Sir: This day, per express, I had the honor to receive your very interesting letter of the 2d instant; I shall pay due respect to its contents; as yet I have not received the President’s Proclamation alluded to, nor have I received any orders from the Department of War relative to the subject matter of your letter.
There has not, to my knowledge, been any assemblage of men or boats, at this or any other place, unauthorized by law or precedency; but, should any thing of the kind make its appearance, which carries with it the least mark of suspicion, as having illegal enterprises or projects in view, hostile to the peace and good order of Government, I shall, with as much ardor and energy as the case will admit, endeavor to bring to justice all such offenders.
For more than two weeks last past I have made it a point to make myself acquainted with the loading and situation of all boats descending the river. As yet there has nothing the least alarming appeared. On or about the 31st ultimo, Colonel Burr, late Vice President of the United States, passed this with about ten boats, of different descriptions, navigated with about six men each, having nothing on board that would even suffer a conjecture, more than a man bound to market; he has descended the rivers towards Orleans. Should any thing, to my knowledge, transpire, interesting to Government, I will give the most early notice in my power.
I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
DANIEL BISSEL.
General Andrew Jackson.
[44] With this agreed the practice of all the free States at that time, and the laws of several of them—as New York and Pennsylvania—in the former of which nine months, and in the latter six months, was allowed to the sojourner and traveller to depart with his slave, with the alternative of taking the character of a resident if he remains longer, and thereby subjecting his slave to the emancipation laws of the State.
[45] The bill was passed through the House with only five dissenting votes, and through the Senate with nearly equal unanimity. The following is a copy of the act:
That, from and after the thirtieth day of June next, the act, entitled “An act laying an additional duty on salt imported into the United States, and for other purposes,” passed the eighth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, shall be, and the same hereby is, repealed, and that, from and after the thirty-first day of December next, so much of any act as lays a duty on imported salt be, and the same hereby is, repealed; and, from and after the day last aforesaid, salt shall be imported into the United States free of duty: Provided, That for the recovery and receipt of such duties as shall have accrued, and on the days aforesaid, respectively, remain outstanding, and for the recovery and distribution of fines, penalties, and forfeitures, and the remission thereof, which shall have been incurred before and on the said days, respectively, the provisions of the aforesaid act shall remain in full force and virtue.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the first day of January next, so much of any act as allows a bounty on exported salt, provisions and pickled fish, in lieu of drawback of the duties on the salt employed in curing the same, and so much of any act as makes allowance to the owners and crews of fishing vessels, in lieu of drawback of the duties paid on the salt used by the same, shall be, and the same hereby is, repealed: Provided, That the provisions of the aforesaid acts shall remain in full force and virtue for the payment of the bounties or allowances incurred or payable on the first day of January next.