Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-11

tiou was had by Congress i'll consequence OF tue NC
| tion of this Southern Commercial Convention at Ss
vannah in 1896. 1t sprun. directly out oi 1t. hui
Congress has alphabetically declared. by Il decisive
vote upon this subject, that tho legislation now eN'st
ing in regard 10 thu slave trade. il not tn he changed
and that it will adhere 10 the policy adopted ny OF
government from lSDS TO the present time. In ihh
we have nm uneGiivocal condemnation OH Tie part 4"
the popular branch OF the government OF lne ihes
| sure which this Convention IL now attempting 10 pass
True, that action ia not binding on the Convention
| but il is conclusive as 10 the policy Of Congress, ant
may be regarded as very high authority against an
action that may be- taken here upon this subject.
We come now TO The action OF these SoinNherctt
Conventions upon this question. l have already re
TERED to the ~incipient action taken upon IL al Savan
nah in lS56. l have the record of the proceedings I"
:his Convention, and have taken the trouble since
have been here to look into il, and to read every
speech delivered for, and against the question, That
might be able 10 vote upderstandipgly upon tins ques
ton when called upon to do so. We come To the
Knoxville Convention held in 1857, and what do VT
find ,h.rel We find Mr.. JAMES Lyons a delegate
from Virginia reporting back from the business com
mitiee, a resolutinn, asking that Congress- shall with
draw the squadron from the coast of Africa which The
government bound itself To keep there. Now, SIR
what was the action Of the Convention upon that rs
%olution. We find by looking at the proceedings that
upon the passage of the resolution MIR. SSEAD a dele
safe from Tennessee in that Convention and recent.
a member OF Congress from that State, proposed &c
amend it by declaring that it WAS 'erpedient y tina
WAS the extent of the amendment. and the question
came up upon the adoption fthe amendment. | should
have said that bis amendment also declared that il
was "inexpedient and contrary 10 the settled policy
Of THE country to repeal the laws prohibiting the Al
ricsu slave trade" This amendment was adopted h.
also the original resolution i'll reference to the recon
incubation to Congress 10 withdraw the squadron
from the coast of Africa
What next. We find on & subsequent day during
that Convention that Mr.. SPRarr, ffom South Cdro'l
no, introduced II resolution requesting thar a 'omiu'l
tee be- appointed Tor the purpose OF obtaining inform
alton upon the subject of the African Slave trade, aus
reporting the resuits Of their research 10 this Con-
vention. The resolution wss strongly opposed, buI
was subsequently, carried by a small majority. Tn
IL The history of the action OF the Commercial Con
%ventions upon this subject.
And now We come to the report which the gentle
man has made under that resolution. The report
upon your tebi- which has Leeu presented 10 this Con
veution, is a report which | acknowledge, is draw w
The reporters recollection oil the action OF the Con
! vencun upon this amendment Is, that il was rejected, and
! The resolution OF Mr.. BhYAS Of South Carolns IN retei.
race to the annul!ment oil the 9Th srucle OF the treaty OF
Washington TO which this wac an amendment, adopted
as it was originally offered