 Il
of alleged fugitiyes" fioni slavery, [who
would not run from it or who may harhor
or conceal them, TO be fined not over $500,
sent TO Jail for not more than hulr n ycur,
and also compelled TO pay 5 Geo for civil
damages TO the slave claimant. The pres
cnt enormous fees allowed in the Federal
Courts are 10 be extended TO this slave-catch-
ing business. Each Commissioner, or Slave
Judge, is to get a $40 fee, il he h,nks he is
justified in delivering up tine slave brought
before him; but only So lie fears that there
il not proof enough. Mr.. Mason thus makes
it his interest TO be content with as lutte oi
| proof us he possibly can. The constable or
he WHO may catch the slave, also gets ;s5
fec, and such other fees are allowed MS some
one OF the 1900 new Judges may think fit to
order.
,' The original bill, VIC believe, proposes TO
make n save-c catcher OF every Postmaster in
the Free States! And this is the bill which
Henry Clay approves, and the passage of
which is TO form one of the conditions of
his boosted Compromise!
- Gov. SEWARD, of New York, made the
whole chivalry turn pale by proposing 10
strike OFT all after the enacting clause and
= insert as follows:
"When any person who shall have bccn
seized or arrested as n fugitive from labor,
under or 10y virtue oi'thc net OF Congress cn-
titled An act respecting iugilives rom jus
ticc and persons escaping from the scrvire
ofthcir masters,' passed. February IL, 1873,
shall hc brought or come before ANY iudgc
u or magistrate named or described IN said net,
and the person so arrested or seized may de-
ny tlint he owes such service or labor as Is
alleged, or that he has escaped FROM such
service or labor, irslInll he the duty oi such
Judge or magistrate iiercupon 10 uppUlat q
Time and place TO try the issue thus joined,
aud adlOunImeuts shall be granted from
I Time tu tiiiic, as siail he found necessary Tor
the ilntlierance OF just decision upon tlc
fact; aud the person 50 arrested may give
bail or security, 10 be approved 10y such
Judge or magistrate, iur his Appearance NJ
such Adjournment, it it shall b. granted on
II application; and the claimants shall give
security 10 the person so arrested or seized
for thu payment H dimlgcS aud costs ii the
claim sIiall he udiudged void, such security
TO he approved in like manner as aforesaid.
And the issue thus joined shall bo tried be-
. fore Jury OF twelve persons, duly qualified
10 serve as Jurors for the district, free from
adj challenges or just exceptions, 10 bc sum
moned by the marshal OF the district, by
virtue of vcure, TO he issued by such Judge
or magistrate; aud exceptions may be iuRci
by either party on such trial, and Judgment
shall he rendered for or against the clailnnnt
according Gs the verdict shall he. The
Judgment may be brought before The dis
trct court of tile United States for the dis
trict, for revision, by n writ of ccrtorari to
he issued out of the said court, Oh security
approved 10y the district Judge of The sNld
{ district; and such district court may utllrn
such Judgment or reverse it, with uenre dc
moro 4; 6nd hl tlidt case may proceed to Try
the said issue, and 10 render Judgment by
the Jury empannelled in that court.
SEC. 9. lind be ii further enacted, That any
person arrested on seized as fugitive from
labor or service shall he entitled 10 n writ OF
hnJeas corpus, TO he issued by the Judge oil
the district court, or amy associate Judge ol
r Tic supreme court of the United Stules, as q
wit OF right and on hoing brought he.orc
t sach Judge by viltue of said writ, it shall hC
the duty Of surh Judge to proceed to tria
Of the claim by the jury in Tie mnnner be
Q fore mentioned, ifno trial has been had, ,pn,
0 10 discharge him from such arrest it sucl
e trial 10y jury has been had, and the claim ha
Y not been sustained before the jury or tn
5 court which had cognizance OF the SUMO
g And il shall be the duty of the marshal, o
: any other person having custody OF any PEI
s son so arrested, 10 allow him all necessar
v and convenient time 10 employ counsel {
II sue out writ Of habers corpus
/ l.. "A E.,lI al