CONGRMS) REPRESENTATIVES. 18t - ibiblio

1 36 THCONGRMS) :E.[ ]MA1AY31, ,fromtheCommitteeonthleJudiciary, , ,beingabilltoamendanactentitled"An,actin additiontotheactsprohibitingtheslavetrad e,"togetherwiththemessagesqfthePresident oftheI/niediStatesrelativetothecaptureof theslaversildjire"and"WYilltiam,"nearthe coastofCuba,havinghadthesameunderconside ration,Tespectfullyreportliytheactentitl ed"Anactinadditiontotheactsprohibitingth eSlavetrade,"approvedMarch3,1819,thePres idefttof'theUnitedStateswasautihorizedl, wvheneverlieShoulddeem,itexpedient,tocau seanyofthearmedvee1sof'thtehUnitedStates tocruiseonlanyOftilecoast",ot'theUnitedS tatesortheTerritoriesthereof, 'Afriaorelsewhere,wherelemaonyjldgdattem ptsmaybemadetocarryottthleSlavetradebyci tizensof'theUnitedStatesincontraven-tiol noftheactsof'CongressprohibitingtheSame, andto-instructthlecommallnlersof'thevess elsW1ijImaybeemployedinthisservicetofseo zeand(b)ring,intoanyportof'theUnitedStat esallShipsorvesselsofthoUnitedStatesfiol undengagedinthleprosecutionofthoslavetra de, 'heactfurtherpro-videsforthlecondeninati onoftileslaveovesselandcargo,andfi6rtile deliveryof'thenegroes,mulattoes,andperso nsofcolor'.

2 Fbuindonboardtotilem11arshalofthedistric tintowhichtheyarebrought,ifitbeaportofth leUnited]States,orif'elsewhere,toslichpe rsonoriperacinsasalayhveappointedbythteP resident,andsubjecttohis(li'ectionastoth edi;' ,isalsoalladeIftorthledeliveryoftileoffi cersandCrewof'theslavertothecivilauthori tiesoftheUnitedStates, 'ekeeping,support,andremovalbeyondthelim itsofthleIJnitedStatesofallSuchnegroes,m ulattoes,orpersonsofcolorasmaybesodeliv- eredandbroughtwithintheirjurisdiction, ,asagentoragentsforreceivingthenegroes,m ulattoes, )rosecutionoftheslavetradebycom-manderso fthearme( ' ,1810,heexpressedtheopinionthatunderthep rovisionsoftheactof'March3,1819,itwasthe dutyof'thePresidenttoaffordprotectiontot hedefencelessbeingsthusbroughtundertheca reofthegovernmentaftertheyhadreachedthec oastof'Africauntiltheyshouldbeabletotake careof'themselves,Incommunicatingthisopi nionhestatedthatsomedoubthadarisenastoth etrueinterpre-tationoftheactinthislprtic ular,andlhepresentedthequestiontoCongres sinorderthat,ifdeenmedadvisable, , ,adoptingthesamoconstructionofthleact,on theithdayofSeptember,1858.)

3 EnteredintoanagreementwiththeAmericanCol onizationSocietytoreceivethleAfricanscap turedontheslaverEchofromtheagentoftheUnl itedStatesinLiberia,tofurnishthem(luring theporio(lofoneyearthereafterwithcomfort ableshelter,clothingandprovisionsandtoca usethemtobeinstructedinthe,artsof'civili Zedh'1esuitabletotheircon(Iitionattherat 8oof$ ,thlePresi-(lentrecommendedanappropriati onby(Jongressof$75,000)whichwasgrantedon the3dofMarch,1859,"toenablethePresidento fthleUnite(1 StatestocarryintoeffecttheactofCongresso f3(1ofMarch,1819,andanysubsequentactsnow inforceforthesuppressionfthleslavetrade. "Itmaythereforeberegardedasthesettledpol icyofthegovernment, ,toprotectan(lprovidefor,outofthlenation altreasury,Africanstakenonboardofslavers aftertheyhavereachedthecoastotAfrica,frs uclhaperiodofttimoaswill,sofaraspractica ble,)laeothemobeyondthle(dangersofreca) ,nootherconstructioncoul(lproperlYhaveIe engiventotheact1819.)))))))

4 Andif'itadmitsofanydoubtitshouldbeprompt lyremovedbytheactionofCongress,fortoturn theunfortunatevictimsoftheslavetradeunpr otectedupontheinhospitablecoastofAfricaw ouldexposethemtothe(dangeroferishingforw antof'foodan(dshelter,ortobecomeagainsub jecttothedominionoftheslavotraders, ,1842,andknownasthe"Ashburtontreaty,"the contract-ingpartiesmutuallyagreedthateac h'shouldprepare,equip,andmaintaininservi ceonthecoastofAfricaasufficientnavlforce toenforceseparatelyandrespectivelythelaw s,rights,andobligationsofthetwogovernmen tsforthesul) ,butbothgovernmentsstipulatetogivesuchor derstothecommandingofficersoftherespecti veforcesasshallenablethemmosteffectually toactinconcertandco-operation,asexigenci esmayarise, , "Wildfire"andIIWilliam,"twithoveronethou sandAfricannegroesonboard,theparticulars ofwhicharecommunicatedtoCongressbythePre si-dentinhisspecialmessagesof'the19thand 22dofMay,1860,furnishesanappropriateocca sionforthecorrectionofsomedefectsintheex istinglawsrelatingtothbsubject,andwVhich aresuggestedbythePresident,Bytheactof181 9thecapturedslaverwithitscargoistobetake ntosomeportoftheUnitedStates.)

