The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-24

very shall remain in force in the territory unit
{ they shall be altered or repealed By Congress.
: wish to amend BY adding these words iDimedi
ately after the words establishing nor prohibit
! ing African slavery.
! The PRESIDING OFFICER That will b,
) a substantive proposition The senator can OF
{ fer il after the pending amendment is disposed
of
, The question was then taken on the motion
7 of Mr. DOUGLAS to strike out the words 8 MOI
, establishing nor prohibiting African slavery !
, and it resulted al follows
YEAs-Messrs. Bradbury, Cass, Chase Clarke
Clay, Cooper, Corwn, Dickinson, Dodge OF Iowa
Douglas, Fech, Greene, Hamlin, Jones, Miller
Norris, Seward, Shields, Sturgeon, Underwood
and Uphsn--2l
NAYs-A-Nlessrs. Atchison, Badger, Baldwin
Bell, Benton. Berrien. Borland, Bright, Butler
Clemens, Davis, of Mississippi, Dawson, Dodge
of Wisconsin, Downs, Foote, Hale, Houston
Hunter, King, Mangum, Mason, Morton, Pierce
Pratt, RusS, Sebastian, Soule, Spruance, Tur-
ney Walker, Webster, Whitcomb and Yulee--
49,
Mr. WALKER. believe my amendment
will now be in order. | now move to amend
the bill in the tenth section by adding, after the
word slavery" the following words .'And that
peon slavery is forever abolished"
Mr.. HALE move to amend that amend
ment by striking out the word "peon." Laugh
ter.
Mr. WALKER. We have just voted on a
proposition in regard to African slavery, and it
has been rejected. There is species Of slavery
there which | think ought to be abolished, and
against which none has been more eloquent in
his defamation than the honorable senator from
Louisiana 1t is in regard to this species of sla-
very that propose my amendment, and hope
it will be adopted
Mr. BENTON The amendment is well
founded and deserves the attention of the SEN
ate. With the view of showing this | will read
from an ordinance passed ut Monterey in rela-
ton to peonage:
"That no person whatever shall from hence
forth hire or take into his service any Indian
without certificate from the former employer
of that Indian stating that the said employer
has no claims on the services of that Indian for
wages advanced"
! Ii is still stronger in the Spanish, the word
an,o, which is translated employer" cores
pondng with our words, MASTER owner, or
proprietor" The ordinance in another clause
then goes on to say
"Any person taking into his employment any
Indian without such certificate, and advancing
any money or property to said Indian, shall for
felt any money or property so advanced; and if
. it should be proved that any Indian has been
enticed away from the service Of his master, the
person convicted of having so enticed him shall
be liable to fine not exceeding twenty dollars
nor less than five dollars"
This ordinance was issued at Monterey on the
18th of January, lS47. The word (" slavery
which is in the amendment offered by the senator
from Wisconsin, do not think is technically
correct. ! would suggest that the word seryi-
tude' would be more technically correct.
Mr. WALKER. | accept the suggestion of
the senator from Missouri
Mr.. PRATT 1t occurs to me, Mr.. President
that we have no legislative power to interfere
with this subject. Slavery either exists there or
, it does not. This pconage, to which the amend
ment Of the senator from Wisconsin was in
tended to apply, was serSitude existing by virtue
of the contract of the individuals. Here then
is this servtude existing by the recognized law
of that country. Nov, what right has Congress
to interfere with the vested rights of these people,
and say that those rights shall not exist which
are guaranteed by The treaty between tbs coun-
try and Mexico
But, sir, if this amendment is passed, il slavery
!, or seryitude, either in the peon the negro, is
abolished there, it must include the obligation
on the part Of this Government to pay the debt
e for which that scrvitude was pledged, or the
r slavery is to be abolished. ! do, therefore, hope
that this disposition to offer amendment after
h amendment, for the purpose of testing the same
question again and again, will be resisted by the
Senate and that they will be voted down.
Mr.. DAYTON. feel the full force of the
remarks which have just fallen from my friend
friend Maryland and it seems to me that they
should arrest the attention of the Senate Ii APP.
pears to me that we are proposing to interfere
with vested rights, so far rs have any knowledge
: of this system of peonage. Now, sir, think that
whatever we may do MS to the future, we should
: let the present stand. If it is in order now tc
move to amend the amendment of the senator
t from Wisconsin, | will move to amend it by
adding afterth words" pcen slavery" the words
: growing out of or connected with any future
4 contract" propose that as an amendment, and
) if it should be agreed to, the whole amendT ent
!, can be voted down, if it be deemed necessary
!, Mr. CLEMENS. | move that the Senate now
: adjourn.
Mr.. WALKER. Will the senator from Ala
, hama withdraw that motion for one moment, for
, an explanation
Mr.. CLEMENS. withdraw it,
Mr. WALKER. | do not know what the
senator from Maryland intended to imply by
: senators moving the same question again and
again, but | can assure him that my motive was
not to reach thequestion OF African slavery under
this guise. Iassure the senator and the country
that | had no such Intention whatever.
, One other observation. As understand peon
: service, it il n kind of a modified form of i'm
!, prisonment for debt Now, we know that the
!, Congress of the United States has heretofore
b abolished the system of imprisonment for debt
In the case of these poems they are obliged to
: work for certain master, to whom they are
Z, confined and IMPRISONMENT for debt is only be.
!, inc confined to certain limits. Congress has nj
, ready exercised jurisdiction in abolshing impr
sonment for debt, and rs we are now !egislatino
for n territory under doctrine which has already
: been decided, | think we may clearly exercise
this power However, am willing to defer to
the opinions of those who are more enlightened
, on the subject than am
. On motion by Mr.. CLEMENS, the Senate
! then adjourned
JUNE 9Th
The question was then taken on the amend