The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-13
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,


last, inquire whether the Secretary of the Int
ror re-opened and allowed certain claims after
they had been closed by former administrations.
Mr.. MILLSON contended that the committee
had Investigated subjects not committed to them,
and he referred 10 the military services rendered
| by Virginia i'll the revolutionary war, insisting
| that claims arising from them ought To be paid,
and showing how much she contributed, and how
| little she has obtained from the General Govern
ment As to the Barron claim he knew the in.
terested parties we'll; they were persons of the
| highest standing and most honorable character.
While he did concur with the Secretary OF the
Interior in the decision at which that gentleman
| arrived, he had hesitation in saying that they
might honestly receive and retain the money.
Mr.. RICHARDSON obtained the floor, when the
morning hour expired.
The House took up and disposed of Senate bills
lying on the Speakers table, and passed that ex-
tending the port OF New Orleans.
FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL.
The House took up the bill from the Senate,
(amendatory of the act of 1882 commonly known
the Fugitive Slave bill. Having been read 4
first and second time
Mr.. THOMPSON, of Pennsylvania, stated his
object in rising, to be TO submit an explanation OF
the principles of the BILL if he could get he atten-
ton Of the House. II would then be for the body
to say whether they would refer the bill to COM
mitee, put it on its passage. II had been looked
into and read everywhere with considerable atten-
ton. There was, he said, an obligation binding
on all the States to deliver up such fugtives as
might escape from their masters and the princi-
Piles of this bill were, in his Judgment conformabe
10 the Constitution. The law of 1898 had become
almost dead letter, and this measure in
tended to give il more efectually the effect which
was originally intended. After having explained
the several sections of the bill, he repeated that the
Constitution requires this unfortunate class to be
| given up by the States.
| Mr.. GIDDINGS inquired whether he understood
the gentleman to say that the Constitution obliges
q free State to surrender a fugitive. Did the Con-
stituton require free citizens to seize runaway
negro, arrest him, and deliver him to his pur
| suer? Did the Constitution make a free citizen
| bloodhound TO pursue the absconding fugitive:
Mr. THOMPSON should like to know what was
the meaning of the constitutional provision, If the
slave not 10 be given up!
| Mr.. GIDOINGS asked the gentleman whether
the Constitution made II the duty OF free State to
arrest negroes,
MIR. THOMPSON replied, that all he proposed to
do this morning was TO sustain this bill. When II
was necessary 10 answer questions, based on alb
stract principles he would do lie then read the
constitutional provisions, namely: "a person
charged in any State with treason felony, other
crime, who shall fiee from justice, and be found in
another State, shall, on demand of the Executive
authority of the State from which he fed, be delv
cred up be removed TO the State having jurisdic-
ton of the crime.
&c No person held to service or labor in one State
under the laws thereof, escaping into another,
shall, in consequence of any law or regulation
therein, be discharged from such service or labor,
but shall bc delivered up on the claim of the party
| 10 whom such service or labor may be due"
| IL laws are not passed. hat TO prevent
gentlemen holding slaves from going into the free
States and seizing their slaves therer
Mr. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania Does TINS bill
| take away that right:
Mr. THOMPSON. Not at all. The bill provides
that if a slave be wrested from HE master, he may
summon sufficient force 10 rescue his property Ii
could not be disguised that the bill is part Of the
wholesome measures designed TO place the States
in peaceful relation the one towards the other,
aud does not give up a scintilla Of the powers OF
the Constitution; ON the contrary, 1t proposes to
carry out express provision Of that instrument.
1t requires proof II the property and the identity
Of the slave, 90 be furnished from the State from
| which the fugitive escapes. For the purpose OF
| giving the House the fullest opportunity of ex-
pressing their sense on the bill. he moved the pre-
| yious question
! Mr.. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania, inquired whe-
Their the bill had been printed
| The SPEAKER. Not by order Of the House II
has been lying the Speaker table.
! Mr.. GIDDINGS desired 10 say but one word; but
| he was called 10 order
MIR. FOWLER inquired whether it would be in
order 10 TO refer the bill "a the Committee ui
the Whole ON the state Of the Union'
| The SPEAKER. Not pending the demand for
! the previous question.
