The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-09-22

during his residence. The masters
of all vessels coming into any port
of the United States. were required
to report to the Collector OF such
port a descriptive list of all aliens, il
any, on board his vessel, under q
penalty of three hundred dollars. -
The Circuit and District Court of the
United States were given cognizancc
of ofrenses under the Act. and re.
quired TO execute preccpts and or
ders of the President issued in pur
suance of its provisions The prop
erty Of aliens 80 removed, remained
subject 20 their order. The Act to
continue in force for the space OF two
years. Such was the Alien Act.
THE sEDITmN AIT.
The Sedition Act, which passed
almost simultaneously with the
"Alien," provided that If any per-
sons shall unlawfully combine or con
spire together to oppose any meas
ure Of the government, or to impede
the operation of any law, or to in
timidate or prevent any person ac-
ting under authority of the United
States from executing his trust or
duty, or if any person with intent "a
aforesaid shall counsel or attempt to
procure any instruction, riot, or an
unlawful assembly, whether such con-
spiracy or attempt shall have the
proposed effect or not, he or, they
shall be deemed guilty Of high mis-.
demesnor, and on conviction, be
punished by Il fine not exceeding five
thousand dollars, and imprisonm ent
not less than six months nor exceed
ing five years; and may, at the DIS
erection OF the court, be held to find
sureties for good behavior. That if
any person write, print, utter or pub
lish, or procure so TO be done, any
false, scandalous and malicious wri-
ting against the government of the
United States, either House of Con
gress, or the President. with intent
to defame said parties, or to bring
them into contempt or disrepute, or
excite against them the hatred of the
good people Of the United States; or
to stir up sedition, or TO excite un-
lawful combinations for opposing or
resisting any law, or act of the Presi-
dent done in pursuance Of law or the
powers vested in him by the Consti-
tuition; or TO encourage or ahct any
hostile designs of any foreign nation,
against the United States, their peO-
pie or governments: such person, be
ing thsreof convicted before any
Court Of the United States, shall be
punished bv a fine not exceeding two
thousand dollars, AMI by imprison-
ment not exceeding two years Per
sons prosecuted under this act may
give in evidence, in his defense, the
the truth Of the matter charged as a
libel, and the jury shall determine the
law and the fact, under direction OF
the Court. This act to continue in
force until the third day Of March,
1901, and no longer.
Such was the SedhiOn act, 1t
originated in the Senate. A bill hav-
ing been introduced on leave, by Mr..
Lloyd, of Maryland, referring TO
Il committee consisting Of Messrs,
Lloyd. Tracy, of Connecticut, Stock
ton. of New Jersey; Chipman, Of Yer
mont, and Read, of South Carolina
The bill passed the Senate on the
4th Of July, lI9S, by vote of yeas
Is, nays 6, The nays being Messrs.
Anderson, Of Tennessee; Brown, OF
Kentucky Howard, of Maryland
Langdon, of New Hampshire, and
Mason ond Ta1cwell, OF Virginia
1t passed the House, on the 10th oI
July, 1893, by vote cf yeas, A
nays Al, and was approved on the
l4'h of that month.
We have been thus particular in
specifying the provision. and tracing
the history of these Acts, because
they are often referred to, and are moi
of easy access; and because they are
adduced as the occasion for the pas
sage by the Legislature of Virginia
Of the famous Resolutions Of 1898. y
Those resolutions are as follows:
VIRGINIA RESOLUTIONS OF 1893.
Pronouncing the Alien and Sedition
Laws to be Unconstitutional, and
Defining the Rights OF the State
Drawn by Mr.. Madison.
"IN THE VIRGINIA HOUSE
OF DELEGATES,
FRIDAY, Dec. II, 179S
Re:olred, That the General Assem-
bly, Of Virginia doth unequivocally
express q firm resolution TO maintain
and defend the Constitution Of the
United States, and the Constitution
of this State, against every aggression
eth er foreign or domestic; and that
they will support the Goeernment OF
the United States in all measures
warranted by the former,
"That this Assembly most solemn
ly declares a warm attachment to the
Union of the States, to maintain
which it pledges its powers; and,
that for this end, it is their duty to
watch over and oppose every in
fraction of those principles which
constitute the only basis Of that
Union, because a faithful observance
Of them can alone secure It's existence
and the public happiness,
THAT this Assembly doth explic-
lily and pefemptorily declare, that il
views the powers of the Federal G