Mr. GUTHRIE:—I am satisfied that the article reported by the committee is not susceptible of misconstruction, and I hope we shall not mar the report by adopting the amendment. Our intention was only to permit public officers to bring their servants here.
Mr. AMES:—Two words will cure all this difficulty. The insertion of the words "for personal service only."
Mr. GUTHRIE:—We have no intention of reviving the slave-trade in the District. I have no more to say.
Mr. DODGE:—I hope this section will not be left in doubt. When I first read it I said to myself, "This thing will never do; it will bring the slave-trade back to the District."
Mr. AMES:—Will the gentleman from Vermont accept my amendment?
Mr. HALL:—No. I cannot accept it. I offer the amendment in good faith, for I believe it necessary.
Mr. MOREHEAD, of North Carolina:—Cannot we avoid the verbiage of the amendment?
Mr. EWING:—I shall vote against the amendment of the gentleman from Vermont, so that I can vote for that proposed by Mr. Ames.
The vote upon Mr. Hall's amendment being taken by States, resulted as follows:
Ayes.—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas—11.