“That it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to import or bring into the said Territory, from any port or place without the limits of the United States, or to cause or procure to be so imported or brought, or knowingly to aid or assist in so importing or bringing any slave or slaves; and every person so offending, and being thereof convicted, before any court within the said Territory, having competent jurisdiction, shall forfeit and pay, for each and every slave so imported or brought, the sum of —— dollars, one moiety for the use of the United States, and the other moiety for the use of the person who shall sue for the same; and every slave so imported or brought shall thereupon become entitled to, and receive his or her freedom.”
Whereupon, a motion was made to amend the amendment by striking out, after the words “port or place,” the words “without the limits of the United States,” and insert in lieu thereof, “for sale.”
A division of the question was called for, and that it be taken on striking out; and, on the question, Shall the words be struck out? it passed in the negative,—yeas 6, nays 22, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Baldwin, Bradley, Ellery, Jackson, Israel Smith, and Samuel Smith.
Nays.—Messrs. Adams, Anderson, Armstrong, Breckenridge, Brown, Cocke, Condit, Franklin, Hillhouse, Logan, Maclay, Nicholas, Olcott, Pickering, Plumer, Potter, John Smith, Stone, Venable, Wells, White, and Worthington.
On motion to agree to the original amendment, it passed in the affirmative—yeas 21, nays 6, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Anderson, Armstrong, Breckenridge, Brown, Cocke, Condit, Franklin, Hillhouse, Logan, Maclay, Nicholas, Olcott, Pickering, Plumer, Potter, John Smith, Stone, Venable, Wells, White, and Worthington.
Nays.—Messrs. Adams, Baldwin, Bradley, Ellery, Jackson, and Israel Smith.