Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-21

other objection Of the Senator from Ohio. -,
n. ,msadmso ! too large for any ii the supposed offences
Mr.. President, under the constitution tne SoneD "e
United States have exclusive legislation 10 inc Dsc Oh
Columbia II is to Congress that the people Oh 'ne Dsrct
are TO look for legislative protection as ne people the
sveraI States look to their respective Legislatures Now,
there is not slave State in this Union where the offences
embraced in this third section are not punished win equal Sc
verify with the punishments prescribed o TINS nrd secon
Tn vour own State sir (referng to Mr. HUHrRR, who was
temporarily occupying the offenders Of this sort are pun
shed by longer period Of imprisonment than ten years. be-
Ieye In Kentucky they are punishable by confinement IN
the penlentiay In Maryland they punishable by con-
nement in the penieniary. In South Carolina they are
hanged. In North Carolina take it for granted they are
hanged, because there hanged for stealing horse,
and suppose stealing negro is offence Of equal dignity
with stealing horse There slave State in the Union
whose citizens not protected by statutes imposing penalties
for tho offences embraced in this amendment equal in severity
the penalties which here imposed Let ask why,
them is unreasonable that these penalties should be pre-
scbed Can be that because Congress may think it right
to pass law to protect the right Of property IN slaves 10 the
citizens Of the District will be deemed by any body as just
reason for voting against the bill who before in favor OF
Every where where slavery exists in every State where
slaves recognised property that property protected by
laws equally stringent those which are BOW proposed by the
amendment do not believe, Mr. President that there are
any people this Uaon who would object to the penalties
proposed be imposed here they understood the question
If the persons who speak before them who write Tor tnem
instead of attempting blind the judgment OF the people,
were argue the question they themselves understand IT.
there no people this broad spread Union who would De
against imposing the penalties proposed III the amendment
believe there single citizen OF section Of
the Union who is not blinded by fanacs hope there
fewer fanatics than has been supposedwho would object
the penalties proposed they understood the question II
he made understand that this is property recognised by
the constitution Of his country precisely his own property
he would that should be protected his pro-
perry is protected.
The present fifth section Of the bill amendmentto which
some objections have also been urged That section leaves il
&c the nantu
to the people Of the District decide in reference to the
priety Of permitting free negroes within the District
of Columbia for purposes Of residence to regulate the free
negroes who here by such police regulations as are
adopted in every slave community in the country Does not
every community enjoy the right Of protecting itself BY suit.
able police regulations Is the power exercised in every
State of the Union prohibit the coming Of persons whose
presence may be dangerous to the community And why
should permit the corporate authorities Of the District
of Columbia to exercise that power has been said that
Virginia prohibits the coming Of free negroes there and that
Maryland prohibits the and adopt these amendments
compel them by law leave the District and that having
no where CO. they remain here in violation Of law
and become slaves. Why sr that is not The corpo"
rate authorities will be authorized to them BY such
regulations they may provide. The corporate authorities
be presumed know that the laws Of Virginia and OF
Maryland prohibit free persons Of color from going into those
States. We cannot suppose otherwise than that they will
egislae from knowledge of all these facts, so as to send
these people to portions of the country which, under the
laws, they CO. They go Pennsylvania They
cannot go to Maryland or to Virginia And therefore,
the amendments made in committee be concurred in, the
porate authorities under the power given them, will provide
for sending them to place where they may go
under the laws.
But my Objects by no to prolong the debate
ask that the question be taken the amendments have
offered to the third section r to strike out attempt
in the third lines and second strike out in the 18th line
Mr.. CLAY. Mr. President wish to say but very few
words repeat my expression of regret that this debate
has been long prolonged Does the Senator from Mary
land wish that should pass the provisions Of the original
bill together with the amendments suppose he does.
Well, tell him-and the opinion is founded upon votes
given in this if they connected together both
will fail.
Mr. PRATT would state to the Senator that do not
wish the two first sections of the bill to pass without the
amendments offered by my colleague.
Mr. CLAY. There are gentlemen who will vote for the
two first sections alone without the amendments and there
gentlemen who will vote against the two first sections
with the amendments And there enough in the Senate
though of it matter Of conjecture and of opinion
to defeat them if combine them together And yet this
combination is persevengly insisted upon when declare
willingness to take the subject separately and provide
suitable remedies for the evils existing here.
Sir what is the state of the in relation to this slave
trade in the District There have been thousands and
Of thousands Of petitions presented for twenty years
from all parts of the Northern portion of the Union at least
and some believe from the District ITSELF praying for the
abolition Of this trade bill has been introduced for that
purpose and the subject has been under consideration for
eight months But all at once without solitary petition
people oI DlSttlct regard 10 mater,
Senator gets and proposes two three amendments to this
BILL and insists upon them although the people here have
lived for fifty years without any particular legislation in
gard to the subecmatter Of these amendments All ask
is that you will incumber considered subject subject
upon which we have deberaed and formed opinions,
with unconsdeed subject crudely presented to us, and
with respect which there ought be careful consideration,
both to the object and the phaseoogy accomplish the
object. Will gentlemen insist, under such circumstances,
upon this combination of the subjects The bill will be lost
believe in this House in the Other you combine the
two subjects repeat that believe both objects be at
tanned kept separate The interests of the people of the
District will not suffer- apprehend, from delay Of two
months until the session. when bill be brought
in in relation to this other matter.
The gentleman from Maryland speaks Of the amendments.
Either the honorable Senator myself totally msundesands
the third section He thinks the actual running away with
slave constitute the crime That not the way read
it. As understand it. the encng inducing slave
away, whether be away not is liable to the
punishment which is provided That is subject which will
and venture say the legislation Of every slave State has
the punishment Of these offences according to their
nature Such punishments particularly when they not
unreasonable capable Of being carried into effect But
here is proposed make the conception of crime
liable to the penalties the contamination of it. And
then to the punishment proposed to be inflicted should
protest against the power being lodged in the breast Of any
Judge nct ten years years imprisonment
any human being should insist upon trial by Jury, with
punishment graduated according the opinion of the jury
But now this late period Of the session. attach
amendments subject which has not been considered
bill that has been deliberately considered by the Senate and
by the country trust am there were many
Senators who voted for the amendments in committee with