The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-09-12
T0TTTn From fhs Mssissippian.
Protection IA TO slave Properly in the
W nTerriteries neJNeYe eDpcsrine-a

palmiest days Of their brilliant reputation
They had then reached the acme of their
fame. Amongst their illnstnods associates
in thatb6dy at that tims siwereI Samuel Prem
tiss, ,'Silas Wright, Theodore Frelinghuysen,
ls.L Southland, John 90 CIsytouy WiBbaaC.
Riyes, John Tyler John Forsyth Felix Grun-
dy, Hugh L. White, Alexander Porter Geo.
Poindextcr, VIM. r. King, and Thomas II.
Benton. .n-s i-''.s y sa'e
In the House, of ReprssentaTes) there
was, amongst Others, George Evans Rufus
ehqats John Quincy AflapS. Edyard aErrd .lEfys Eyer
EFT, Tristram Burgess, Churchill c. Cambrc-
ling, Millard Fillmore, Philemon Dickerson,
Horace Binney, Henry AZ Mulhenberg, VIM.
Cost johnson, William S. Archer, Andrew
Stevenson, Henry A. Wise, Lewis Williams,
Associate Justice Wayne, Of the sapreme
Court, Richard IL. Wilde, Richard NJ john
son, Robcrt-P Letcher, John Bell, Balre Pey
ton, David Crockett, Thomas Corwin. Edw,
A. Hanpegan, Clement c. Clay ST. Dixon
ii. Lewis, and John Mckinley.
The Executive Administration was no less
distinguished; !. Andrew, Jackson was at its
head.
Lewis McLane, Roger d. Taney, Levi
Woodbury., IeSb Cas-, and WibJ T. Dairy,
were in the Cabinet.
At this period in the history of our coun-
try, the Legislatureof the then Territory of
Florida, assailed the property of non-rcsi-
dent citizens of the United States, by taxing
their slaves to an excessive extent, so as to
preclude their introduction. One Of the very
devices suggested by Judge Douglas, by
which Territorial Legislature may exclude
slavery, no matter what the Supreme Court
may decide. james NJ Garnett NJ. Garnett
and Maria II. Garnctt, of Virginia, were suf-
ferers by this exercise ofSquattcr Sovereign
ty by tile Territorial Legislature. They pc
t:tioned Congress for its protection.
The petition was referred TO a committee
of nine, five of whom were from the free
States, and at the head of which was the
celebrated Lewis Williams, Of NJ G., for
many Of the last years of his service the old
est consecutive member of the House.
Their report will be found in the official
volumes, being No. 25s, lst Session of 23d
Congress. 1t is as follows:
-.--~T r February ] lth, 1884.
'Mr. Williams, from the Committee on Terri
tories, made the following report:
'The Committee on Territories, to which was
referred the memorial of James NJ. Garnett NJ
Garnett, and Maria II. Garnett, Of Essex county,
Virginia report
..Sihe memoralists .allege that they are the
owners of number of slaves removed several
yearsago from Virginia to the Territory Of Flor
ida; that the Legislature Of said Territory has
| imposed tax Of ten dollars head on all slaves
of non.residents which shall be hired out, with
out reference to the amount for which said slaves
may have been hired that an er post Jdcto oper
alton was given to this enactment by applying
| il to slaves hired out several weeks before the
passage Of the law; and that the same, or per-
! haps another law, subjects any non-resident's
slaves that may be sold in the Territory to a fur
ther tax of fifteen dollars each. They therefore
ask Congress for relief.
"Ihe Committee are satisfied that the memo
rialists are entitled to relief 1t is certainly
against the policy of the United States, as well
as the dictates of common justice, to allow any
Territoral Legislature tax the property Of non
residents higher than the same property Of res
ident citizens.
"The provisionary authority appointed under
the Act Of Esd Of February, 1919, having passed
an ordinance providing for the naturalization of
the inhabitants Of Florida, and the City Council
Of St Augustine having imposed by ordinance,
certain taxes upon the inhabitants, an Act of
Congress was passed on the 9TH Of May, 1922,
repeating both ordinances, and making the ex.
ecution penal.-(See 9Th vol Laws of the United
States, page 5s, chap. s6)
'The Committee think Congress should al
ways protect the property of the citizens Of the
United States when subjected TO the operation
Of unjust legislation by the Territorial Govern
ment In the case above referred to, that prin-
ciple of protection is asserted and maintained in
practice. The same principle requires that same
practice now, and for that purpose the Commit
tee herewith report Bill y C~-T-r~r "a,
The bill so reported passed the Congress,
who-e distinguishing character we have por-
trayed, without a division, and was approved
by President Jackson, on the 3Oth of June,
1894. The law can be found in the 9TH
volume Of Statutes at large, page 60, chap
SO. 1t is as follows:
BE IL enacted By the Senate and House of Rep
reseRtatires Of the United States Of Amerioa in
Congress ssdsseD16led, That all such acts or parts
Of acts passed by the legislative council Of the
Territory Of Florida as may impose higher or
greater tax on the slaves or other property Of
nonresident citizens than is imposed on the
slaves or other property Of resident citizens be
and the same are hereby, repealed and declared
null and void
SEC 2. And be IL further enacted That if any
person shall attempt TO enforce any Of the acts
or parts Of acts passed by the legislative council
Of the Territory Of Florida as aforesaid. by de-
manding or receiving any tax, imposition, or as
sessment authorized or prescribed thereby, such
person shall, on conviction thereof be punished
by fines not exceeding two hundred dollars. or
by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or
either or both Of said punishments
The Washington CoAsatutiOn, in COM
menting upon it, says: This law establishes
as fact that a Democratic Congress inter
vened for the purpose of protecting proper
ty in Territory against the unfriendy leris-
lation Of the Territory, and that Intervention
was approved by Andrew Jackson. The re-
port OF tie committee above cited, which in |