The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-27

lacks upon everything southern.
The example Of Mr. Seward and the Tribune is not
lost upon the aboltionst politicians of the northern
States, Vermont makes haste to do the bidding Of
the leader and the organ. An ingenious senator in
her legislature has conceived the project of making
it a criminal offence, punishable by confinement in
the State penitentiary for southern citizen to travel
in that State attended voluntarily by a family
want TO attempt under the authority of the
stiuton Of the United States, to reclaim in that
State slave who has escaped from service at home.
In pursuance OF this object this senator Mr. Evarts,
has introduced the following bill into the legisa-
tme, which it is expected viii become a law as
matter of course:
SECTION l. Any person who shall bring within this
State any other person. held slave, by law usage
in any other of the United States with intent to hold
such other person in servude within this State shall
within this State restrain such other person of his or her
liberty shall assert maintain, attempt to main
TAIN any claim property in such other person, such
person offending shall be deemed to be guilty OF fell
ony and shall, conviction thereof be punished by
Imprisonment in the State prison, not than ten
years less than five years. and by fine not exceeding
SIS, 900
al SIC. 2. Any person within this State who shall
strain attempt to restrain the liberty OF any other
person. upon pretence claim Of owning any property in
such other person. such person restraining attempt
ing to restrain the liberty of such other person. shall be
deemed to be guilty offs felony and conviction there
of be punished by imprisonment in the State prison. not
than ten years less than five years. and by fine
not exceeding 81, 900.
SEC. 8. This act shall take effect from its passage
Nothing is more usual than for southern citizens
travelling at the North to be attended by family
wants from home and this is always with the under
standing that if the servants desire to assert their
freedom and remain in the free States, they at
perfect liberty to do One would think, that an
aboltonist in good faith, who sincerely believed the
condition of slavery to be one of sorrow and OPP
preston to the negro and who really desired that
many slaves possible should be afforded an OPP
porunity to embrace freedom, would seek to encour
age rather than discourage and suppress, this
! practice, now grown prevalent by which many
slaves may obtain freedom by legal and rightfu as.
sertion Of it. The Vermont senator, however in his
eagerness to injure the stakeholder forgets the
slave and in order to vent his spleen upon the
master is willing to slam the door of freedom in the
face of the bondsman. The Tribune chuckles at
the ingenious malice of the abolitionst legislator
and remarks with gusto
..This BILL if passed. will efecualy put STOP far
Vermont is concerned, to the attempts of southern
visitors to play the STAKEHOLDER within the limits of that
| State"
But much more effectual measure for foreclosing
all effort the part of shareholders to reclaim their
fugitive servants has been introduced into the legis
lature of Vermont and has passed one of the
branches Of that body the substantial provisions of
which are as follows
.The first section of the bill provides that whenever
is claimed that any person held to service labor in
State under the laws thereof has escaped into this
State H. e., Vermont the proceedings the application
for the delivery up of such person claim of the party
to whom service labor is alleged to be DUE shall be in
the manner following and not otherwise :
al The claimant shall file with one of the judges of
the supreme court affidavit setting forth the facts upon
which such claim is based.
~. Such claimant shall also file with such judge a
good and sufficient bond to the person whose services
claimed, not less than 81 900, conditioned that the
claimant shall prosecute his claim to effect and in default
thereof shall pay to the other party all COSTS loss dam
ages trouble and expense occasoned by the proceedings
80 Such Judge shall, upon full compliance with tho
above provisions issue his warrant to apprehend the per-
son whose services claimed and him to APP
pear before the county next to be holden where the
proceedings are instituted
al The claim shall be tried upon the facts set forth in
the affidavit either party may have trial by jury de-
fendant may have the benefit of exceptions any ruling
of the court and if the verdict shall be for the defend
ant it shall be final and conclusive between the parties
Ihe eleventh section provides that if any person
shall in any way otherwise than is provided in this act
another to be arrested upon the claim pretence
that the person arrested is fugitive from service des
cbed in the first section Of this act he shall be punished
y by imprisonment in the State prison not than five
years. less than two years. and be fined not exceed
ing 81, 000
The owner of the fugitive slave IA stranger in the
community is required to find security for So 900
before the slave who is on his fight, shall be
arrested that is to say, there shall be arrest IN
til full opportunity for escape has been allowed.
/ If, by accident process issues, notwithstanding
This ,lalay, in time for an arrest, it is return
able before conn court justices, and not before
judge learned in the law. 'ni' ooui'
the slave may demand jury. If the verdict D. va
the slave it is final the law and facts if for the
master, the slave may appeal to higher court If,
finally, the owner turns in despair from tribunal in
which the issue is to be against him. and seeks
Justice otherwise" that is to say, under the pro-
visions of the fugve-slave law enacted by Congress
in the federal courts, he shall be punished by CON
inement in the State prison for five years and fined
thousand dollars, the value of the slave.
The Tribune quotes this bill with appreciation,
and it will doubtless become a law of Vermont. We
refer to the movement in the legislature of that
State only disclosing step in the programme of
policy lately announced for his party by Mr., Sew
ard and seconded with promptitude and energy by
tl,n TIL ID