New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-24
ruR CONSUMER MUST PAY.

THR CONSUMER mCsT PAf.
w. rive an extract in another column from an
act uassed at the session Of the Virginia Legs
sture lust concluded, one object Of which is to put
a stop to escapes from slavery. The sections
which we give are worthy Of especial notice as
going to show the folly, not ess than the ferocity
by which catching legislation is so apt to be
distinguished. The oath section of this act pro-
yides, among other things, that, if the person 80
oespdng-that is, carrying of, or attempting to
Carly of a slave" shall at the time be in COM
"mand Of. or be attached to, d vessel, the same
4" shall be forfeited to the commonwealth" This
section places the owners of vessels employed in
the Virginia trade at the mercy Of every sailor or
passenger who may happen to be on board, for
whose acts the vessel is made liable to forfeiture.
The next section goes still further. 1t provides
that If ANY vessel bound to port out Of the State
,hsH pass the Init Of any county-whichi it may do
BY merely moving the length of the vessel-having
spy slave on board, without the written consent
"of the master or owner thereof" the captain Of
the vessel shall be considered to have attempted to
carry off the slave thereby not only subecting him
self to the severe penalties to be presently men,
toned, but forfeitiDg the vessel Also
Suppose rogue Of master, out OF revenge or
for any other reason wishes to do the captain and
owners Of vessel an i'll turn. He has only to
cause his negro to 90 on board the vessel without
pass, and to avoid attracting attention till the
vessel has gone beyond the limits Of the county,
procuring by that malicious act not only the for
fixture Of the vessel and the imprisonment and per-
haps the public whipping of the captain, but also
putting into bis own pocket, by way of dam
ages, double the value Of the slave" for which,
in such case, the captain is made liable-a tempt
alton to knavery which we very much fear that some
Virginia shareholders mghtnot have the virtue to re-
sist. Of course owners of ships are not going to take
such risk for nothiDg-and the first thing 10 be
expected from the passage of this act is rise in
freights to and from Virginia, sufficient to indem-
Nifty the owners, to the extent of full premium Of
insurance against the new risk to their vessels thus
imposed upon them.
The 26th section imposes upon the master Of
any vessel who shall knowingly receive on board
any RUNAWAY slave, Imprisonment from five to
ten years in the penitentiary, forfeiture in money
expenses incurred in his recovery, and, at the dis
erection of the jury, public whipping. 'to such
can extent, ard at such times as i. 1.-THE jury1
"may see ft'-and it further provides that if
"such slave be on board such vessel after leaving
&" the port. the master or shipper shall be presumed
{" hare Knowingly receired him !"
There are cases, as that Of common carriers for
instance where man is held liable to indemnify
in money for losses, the responsibility of which is
fixed upon him merely by presumption of law;
but whoever heard before Of sending man to the
penitentary on the strength of such presumptiOns
1t is plain that every captain of vessel who visits
Virginia does it at the risk of being called upon to
pay the pecuDiary value of every slave who at the
at the suggestion of his master, and with this very
object in view, cOnceals himself on bOard ard not
only that, but of being whipped and imprisoned
into the bargain. Now, there are few risks which
the captains of our merchant vessels are.not ready
to take. They do not hesitate, when prospect
offers of being we'll paid for it, to visit the most
baIbarous countries. But of course nobody will
run such risks for nothing; nor will any trustwor
thy and respectable captain be found to venture
himself in Virginia exposed to this new danger
aganst which It may be utterly impossible for him
to guard, except at Oh increased rate of wages
Such must be the economical operation of these
laws. Slave.catching is very expensive luxury
as the United States have found by their expert
ence Of the operation of the Fugitive-Slaye act;
aud though in this war the money to be paid by
Virginia will be more indirect in its method of COL
lection, our Virginia friends may be assured that
for every Yankee ship forfeited, and for every
Yankee captain fined, imprisoned or whipped,
means will be found to make them pay most
roundly, and what is more to pay in advance also.
The sagacity exhibited by this act is on par with
ts humanity. To its humanity it will be hard to
find parallel without going back to the days, now
happily passed, of Turkish and Algerine slavery.