NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Baker, Bingham, Cameron, | ANDREW JOHNSON, Senator from Tennessee, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, King, Seward, Sim mons, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Wade, Wigfall, Wilkinson, and Wilson-24. March 2d. After the adoption of the House resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution relative to slavery in the States, the Senate returned to the consideration of the Crittenden proposition, the question being on the amendment offered by MR. CLARK of New Hampshire, once adopted and then reconsidered, for which, see above vote, which was rejected-yeas 14, nays 22, as follows: in his speech on the expulsion of Jesse D. Bright, Senator from Indiana, delivered January 31st, 1862, made these remarks. When the six Senators refused to vote on Senator Clark's amendment,* Senator Johnson says: "I sat right behind Mr. Benjamin, and I am not sure that my worthy friend, (Mr. LATHAM,) was not close by, when he refused to vote, and I said to him, Mr. Benjamin. why do you not vote? Why not save this proposition, and see if we cannot bring the country to it?' He gave me rather an abrupt answer, and said he would control his own action without consulting me or anybody else. Said I, 'Vote and show yourself an honest man.' As soon as the vote was taken, he and others telegraphed South, of Tennessee, Kennedy, Lane, Latham, Mason, Nicholson,We cannot get any compromise.' Polk, Pugh, Rice, Sebastian, and Ten Eyck-22. YEAS-Messrs. Bingham, Chandler, Clark, Doolittle, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Harlan, King, Morrill, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, and Wilkinson.-14. NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Baker, Bayard, Bigler, Bright, Crittenden, Dixon, Douglas, Foster, Gwin, Hunter, Johnson The Senate adopted, without a division, the amendments offered by Mr. Powell in the Committee of the whole, and agreed to as follows: Insert after "territory," in second sentence in first article, the words "now held or to be hereafter acquired," and add to article fourth the words "But the African slave trade shall be forever suppressed; and it shall be the duty of Congress to make such laws as shall be necessary and effectual to prevent the migration or importation of slaves, or persons owing service or labor, into the United States from any foreign country, place, or jurisdiction whatever. SEC. 2. That persons committing crimes against the rights of those who hold persons to service or labor in one State, and fleeing to another, shall be delivered up in the same manner as persons committing other crimes; and the laws of the State from which such persons flee shall be the test of criminality. SEC. 3. Congress shall pass efficient laws for the punishment of all persons in any of the States who shall in any manner aid and abet invasion or insurrection in any other State, or commit any other act tending to disturb the tranquillity of its people, or government of any other State." Mr. CRITTENDEN moved to substitute for his proposition that recommended by the Peace Congress, which was rejected-yeas 7, nays 28. (For vote, see p. 69.) The Crittenden proposition, as amended, was then rejected-yeas 19, nays 20, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Bayard Bigler, Bright, Crittenden, Lane, Latham, Mason, Nicholson, Polk, Pugh, Rice, Sebas Douglas, Gwin, Hunter, Johnson of Tennessee, Kennedy, tian, Thomson, and Wigfall-19. NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Bingham, Chandler, Clark, Dixon, Doolittle, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Harlan, King, Morrill, Summer, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, and Wilson-20. It was not voted upon in the House of Representatives, except as far as it was embodied in the proposition offered by Mr. Clemens of Virginia-for which, see p. 63. Respecting the vote of January 16th, on the Crittenden proposition in the Senate, Here were six Southern men refusing to vote, when the amendment would have been rejected by four majority if they had voted. Who. then, has brought these evils on the country? Was it Mr. CLARK? He was acting out his own policy; but with the help we had from the other side of the chamber, if all those on this side had been true to the Constitution, and faithful to their constituents, and had acted with fidelity to the country, the amendment of the Senator from New Hamp shire could have been voted down, the defeat of which the Senator from Delaware says would have saved the country. Whose fault was it? Who is responsible for it? I think that it is not only getting the nail through, but clinching it on the other side. and the whole staple