A motion was made to strike out all that follows the word “and,” in the second division of the amendment, for the purpose of a further amendment; and after debate, the consideration of the subject was postponed.
Tuesday, January 31.
Erection of Louisiana into two Territories.
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill erecting Louisiana into two Territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof; and a motion was made to strike out the last division of the amendment proposed yesterday, to wit:
“And no slave or slaves shall, directly or indirectly, be introduced into said Territory except by a person or persons removing into said Territory for actual settlement, and being, at the time of such removal, bona fide owner of such slave or slaves; and every slave imported or brought into the said Territory, contrary to the provisions of this act, shall, thereupon, be entitled to, and receive, his or her freedom;” and to insert the following:
“No slave shall be admitted into the said Territory from the United States or their Territories, who shall not be the property of some person bona fide removing from the United States into the said Territory, and making an actual settlement therein, or who shall not have passed by descent or devise to the person or persons claiming the same, and residing within the said Territory, from some person or persons deceased in some one of the United States or their Territories; and every slave who shall be brought into said Territory, otherwise than is hereby permitted, shall be forfeited, and may be recovered by any person who shall sue for the same; and the person or persons offending herein shall moreover forfeit and pay —— dollars for every slave so brought in, to be recovered by action of debt in any court having jurisdiction thereof; one moiety to the use of the United States, and the other moiety to the use of the person who shall sue for the same. And in any action instituted for the recovery of the penalty aforesaid, the person or persons sued may be held to special bail:”
And a division on the question was called for, and that it be taken on striking out; and, on the question, Shall the words be stricken out? it passed in the negative—yeas 13, nays 15, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Anderson, Armstrong, Baldwin, Breckenridge, Cocke, Condit, Jackson, Nicholas, John Smith, Samuel Smith, Stone, Venable, and Wells.
Nays.—Messrs. Adams, Bradley, Brown, Ellery, Franklin, Hillhouse, Logan, Maclay, Olcott, Pickering, Plumer, Potter, Israel Smith, Worthington, and Wright.