The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-12-21
Vermont and the Personal Liberty Bill.


heel of the last session of the last State Leg
islature, there was an attempt made to re-
peal ell laws heretofore passed by this State
calculated to obstruct the rendition of fugi-
tive slaves. For reasons which will appear
hereafter, there was small vote in favor of
such repeal, though it was twice the strength
of the democratic party in the House. We
have had in our drawer for two weeks past
the remarks of S. B. Colby, Esq, before the
judiciary committee upon this bill to repeal,
but as other and important matters have
crowded our columns, We have found as yet
no place to insert them in full.
AS all our readers may not know what this
Personal Liberty Bill of our State is which
appears SO obnoxious to the South, We copy
below one section of an act passed in 1913 I:
"SEC. 8. No sheriff, deputy sheriff, high
bailitf or constable, or other officer or citizen
Of this State. shall transport or remove, or
aid or assist in the transportation or removal
of any fugitive slave, or any person claimed
as such, from any place in this State to any
other place within or without the same"
The fourth section of the same act imposes
penalty Of five years in the State prison,
and fine of $1,000 for violation.
III the year 1853, We believe, an additional
enactment was made, as follows:
"SEc. 6. Every person who may be held
as a slave, who shall come or be brought, "l
be in this State, with or without the consent
come, or be brought, or be involuntariI,, 0,
iii any way in this State, shall be free"
This last section is the one that is claimed
to be in direct violation of the Constitution
of our government but with this We hav,
nothing to do now. We think by this time
We have prepared TIE way for all who rea,
this to comprehend the motives of certain
ones in their attempts to remove this obnox
ious (so-called) and unnecessary bill from ou
statute books, and also to appreciate the fol
lowing just article from the New York Times
by the closing sentences of which it will b,
seen that no one need fear but justice will b,
done in Vermont:
Great injustice is done to Vermont by tn,
sweeping statement which is going tn,
rounds of the Press, and has figured largely
of course, as stimulant to secession i'll tn,
Washington Constitution, that Vermont hat
utterly refused to repeal her Personal Iiber
~ Bill. The legislature, by joint resolution
instructed the committee appointed to revis
the statutes of the state, to inquire whethe
any of its provisions were in confic
with the Constitution of the United States
and Senator Woodbridge, in debate on tn
subject, expressed the general sentiment OF
the legislature when he said that 1.-The people
Of Vermont, the legislature of Vermont ant
the judiciary of Vermont, do rot wish, ant
wiH mt t"lciute upon oar statute books. az.
lar that conflicts witk the Constitution on,
! lars Of or General Government"
The law was not repealed, because Their
was no time properly to examine its provis
ions,-because its repeal was pressed in
purely partisan spirit and for the accomplish
ment of patty ends, ard because Vernon
did not see the necessity or propriety of tax
ing hasty action merely on the demand of tn
South, backed by threat. As no fugitlv
slave has ever been claimed in Vermont, it i
not believed that any serious Inconvenience
will arise from short delay in repeating
bill which never released one slave from hi
service. The committee to whom the matte
was referred, consists Of Judges Bennett,l sf
am and Tracy three of the best lawyers i
the state. The country need have no mi.
givinss as to the justice and patriotism Of
their action.