commodity is taken out of the speech. Who did it?" Southern traitors, as was said in the speech of the Senator from California. They did it. They wanted no compromise. They accomplished their object by withholding their votés; and hence the country has been involved in the present difficulty. Let me read another extract from the speech of the Senator from California, [Mr. LATHAM]: "I recollect full well the joy that pervaded the faces of some of those gentlemen at the result, and the sorrow manifested by the venerable Senator from Kentucky, [MR. CRITTENDEN.] The record shows that Mr. Pugh, from Ohio, despairing of any compromise between the extremes of ultra Republicanism and disunionists, working manifestly for the same end, moved, immediately after the vote was announced, to lay the whole subject on the table. If you will turn to page 443, same volume, you will find, when at a late period, Mr. Cameron, from PennSylvania, moved to reconsider the vote, appeals having been made to sustain those who were struggling to preserve the peace of the country, that vote was reconsidered; and when, at last, the Crittenden propositions were submitted on the 2d day of March, these Southern States having nearly all e* See Mr. Crittenden's despatch to Raleigh, January 17th, page 39. ceded, they were then lost by but one vote. | The "Peace Conference" and its ProHere is the vote: "If these seceded Southern States had remained, there would have passed, by a large vote, (as it did without them.) an amendment, by a two-third vote, forbidding Congress ever interfering with slavery in the States. The Crittenden proposition would have been indorsed by a majority vote, the subject finally going before the people, who have never yet, after consideration, refused justice, for any length of time, to any portion of the country. "I believe more, Mr. President, that these gentlemen were acting in pursuance of a settled and fixed plan to break up and destroy the Government.' position. Commissioners composing the "Peace Conference," held at the request of the Legislature of Virginia, met in Washington, February 4th, 1861, and adjourned February 27th. The following gentlemen represented their States, under appointment of the Governors or Legislatures thereof: DELEGATES. Maine.-William P. Fessenden, Lot M. Morrill, Daniel E. Somes, John J. Perry, Ezra B. French, Freeman H. Morse, Stephen Coburn, and Stephen C. Foster. New Hampshire. Amos Tuck, Levi Chamberlain, and Asa Fowler. Vermont.-Hiland Hall, Levi Underwood, H. Henry Baxter, L. E. Chittenden, and B. D. Harris. Massachusetts.-John Z. Goodrich, John M. Forbes, Richard P. Waters, Theophilus P. Chandler, Francis B. Crowninshield, Geo. S. Boutwell, and Charles Allen. Connecticut. Roger S. Baldwin, Chauncey F. Cleveland, Charles J. McCurdy, James T. Pratt, Robbins Battelle, and Amos Treat. "When we had it in our power to vote down the amendment of the Senator from Rhode Island.-Samuel Ames, Alexander New Hampshire, and adopt the Crittenden Duncan, William W. Hoppin, George H. resolutions, certain Southern Senators pre-Browne, and Samuel G. Arnold. vented it; and yet, even at a late day of the session, after they had seceded, the Crittenden proposition was only lost by one vote. If rebellion and bloodshed and murder have followed, to whose skirts does the responsibility attach? I summed up all these facts myself in a speech during the last session, but I have preferred to read from the speech of the Senator from California, he being better authority, and having presented the facts better than I could." Mr. Lincoln's Opinions on a Compromise. From the N. Y. Tribune of Jan. 30th, 1861. "We do not hesitate to say that these statements are false and calumnious. We have the best authority for saying that Mr. Lincoln is opposed to all concessions of the sort. We know that his views are fully expressed in his own language as follows: "I will suffer death before I will consent or advise my friends to consent to any concession or compromise which looks like buying the privilege of taking possession of the Government to which we have a constitutional right; because, whatever I might think of the merit of the various propositions before Congress, I should regard any concession in the face of menace as the destruction of the government itself, and a consent on all hands that our system shall be brought down to a level with the existing disorganized state of affairs in Mexico. But this thing will hereafter be, as it is now, in the hands of the people; and if they desire to call a convention to remove any grievances complained of, or to give new guarantees for the permanence of vested rights, it is not mine to oppose.'' New York. David Dudley Field, Wm. Curtis Noyes, James S. Wadsworth, James C. Smith, Amaziah B. James, Erastus Corning, Greene C. Bronson, William E. Dodge, John A. King, and John E. Wool. New Jersey.