Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-08-29


! From which neglect, for nearly thirty
years, have grown numerous and gross corr
ruptionsi
! Slave dealers, eainiag confidence from
in,penily, havemade the seat of the federal
government their head quartors for carrying
Ion the domestic slave trade,
! The public prisons have been exseusive-
" used perverted from the purposes for
which fFisy we're efectra1 for carrying on the
domestic slave trade,
| 0fieers of the federal Government have
been employed and derive emolument from
carrying on the domestic slave trade;
/ Private and secret prisons exist ia tie
District for carrying on this traffic in hu-
man beings;
The trade is not confined to those who
are slaves for. life; bnt persons having a
limited time to serve, are boughs, BY the
slave dealers, and sent where redress is
hopeless
Others are kidnapped and carried away
before they can be rescued;
Instances Of death, from anguish and de-
spair, exhibited in the District, mark the
cruelty Of this traffic;
instances Of maiming and suicide, exc
cuted or attempted, have been exhibited,
growing cut Of this traffic within the Dis
trlet;
/ Free persons Of color coming into the
| District, are liable to arrest, imprisonment;
and sale into slavery for life for iail fees, il
unable, from ignorance, misfortune, or
/ fraud, to prove their freedom,
Advertisements beginning, 1--WE will
/ give cash for ole hundred likely young me-
groes, OF both sexes, from eight to twenty
| FIVE years old,9 contained in the public
prints of the uity, under the notice Of Coa-
gress, indicate the openness and extent OF
/ the traffic;
Scenes of human beings exposed at pub
| lie yendae are exhibited here, permitted hy
the laws of the general government; wo-
lnan having been advertised .sto be sold nj
| Loyd's tavern, near the central market
house," during the month Of December;
! A grand jury of the District has present.
| ed the slave trade as q grievance
A writer IN public priut in the District
has set forth ''thet 10 those who never have
seen spectacle Of the kind, exhibited by
the slave trade no description can give an
adequate idea of its horrors;
To such extent had this been carried in
1916, that member of Congress from
Virgiuil, introduced resolution in the
House, That committee be appointed to
examine into the existence of an inhuman
and illegal traffic in slaves, carried on, in
aud thr ough the district of Columbia, and
report whether any, and what measures are
necessary for the putting a. stop to the
same
Tue House of Representatives Of Penn
sylvania, at their last session, by an almost
unanimous vote, expressed the opinion tha'
slavery, within the District of Columbia,
ought to be abolished,
Numerous petitions, from various parts Of
the Union, havo been presented to'Gon-
gress, praying fer the revision Of the laws
IN respect to slavery, and the gradual abo-
lition sf slavery therein;
And whsreas, the ten miles square, con-
6ded to the exclusive legislation of Con-
gress, ought, for the honor OF Republican
Government, and the interest. of the Dis
,rict, to exhibit specimen of pure and
just laws;
Bait Resolved, That the Committee for
the District Of Columbia be instructed TO
take into consideration the laws within the
District, in respect to slavery; that they in
auire into the slave trade as it exists IN,
aud is carried OF through the District; and
that they report to the House such amend
ments to the existing laws as shall seem to
them 70 DC Jusij
Resolved, That the Committee be fur
ther instructed to inquire into the expedi-
ency of providing by law, for the gradual
abolition of slavery within the District, in
such manner that the interest of no indiyid-
ual shall be injured thereby.
Mr. Weoms, of Maryland, moved the
question of consideration, en- which ques-
tion Mr.. Miner demanded the yeas and nays
aud they were ordered by the House.
So the question being, "Wil the House
now consider this resolutioni" it was deei-
ded as follows:
YxAs-M Mossrs. Allen (Massachusets,l
Anderson (aIaine) Anderson tPenn.l Arm
streng, Bailey, Baldwin, Barker, Barlow,
Barney. Bartlett, Barley, Bates, taass.)
Bates MOL Beecher, Blair, Blake. Brown,
BUCHANAN, Buck, Cambreling, Chiffon,
ClarktN " Condict, Coulter, Crownin-
.