Mr.. CRoWELL remarked that many Of the
l seats were empty, and moved call OF the House.
| Sir. THOMPSON was asked, bat refused TO with
draw the demand for the previous question, which a
/ few moments after was seconded-aycs n, noes %
! Mr.. STEVENS. Of Pennsy lvania, moved to lay
the bill on the table; but the motion did not pre-
vail-ycas 90, nays ll3.
The vote on ordering the bill 10 a third reading
wss-yeas los, nays 70; and the bill was read a
| third time.
Mr. ROOT moved that there be a call Of the
House. and il wac refused-yeas %, nays 100
The Fugitive Slave bill was then passed-yeas
lO9, nays IS, as follows:
! YEAS.-Messrs. Albertson, Aston, Anderson
Ashe, Avcrett, Bay, Bayly, Beale, Bissell, Bowdon
Bowie, BOwlin, Boyd, Breck Albert G.. Brown
! William J. Brown, Buel, Burt, George Alfred Cald
well joseph y Caldwell, Clingman, Williamson
| r. w. Cobb, Colcock, Daniel, Deberry, Dimmick
Durham, EdmundsOn, Eliot, Ewing, Featherston
Fuller, Gentry, Gerry, Gilbert, German, Green
Hall, Hamilton, HARRISON, Isham 6. Harris, Samp
| son w. Harris, Thomas l.. Harris, Raymond, HID
bard. Hilliard, Hoagand, Holiday, Holmes, Hous.
ton, Howard. Hubbard, Inge, Joseph w Jackson
! Andrew Johnson, James l.. johnson, Robert w
| Johnson, Jones, kaufman, Kerr, La sere, Letter
i Littleheld, job Mann, Marshall, Mason, McCler.
nsnd Mcdonald, McGaughcy, McLanshan, +. E.
| Mclean, McMullen, Mcqueen, Melville, Meade
| Miller, Mllson, Morton, Orr, Outlaw, Owen, Par.
kcr, Peaslce, Phelps, Powell, Richardson. Robbins
IT,. ROss, Savage Seldom, Shcppcrd, Stanly, Fred.
! crick p. stanton. Richard "A. Stanton, Taylor
] Thomas, Jacob Thompson. James Thompson John
! Is. Thompson, Toombs Nenable, Walden, Wal
lace. Watkins, wellborn, Widrick. Williams
| Woodward, and Ycung-lO9.
! NAYS Nessrs. Alexander, Allen, Baker Ben
nett, Bingham, Booth, Briggs, Burrows, Thomas
Is. Butler Joseph Cable, Calvin, Campbell, Carter
| Chandler, Cole Corwin, Crowcll Dickoy, Disney
Dixon, Doty, Duncan, Durkce, N. Evans, Fitch
| Fowler, Freddy, Giddings, Colt, Gould, Halo
way, Hampton, 1arls n Hay, Hcbard Henry Howe
| Hunter, W. r. Jackson Julian, George G. King
James G King, John A. King, Preston King, Horace
| Mann, Matt,son, McKis5ock, Mcacham, Moore
| Morris, Nelson, OTIS, Pitman, Putnam, Reed, Rob
inson, Root, Rumsey, Jr, Ssckett, sawtelle, Scher
| mcrhorn, Schoocrait, Sylvester, Spraguc, Thaddeu
Stevens. Stetson, Thurman, Tuck, Undcrhill, Vim
ton, Waldo, Wentworth, Whittlcscy, Wood, and
| Wnght-75.
| Mr.. THOMPSON, Of Pennsylvania, moved Z
| reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed
and at his instance the motion wac laid upon th'
table
| sTgAMERs.
! message was received from the President OF tn
United States, in answer TO resolution OF tn
House, adopted on the second instant, Communi
eating the exact cost OF the lncs of American
steamers carrying the mails between the UnitcC
States and Europe. II was laid on the table an'
| ordered 20 be printed
Bills from the Senate, lying the Speaker
table, disposcd of, when
| Tho House adjourned.
| TaE SECOND DISTRICT OF MAssh cBUsETTs.--W'
have returns from three more towns TO add 10 thu
list which gave yesterday, Of the votes for mem
Der Of Congress in the Second district, but they ~
not vary the result. There il no choice. Mr.. Up
ham lacks about 800 votes Of an election In eg
| vote of about . 300