Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-14
REPEAL OF LAWS RECOGNISING SLAVERY


REPEAL OF LAWS RECOGNISING SLAVERY.
While the bill making appropriations for sun
dry civil expenses of the Government for the year
ending the 3Oth of June, 1865, was under consider
alton in the Senate, Mr.. Senator SUMNER moved
certain amendments to which we referred at the
time in our brief summary of Congressional pro-
ceedngs, but which, for their interest and import
ance, are worthy of more particular designation.
On the Gath ultimo, while the bill was under
discussion in the Senate, as in Committee of the
Whole, Mr.. SUMNER submitted the following
amendment to come in as a new section
"And be further enacied, That sections eight and nine
of the act entitled AN act to prohibit the Importation of
slaves into any port place within the Jurisdiction Of the
United States from and after the s day of January the
year of Lord 1606 which said sections undertake
regulate the coastwse slave trade, hereby repealed
The amendment was opposed by Mr. SHERMAN
(who had the civil appropriation bill in charge)
on the ground of its alleged irrelevancy. To this
effect he said:
from Massachusetts, ordinary bill have read the
two sections referred to in this amendment and feel dis
posed to repeal them but ask the Senate if it proper
to ncumber this bill with matter that is n way
neced with the appropriations in the bill, which in
way connected with any item contained in the BILL which
has pertnence to existing appropriations matter
simply Of commercial regulation, regulating the coastwse
slave trade9"
Some dissent to the terms Of Mr.. Summers
amendment was expressed by Mr.. JOHNSON, of
Maryland, on other grounds, when Mr.. HEN
bricks, of Indiana, spoke as follows:
"I am surprised that any Senator should oppose the
proposton OF the Senator from Massachusetts, for all
know that eventually it will be adopted The objection
as to its materay proper connection with this mea
but objection Of time. No gentleman can ques
ton that the Senator from Massachusetts, will eventually
carry his proposition Why, sir. about two weeks ago
this body after full discussion deliberately voted that the
Constitution imposed duty upon Congress and the Pre-
sdent of the United States the pre- incumbent of the
presidential chair in his inaugural address said that that
rested oath upon e conscience of every Senator
seq that there was efficient and adequate law for the
return Of fugitive slaves and yet under process
the force Of argument but through influence that the
unnated cannot after the Senate had reject
ed the proposition in its original FORM it was carried
through yesterday by large vote Why then contest the
matter longerf Let the Senator bring his propositions
The Senator from Ohio (Mr SBERMAN) made effort
stay the progress at point upon the Constitution and
did for while the act Of 1898 and the signature of
George Washington; but the Senator from Ohio finally
failed yesterday and all went BY the board He may
for this hour and in this debate upon technical point
prevent the adoption Of the Of the Senator from
Massachusetts, upon this BILL but that it will this
body have no doubt. 1t may well come at
any tme."
On the following day, the 25th of June, the bill
still being under discussion in the Committee of
the Whole, vote was had on MIR. Sumner s
amendment, and it was rejected by the following
vote CThe amendment we should add had in
the mean time been perfected by its author so as
to provide not only for the repeal of the sections
designated in the act regulating the coastwise
slave trade, but to prohibit that trade forever)
YEAs-Messrs.. CONFESS, Grimes, Harlan, Howard,
Lane Of Kansas, Morgan, Morrill, Pomeroy, Ramsey,
Sprsgue, Sumner, Wade, and Wison-13.
NAYs-Messrs Buckslew, Garlic, Clark, Colamer,
Cowan, Davis Harris Hendricks Hicks, Howe johnson,
McDouga, Nesmith, Powell, Richardson Riddle, Sauls-
bury, Sherman, Trumbull, and Van Winkle-20
ABsENT-Messrs Anthony. Brown Chandler, Dixon,
Doolittle FesseGden, Foot Foster, Hale, Harding Hen
dersop, Lane of Indiana Ten Eyck, Wilkinson, Wiley
and Wrieht-16.
So the amendment was rejected in Committee
Of the Whole. But, nothing bafled by such a re-
suit, Mr.. SUMNER again offered the same amend
ment on the same day when the bill was before
the Senate pending its final passage. On renew.
ing the proposition he said:
~ have but one observation to make II seems to
this Congress will do wrong to itself, wrong TO the
try wrong TO history, wrong to national if il
separates without cleaning the sautebook Of every sup
port Of saverr Now this is the last support that
s in the statuebook, aud entreat the Senate to re
move it,"
The question being taken by yeas and nays, re-
suited as follows:
YEAs-Messrs Anthony, Brown, Chandler, Conness
Oxon, Doottle, Fessenden, Foot, Harlan, Harris How
ard, Howe Lane OF Kansas, Morgan Morrill,, Pomeroy
Sprague, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Wade, Wilkinson, and Will
son-23. uae.u.s
NAYs-Messrs Buckalew, CarTls, Clark, Hendricks,
Hicks, johnson, Lane Of Indiana, Nesmith Powell Rich
ardson, salisbury, Sherman, Trumbul Van Winkle and
Willey--4 at
ABsENT--Messrs. Colamer, Cowan, Davis, Foster
Grimes Hale, Harding, Henderson, McDougs, Ramsey
Riddle, and Wneht-12.
So the amendment was agreed to, and remained
in the bill as finally passed by both Houses of Con
gress and approved by the President.
Il will be seen that Mr.. SUMNER, at this poin,
of the discussion referred to this regulation Of the
coastwise slave trade the last support Of slave
ry" on the statute-book of the nation. He used
this language because on the same day, in an ear
lier stage of the discussion, he had procured The
adoption Of an amendment providing that In the
courts of the United States there shall be no ex
clusion of any witness on account of color.
The third section Of the civil appropriation bill
appropriated 100000 in order to aid the admin
istration Of justice, especially in order to bring
conviction persons engaged in counterfeiting Trea