Mr. D. Foster spoke against the committee rising.
Several sections of the bill were then gone through with, when the committee rose, and obtained leave to sit again.
Monday, April 28.
The Slave Trade.
Mr. Rutledge moved that the Committee of the Whole, to whom were referred the bill for preventing the carrying on the slave trade, &c., be discharged from further consideration thereof. He conceived it to be one of the most defective bills that ever was before Congress, because the object intended was in nowise provided for, or utterly impracticable.
Mr. Bayard was of the same opinion. He had taken some pains to examine the bill, but was obliged to conclude it extremely imperfect. The objects of the former bill, and which was intended to be improved, were, to prevent the citizens of the United States having any right in vessels so employed; and also to prevent the citizens of the United States being employed on board any such vessels. He trusted that a great majority of the members of the House would be in favor of those principles, and effectually promote them. It would indeed be extremely dishonorable in a country like this, to affirm such a trade, so contrary to all those principles held dear in the United States, and which ought to be promoted. His desire was, that a bill should be constructed upon the true principles of the intent of Congress: so far he thought they might go, but no farther. To be sure, as the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. J. Brown) observed, the Government could derive revenue from the encouragement of this trade, but he thought a more dishonorable item of revenue could not be established.
The committee was discharged.
Mr. Bayard then moved that the bill should be referred to a select committee.
Mr. Rutledge hoped this would not be agreed to; he was not disposed at this late day of the session to take up any new business that was not of urgency. He thought it was perfectly unnecessary to make a new act upon the subject; he believed the former act did every thing that was necessary or practicable to be done. What more could be wanted than that persons engaged in this traffic should forfeit their ships and pay a fine, besides, in many instances, imprisonment of the person offending? Surely that was all the occasion required. The different States which had heretofore imported those people into the United States had established the policy not to import any more; but in addition to this willing restriction, the Federal Government thought proper to prevent the trade being carried on, by our ships, to those countries which did suffer their importation. This was going very far indeed, but so far it was thought proper to go, to furnish a peace-offering to those philanthropists whose urgency was great to accomplish the general destruction of the trade. However, the activity of the people of the four New England States first engaged them in this profitable traffic; their produce would bring a good price on the African coast, and why they might not enjoy the profit of it as well as the English he could not conceive. He believed it to be impossible effectually to prevent it. Some gentlemen, indeed, had talked of authorizing our cruisers to seize vessels of this kind, but, suppose they were confiscated, what was to be done with their cargoes? They could not be brought into the United States. Where could they be carried? It was not consistent with the policy of the West India Islands to suffer them to land there, since it was their practice to keep these people in bondage, and they did not want, nor could they suffer free men to inundate those colonies. He knew of no place where they could be landed but St. Domingo, and as these people would not have been of those who had procured the freedom of slaves there—were not of those who had spread devastation and murder throughout that island, it was probable they would spurn them from their shores. What then was to be done with them? Surely no gentleman would wish them to be drowned, and it would be as absurd to think of sending them back to Sierra Leone! These difficulties he thought insuperable.