The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-04-03
Important Action by the Virginia
Convention. A

important action regarding settlement
of the national difficulties. 1t has, by
unanimous vote, adopted certain propo-
sitions designed to be offered as amend
ments of the constitution of the United
States, the substance of which is as fol-
lows: ra...i. if 9..s5.
1. Involuntary servitude shall be pro-
hibited in all the present territory north
of 36 80; south Of that line, in the pres
ent territory, involuntary seryitude, as it
now exists, shall remain and shall not be
changed; nor shall any law be passed by
Congress or the Territorial Legislature to
hinder or prevent the taking Of persons
held to service or labor from any of the
States of this Union TO said territory, nor
to impair the rights arising from said re-
lation; nor shall said right be in any man
ner affected by any pre-existing law Of
Mexico; but the same shall be subject to
judicial cognizance in the Federal courts,
according to the remedies and tho prac-
tice of the common law. When any ter
ritory north or south of said line, within
such boundary as Congress may prescribe,
shall contain population equal TO that
required for a member of Congress, it
shall, if its form of government be repub-
lican, be admitted into the Union on equal
footing with tho original States, with or
without involuntary servitude, as such
constitution of the State may provide
In all the territory which may hereafter
be acquired by the United States, invol-
untary servitude is prohibited, except for
crime, north of So: 30; but shall not be
prohibited by Congress or any Territori-
al Legislature south of said line.
2. No territory except by discovery
and for certain public uses shall be here
after acquired except with the concurrence
of majority Of the Senators from both
the slaveholding and non-slaveholding
States; nor shall territory be acquired by
treaty unless the votes Of a majority of
the Senators from each of the two classes
of States shall be cast as part of the
two-third majority necessary for the rati-
fication of treaty.
8. Neither tho constitution nor any
amendment or it shall be so construed to
give Congress power to interfere with
slavery in the States where it exists by
law, or in the District of Columbia with
out the consent of Maryland and Virgin
ia, and without the consent of slave-own-
ers or making compensation to them; nor
to give Congress power to prohibit mem
bers Of Congress and others from bring
ing their slave servants with them to the
District of Columbia, retaining them and
taking them away; nor power to interfere
with slavery in places under the exclusive
jurisdiction of the United States within
States and Territories where slavery ex-
lists by law; nor power to prohibit the re-
moval by transportation by land or wa
ter of slaves held in any State or Terri
tory to any other State or Territory where
slavery exists. And slavo-owners shall
have the right, during transportation by
land or sea, of touching at ports, shores
or landings, and landing in case of need,
but not the right of sojourn or sale in any
State or Territory against the laws there
Of. Nor shall Congress have power to
authorize any higher rate of taxation on
slaves than on land The bringing into
the District of Columbia of slaves for
sale, or placing them in depots to be after
wards transferred TO other places for sale
as merchandise, is prohibited.
4. The fugitive slave clause of the con-
stitution shall not DO construed to prevent
any of the States from providing for en-
forcing the delivery of fugitives TO their
owners.
~,
5. The foreign slave trade and the i'm
portation of coolies are forever prohibit
ed.
9. Congress shall provide for compon-
sation TO owners Of fugitive slaves which
may be rescued from officers by mobs.
T. The elective franchise and the right
to hold office, whether Federal or Terri
torial, shall not be exercised by persons
who are Of the African race.
8. No one Of these amendments, nor
tho clause of tho Constitution relating 10