-Charles S. Olden, Peter D. Vroom. Robert F. Stockton, Benjamin Williamson, Joseph F. Randolph, Fred. T. Frelinghuysen, Rodman M. Price, William C. Alexander, and Thomas J. Stryker. Pennsylvania.-Thomas White, James Pollock, Wm. M. Meredith, David Wilmot, A. W. Loomis, Thomas E. Franklin, and William McKennan. Delaware.-George B. Rodney, Daniel M. Bates, Henry Ridgely, John W. Houston, and William Cannon. Maryland. John F. Dent, Reverdy Johnson, John W. Crisfield, Augustus W. Bradford, Wm. T. Goldsborough, J. Dixon Roman, and Benjamin C. Howard. Virginia.-John Tyler, William C. Rives, John W. Brockenborough, George W. Summers, and James A. Seddon. North Carolina.-George Davis, Thomas Ruffin, David S. Reid, D. M. Barringer, and John M. Morehead. Tennessee. Samuel Milligan, Josiah M. Anderson, Robert L. Caruthers, Thomas Martin, Isaac R. Hankins, A. O. W. Totten, Robert J. McKinney, Alvin Cullom, Wm. Hickerson, Geo. W. Jones, F. K. Zollicoffer, and William H. Stevens. Kentucky.-William O. Butler, James B. Clay, Joshua F. Bell, Charles S. Morehead, James Guthrie, and Charles A. Wickliffe. Missouri-John D. Coalter, Alexander M. Doniphan, Waldo P. Johnson, Aylett H. Ohio. John C. Wright,* Salmon P. Chase, Indiana.-Caleb B. Smith, Pleasant A. Hackleman, Godlove S. Orth, E. W. H. Ellis, and Thos. C. Slaughter. Illinois. John Wood, Stephen T. Logan, John M. Palmer, Burton C. Cook, and Thomas J. Turner. thereof. Nor shall Congress have power to authorize any higher rate of taxation on persons held to labor or service than on land. The bringing into the District of Columbia of persons held to labor or service, for sale, or placing then in depots to be afterwards transferred to other places for sale as merchandize, is prohibited. SEC. 4. The third paragraph of the second section of the fourth article of the Constitution shall not be construed to prevent any of the States, by appropriate legislation, and from enforcing the delivery of fugitives from labor to the through the action of their judicial and ministerial officers, person to whom such service or labor is due. ited; and it shall be the duty of Congress to pass laws to SEC. 5. The foreign slave trade is hereby forever prohibprevent the importation of slaves, coolies, or persons held to service or labor, into the United States and the Territo ries from places beyond the limits thereof. SEC. 6. The first, third, and fifth sections, together with this section of these amendments, and the third paragraph of the second section of the first article of the Constitution, Iowa.--James Harlan, James W. Grimes, Samuel R. Curtis, and William Vandever. Wisconsin.-James R. Doolittle, C. Dur-and the third paragraph of the second section of the fourth kee, John F. Potter, and C. C. Washburn. The officers were: JOHN TYLER of Virginia, President; CRAFTS J. WRIGHT of Ohio, Secretary; JAMES M. TOWER of New Jersey, J. HENRY PULESTON of Pennsylvania, WM. M. HOPPIN of Rhode Island, JOHN STRYKER of New York, assistants. They recommended that the following be proposed to the several States as amendments to the Constitution of the United States: ARTICLE 13. SEC. 1. In all the present territory of the United States, north of the parallel of 36° 30' of north latitude, involuntary servitude, except in punishment of crime, is prohibited. In all the present Territory south of that line, the status of persons held to involuntary service or labor, as it now exists, shall not be changed: nor shall any law be passed by Congress or the Territorial Legislature to hinder or prevent the taking of such persons from any of the States of this Union to said Territory, nor to impair the rights arising from said relation; but the same shall be subject to judicial cognizance in the Federal courts, according to the course of the common law. When any Territory north or south of said line, within such boundary as Congress may prescribe, shall contain a population equal to that required for a member of Congress, it shall, if its form of Government be republican, be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, with or without involuntary servitude, as the constitution of such State may provide. SEC. 2. No Territory shall be acquired by the United States, except by discovery and for naval and commercial stations, depots, and transit routes, without the concurrence of a majority of all the Senators from States which allow involuntary servitude, and a majority of all the Senators from States which prohibit that relation; nor shall Territory be acquired by treaty, unless the votes of a majority of the Senators from each class of States hereinbefore