The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-03-13
WHOLE NUMBER sls.
The1 Propositions OF lhe Peace
Congress.

- Congress. x
On Thursday. the 2sth uIts, The, proposi.
tion before the PeScs Gonfereuce wss voted
on by sections, the first, with. fefsEsnes to
ditidiug the territory, was barely ndoptsd.
Indiana did not vote at sll 4 Kspsss and
New York were divided, apd ylteinia and
Missouri voted 10 the negative. The result
was eight against seven, and but for che
temporary absence Of one Of the New York
Commissioners, there would have been q
tie vote. The following Il the proposition
as. adopted: ?
TEE.PRorosfrroEs or THE rRAcH coErERrEcr
Section l. d. In ell the present Territory
OF the United States North Of the psraIleI OF
thirty six degrees thirty minutes Of North
latitude, involuatary serviiuds. except ia
punishmentoi crime, is prohibited, In all
| the present territory South Of that line the
status OF persons held to service or labor, as
it now exists, shall not be changed. Nor
shall any law be passed by Congress, nor
the Territorial Legislature, to hinder or prs
vent the taking OF such persons from any OF
the States of this Union to said territory, nor
to impair the rights arising from said rela.
lation. But the same shall be subject 10
Judicial cogniZqnce in the federal courts &c.
cording TO the course of the common law.
When any territory North or South Of said
line, with such boundary as Congress may
prescribe, shall contain population equal
to that required for member OF Congfes Il
sh9ll, fits form of Government be Republi-
can, be admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States, with or
without involuntary servitude, as the Cor.
stitution Of any such State may provide.
Section O. No territory shall be acquired
by the United Sites, except BY discovery
and for naval and commercial stations, Do.
pots aud transit routes, without the concur.
renee OF majority of all the Senators from
the States which allow involuntary servi.
tude, and majority of Senators from States
which prohibit that relation nor shall ter.
ritory be acquired BY treaty, unless the votes
of majority OF the Senators from each
class Of States, herein before mentioned, be
cast as part OF the two third majority ne
cessury to the ratification OF such treaty.
Section 8. Neither the Constitution, nor
any amendment thereto. shall be construed
to give Congress power to requisite, abolish
or control, within aHy territery OF the United
States the relation established or recognize
ed by the laws thereof touching persons
bound to labor or involuntary service in the
District of Columbia, without the consent
of Maryland and without the consent of the
owners, or making the owners who do not
i,1ef Nhn
to interfere with or prohibit representatives.
and others from bringing with them to the
city Of Washington, retaining and taking
away, persons 90 bound 10 labor or service:
nor the power to interfere with or abolish
involuntary service in places under the ex.
elusive Jurisdiction Of the United States
within those States and Territories where
the same is established and recognized, nor
the power to prohibit the removal or trans.
portation of persons held to labor or invol-
untary service in any State or Territory OF
the United States to any other State or Ter.
ritory thereof, where it is established or re.
cognized by law or usage; and the right
during transportation by sea or river, of
touching at ports, shores and landings, and
landing in case OF distress, but not for sale
or traffic, shall exist i; nor shall Congress
have power to authorize any higher rate Of
taxation on persons held to labor, or service
than on land The bringing into the Dis.
trict of Columbia persons held 10 labor or
service for sale, or placing them in depots
to be afterwards transferred to other places
for sale as merchandise, is prohibited, aad
the right Of transit through any State or
Territory against its consent is prohibited.
Section 4. The third paragraph OF the
second section of the fourth article Of the
Constitution shall not be construed to pre-.
vent any of the States, BY appropriate legis.
lation and through the action of their judi
cial and ministerial officers, from enforcing
the delivery of fusitives from labor to the
person to whom such service or labor is due.
| Section s. The foreign slave trade is
hereby forever prohibited, and it shall be the
duty Of Congress to pass laws to prevent the
importation Of slaves, coolies, or parsons
held to service or labor, into the United
States and the Territories from places be.
yond the limits thereof.
Section 6. The first, third and fifth SEQ.
tions, together with this section six of these
amendments, and the third paragraph OF the
seCouu stCtlOn VI luo Atst oibiCAe VI Suo OVuo
s,itution, and the third paragraph Of the sec.
ond section of the fourth article thereof,
shall not be amended or abolished without
the con sent of all the States.
Ex President Tyler communicated the
proposition to the Speaker of the House.
S0me of the Commissioners say that II
their conference had been productive OF NO
other good result, it has produced most
friendly feeling among them.