The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-01-05
THE personal LIBERTY BILL.
THEIR TENOR AND EFFECT IN THE FREE STATES
from the n. Y. Evening Post, Sd ult.l

From the n. z Evening Post, Sd ult.l
A great deal of misunderstanding exists.
at the South, in reference to
those statutes which are popularity denomi-
mated personal liberty bills" We propose,
in the present article, to indicate the States
by which such bills have been passed, and
describe the nature of their provisions.
There are seventeen free States in the I'm
ion, of which only FIVE border on the slave
States, namely: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio and Pennsylvania. Of these border
ing States, into which slaves are likely to
escape, none have passed acts of the kind
in question, while two of them, Illinois and
Indiana, expressly exclude negroes OF all
kinds, whether bond or free. A fugitive
slave before he could reach State in which
a personal liberty Law exists, would have to
travel the distace of one hundred miles from
the north line of any slave State. In order
to reach it from any cotton State he would
be compelled to travel, at least, FIVE hundred
miles.
The only free States in which acts that
can be properly construed into personal lib
erty bills have been passed are eight in num-
ber-Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Connecticut, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
Michigan and Wisconsin, every one of them
lying in the extreme North, on the borders
of Canada, and many hundred miles away
from the States in which slaves exist.
In none of these bills do we find single
clause which nullifes or proposes to nullify
any provision of the Constitution of the
United States. Their objects are threefold:
1st, to prevent State officers from holding
Office under the Fugitive Slave act, just as
State officers are prevented from being
members of Congress; Cd, to prevent the
use Of State prisons by federal authorities;
and, Sd. to secure a fair and full trial to all
persons claimed as fugitives from labor
That our readers may see this, we subjoip
an extract of these laws, which we ind IN a
late number of the Courier and Enquirer:
MA1NE.-R. s. Title 8, chap. 80, page
4O1..S 53, provides that no sheriff or other
officer of the State arrest or detain any per-
son on claim that he is fugitive slave
The penalty for violating this law is fine
not exceeding one thousand dollars, or i'm
prisonment not less than one year in the
county Jail. 4 .:-7.aa - :s1s-
New HAMpsH1RE.-Laws of 1857, chap.
1865, page 1866. ga. Admits all persons
of every color to the rights and privileges Of
citizens.
81. Declares slaves, coming or brought
into the State, by or with the consent oil
the master, free. t.fe.
s 8. Declares the attempt to hold any
person as = slave within the State. felony
with penalty of imprisonment not less
than one year or more than five years.
Provided, that the provisions Of this section
shall not apply TO any act LAWFULLY done 6s
any officer ofthe United States, or other per
son, in the execution of any legal process
VERMoNT-R. s., Title 27, chap. lO1
pp. 1861 81. Provides that no Court
Justice of the Peace. or Magistrate. shall
take cognizance of any certificate, warrant
or process under the Fugitive Slave Laws.
s g. Provides that no officer, or citizen
of the State, shall arrest, or aid, or assist IL
arresting any person for the reason that hi
is claimed as fugitive slave. -.
IS. Provides that no officer, or citizen
shall aid, or assist, in the removal from the
State, of any person claimed as a fugitive
slave. AZ
SIS and s, Provide a penalty of 81 900
or imprisonment five years in the Stat
Prison, for violating this act.
s 6. This act (sS to S, shall not b
construed to extend to auy citizen of this
State acting as Justice Of the Circuit, Of
| District Court of the United States, or o.
Marshal, or Deputy Marshal, of the Distric
of Vermont, or to any person acting under tn
command, or authority, Of said Courts o.
Marshal. '
81, Requires the States Attorney to &C
as counsel for alleged fugitives.
SIS 8, 9 and 10, Provides for issuing la
6eas corpus, and the trial by jury of all CUES
tons of fact in issue between the parties
CoNNEor1cUT.-R. S., Title 81, page 1913
| s /, Every person who shall falsely ant
naaliciossly declare, represent, or preten
that any FREE PERSON, entitled to freedom
is a slave or owes service, or labor to any
person or persons, with intent to procure o.
to aid or assist in procuring the forcible re
moval of such free person from this State
as slave, shall pay fine of $4,000 anc
be imprisoned FIVE years in the Connection
State Prison. -...ss .... s--. aEI ~5
s 2, Requires two Witnesses to prove
that any person is slave, or owes labor.
! So. Provides penalty of 81, 600 agains
any person seising. or causing to be seized
any free person with intent to reduce hin
TO slavery. sfz = ,ssl
So. Dispositions not to be admitted a
evidence. .a
s 5. Witnesses testifying falsely liable t
$4,000 fine, and FIVE years imprisonment.
RHODE IsLAND.-R. s., Title 80, chapte
e13, page 55s, 5 II, Forbids the. carrying
away of any person by force out of th'
State.
| s1s. Forbids any judge. justice. magis
trate. or court, from officially aiding in tn,
arrest of fugitive slave ander the fugitive
slave law of 1898, or 1880, fa 7-lraas
S 10. Forbids any sheriff or other Office
from arresting or OBTAINING any person claim
ed as fugitive. slave.
S go. Provides penalty of $500, or i'm
prisonment not exceeding six months. fol
violating the act. ssaaE .si-sa ga
M1cHIGAE.-Title 81, chap. II. S 1, Re
quires States Attorneys to act IS counse
| for fugitives. s-ssv .15t58i azaut asgsss
SIS aud 4, Grants habeas corpus, ane
provide for trial by jury. ao.i 1slssses ea.5 D.
S IS. Forbids use of jails OF other prisons
to dstain fugitiyes. can - a7zsa T.
s s, Provides punishment of not lssl
than three nor more than Eve yers. for false
ly declaring. representing. or pretending
any person to be . slave. l sss-