mentioneú be cast as a part of the two-thirds majority necessary to the ratification of such treaty. SEC. 3. Neither the Constitution nor any amendment thereof shall be construed to give Congress power to regulate, abolish, or control, within any State the relation established or recognized by the laws thereo: touching persons held to labor or involuntary service therein, nor to interfere with or abolish involuntary service in the District of Columbia without the consent of Maryland and without the consent of the owners, or making the owners who do not consent just compensation; nor the power to interfere with or prohibit Representatives and others from bringing with them to the District of Columbia, retaining. and taking away, persous so held to labor or service; nor the power to interfere with or abolish involuntary service in places under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States within those States aud Territories where the same, is established or recognized; nor the power to prohibit the removal or transportation of persons held to labor or involuntary service in any State or Territory of the United States to any other State or Territory thereof where it is established or recognized by law or usage, aud the right during transportation, by sea or river, of touching at ports, shores, and landings, and of landing in case of distress, shall exist; but not the right of transit in or through any State or Territory, or of sale or traffic, against the laws * Died during the session, and succeeded by C. P. Wolcott. article thereof, shall not be amended or abolished without the consent of all the States. SEC. 7. Congress shall provide by law that the United States shall pay to the owner the full value of his fagitive from labor, in all cases where the marshal or other officer, from so doing by violence or intimidation from mobs or whose duty it was to arrest such fugitive, was prevented riotous assemblages, or when, after arrest, such fugitive was rescued by like violence or intimidation, and the owner thereby deprived of the same; and the acceptance of such payment shall preclude the owner from further claim to such fugitive. Congress shall provide by law immunities of citizens in the several States. for securing to the citizens of each State the privileges and then re-considered, and agreed to, yeas 9, ware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mis- Section 3 was agreed to, yeas 12, (Dela- Section 4 was agreed to, yeas 15, (Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia.) nays 4, (Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.) ticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Section 5 was agreed to, yeas 16, (ConnceMaryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Kansas,) nays 5, (Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia.) Section 6 was agreed to, yeas 11, (Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, MisSouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Kansas,) nays 9, (Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia.) New York was divided. Section 7 was agreed to, yeas 12, (Dela ware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Kansas,) nays 7, (Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia.) New York was divided. By a vote of 12 to 7, (New York divided,) the resolution offered by Mr. FRANKLIN of Pennsylvania, after the adoption of the above proposition, to the effect that no State of this Union has any constitutional right to secede therefrom, or to absolve its citizens from their allegiance to the Government of the United States, was indefinitely postponed, yeas 10, (Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee. Virginia,) nays 7, (Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania.) Pending the vote in the Conference on these propositions, Mr. DAVID DUDLEY FIELD, of New York, moved to substitute for Section 7, a provision that "no State shall withdraw from the Union without the consent of all the States, given in a Convention of the States, convened in pursuance of an act passed by two-thirds of each house of Congress ;' which was rejected-yeas 10, nays 11, as follows: YEAS- Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Kansas-10. NAYS-Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia-11. Mr. BALDWIN, of Connecticut, moved a substitute recommending that Congress call a Convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States; which was lost-yeas 8, nays 13, as follows: YEAS-Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont-8. NAYS-Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Kansas-13. Mr. SEDDON'S project-securing in addition to the Crittenden proposition, the right of transit for slaves through Free