5 AndtheAfricansfoundonboarddeliveredtotlr ecustodyofthemarshaloftheUnitedStates, )oraryaccomnmo-dationsandprovidingforthl ecomfortand(healthoftheAfricanstakenfrom theslavers''Wildfire'"awldl'-William,'no winthecustodyoftheUnitedStatesmarshalait I(eyWest,untiltheirremovalunderthedirect ionoftihePresident, )isjmayordina-rilybeobviatedinfuturebygi vingauthoritytothePresidenttodirecttheco mmandingofficerbywhomlaslaveristakentopr oceeddirectlytothecoastofAfricaanddelive rtheAfricansfoundonlboardtotheAmelricanl agentatthatpoint, )rovidefortheirpirotootionwhensodelivere dthePresidentshouldbeauthorizedtocontrac twithresponsiblepartiesthereforthecarean dprotectionofallAfricanstakenonboardofve ss, ,ifcarriedintoeffect,itisb01lievedvillen lablelthePresidenttoexecutethelawsofCong ressprohibitingtheslavetrafficwiththelea stpossiblecosttothegovernmentconsist-ent with(tproperregardtothelawsof' ,tihelawsagainsttheslavetrade,itnmaybesa felyassumedtheatthepolicyofthegovernment willl)

6 Eillthefuture,aTsithlasbeenintheipast,en tirelyagainstthecon-tinuaiceofthistraffi cinalnyform,Anychangeinthisrespectwouldn otonlybeindisregardof'tichuimnepolicyina uguratedbytheearlyfLttlersofthelrepublic and)ersistemtlyadlheredtoduringourentire 34 THM,SLAVETRADEL history,butinviolationoftreatyobligation s, ,intheexecution,ofthelawsuponthissubject ,thePresidentShouldlrotonlybeinvestedwit htherequisiteauthoritysobeexercisedineve ryexigency,butadueregardtocon-veniencean deconomyrequirethattheprovisionsinrespec ttothedispositionofAfricanscapturedonboa rdslavevessels,shouldbetoareasonableexte ntpermanentintheircharacter, ,undermiostcircumstances,bemadeuponterms morefavorabletothegovernmentthancanordin arilybeobtainedundersuchcircumstancesasn ow-requiretheimmediateactionofthePreside ntandCongressrespectingthedispositionoft hosenowawaitingremovalat.

7 , ,underanagreementmadein1848withthegovern mentofLiberia,possessallthefacilitiesnec essarytothecareandprotectionofsuchunfort unatevictimsoftheslavetrafficasmaybecome entitledtoattentionfromourgovernment,and actualexpe-riencehasshownthatthissociety isabletomaintainthem;untiltheyareabletom aintainthemselves,atlessexpensethanifthe govern-mentperformthatduty,bymeansof' ,that$160foroneyearfortheirmaintenancein Africaisnotanunreasonable:sulm;andyourco mmitteearereliablyinformedthattheycannot beproperlycaredforfortherequisiteperiodo ftimeforalessamount,andafailurebyCongres stogivethereqUisiteauthorityforsuchacont ract,withana(dequateapitopriationtoCalry itintoeffect,willgreatlyembarrasstheacti onof'thePresident,andperhapsleavetheunfo rtunatecreaturesatKeyWesttodieofyellowfe verbe-'foreremoval,orsubjectthentothedan gerofstarvationOnttheAfricancoast, ,inthleameondmentsincreasingtheappropria tionto$250,000,iandthepricetobepaidforth emaintenanceoleachindividualOlnthecoasto fAfricanottoexceed,inanycase,$150.)

8 Whilethecostofremovingandprovidingforthe AfricansnowatKeyWest,underthisarrangemen twillnecessarilybelarge,webelievethiscon siderationcannotproperlyinfluencetheacti onofCongressiftheintentionbetocarryout,i lngoodfaith,ourownlawsan( ,takenfromslavevessels,arenowawaitingrem ovalatKeyWest,involvingallunusualcosttot hegovernment,onlyprovestheextenttowhicht heslavetrafficiscarriedoninviolationofla w',landdemonstratesthenecessityofstrengt hleningtheexecutiveareaofthegovernmentwi ththerequiLsitepowerandmoneytoprovidefor theunfortunateand, , , ,willpreventarecurrenceofthein-convenien ceandexpensewhichhasattendedthelandingof thecar-goesofthe"Wildfire"and"William" , ,inconsiderationoftheexigencyoftheoccasi on,earnestlysecondtherecommendationsofth ePresident,andrespect-fullyurgethepassag eoftheSenatebillasamended.)