States-excluding from the elective franchise, or the right to hold Federal, State, Territorial or Municipal office, all persons who are in whole or part of the African race-and in a modified form recognizing the right of peaceable State secession,-was also offered, and was lost-yeas 4, nays 16, as follows: YEAS-Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia. NAYS-Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Kansas-16. Mr. JAMES B. CLAY's substitute (much like Mr. Seddon's) was also lost-yeas 5 (Ten nessee, besides those above), nays 14 (same as above with Tennessee and Kansas out). Mr Tuck's proposition, denying the power of Congress, or any branch of the Federal Government, to interfere in any manner with slavery in any of the States, and that either of the great political organizations of the country contemplates a violation of the Constitution, and recommending a Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States for the redress of whatever grievances exist, was also rejectedyeas 9, nays 11, as follows: YEAS-Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont-9. NAYS-Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina. There were 133 members present upon the adoption of the report, representing the States of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, North Carolina, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana. Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. NOTE.-Michigan and Wisconsin, of the loyal States, were not represented in the Conference. Senate by Mr. JOHNSON of Arkansas, March These propositions were offered to the 2d, pending the House resolution proposing were rejected-yeas 3, nays 34, as follows: an amendment of the Constitution, and they YEAS-Messrs. Foot, Nicholsom, and Pugh-3. NAYS--Messrs. Anthony, Baker, Bigler, Bingham, Bright, Chandler, Clark, Crittenden, Dixon, Doolittle, Douglas. Durkee. Fessenden, Foster, Grimes, Harlan, Hunter, John son of Arkansas, Johnson of Tennessee, Kennedy, King, Latham, Mason, Morrill, Polk, Rice, Sebastian, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wigfall, Wilkinson, and Wilson -34. Subsequently (March 2d) they were offered to the Senate by Mr. CRITTENDEN of Kentucky, after the adoption of the House constitutional amendment, and pending the Crittenden propositions, and they were rejected, yeas 7, nays 28, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Crittenden, Douglas, Harlan, Johnson of Tennessee, Kennedy, Morrill, and Thomson-7. NAYS--Messrs. Bayard, Bigler, Bingham, Bright, Chandler, Clark, Dixon, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Guin, Hunter, Lane, Latham, Mason, Nicholson, Polk, Pugh, Rice, Sebastian, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wigfall, Wilkinson, and Wilson-28. March 1st, 1861. Mr. McCLERNAND moved to suspend the rules for the purpose of receiving the recommendation of the Peace Congress, which was rejected, yeas 93, nays 67, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Charles F. Adams, Green Adams, Adrain, Aldrich, William C. Anderson, Avery, Barr, Barrett, Bocock, Boteler, Brabson, Branch, Briggs, Bristow, Brown, Burch, Burnett, Campbell, Horace F. Clark, John B. Clark, John Cochrane, Corwin, James Craig, John G. Davis, De Jarnette, Dunn, Etheridge, Florence, Foster, Fouke, Garnett, Gilmer, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, J. Morrison Harris, John T. Harris, Haskin, Hatton, Hoard, Holman, William Howard, Hughes, Jenkins, William Kellogg, Killinger, Kunkel, Larrabee, Jas. M. Leach, Leake, Logan, Maclay, Mallory, Chas. D. Martin, Maynard, McClernand, Mc Kenty, McKnight, McPherson, Morris, Nelson, Niblack, Nixon, Olin, Pendleton, Peyton, Millson, Millward, Laban T. Moore, Moorhead, Edward Joy -93. Phelps, Porter, Pryor, Quarles, John H. Reynolds, Rice, Riggs, James C. Robinson, Sickles, Simms, Wm. N. H. Smith, Spaulding, Stevenson, William Stewart, Stokes, Thomas, Vance, Webster, Whiteley, Winslow, Woodson, and Wright NAYS-Messrs. Alley, Ashley, Bingham, Blair, Brayton, Buffinton, Burlingame, Burnham, Carey, Case, Coburn, Colfax, Conway, Burton Craige, Dawes, Delano, Duell, Edgerton, Eliot, Ely, Fenton, Ferry, Frank, Gooch, Graham, Grow, Gurley, Helmick, Hickman, Hindman, William A. Howard, Hutchins, Irvine, Francis W. Kellogg, Kenyon, Loomis, Lovejoy, McKean, Morrill, Morse, Palmer, Perry, Potter, Pottle, Christopher Robinson, Royce, Ruffin, Sedgwick, Sherman, Somes, Spinner, Stanton, Stevens, Tappan, Tompkins, Train, Vandever, Van Wyck, Wade, Waldron, Walton, Cadwalader C. Washburn, Ellihu B. Washburne, Wells, Wilson, Windom, and Woodruff-67. When the report was presented to the Sen ate and a motion made to fix a time to consider it, unless sustained by each of the two classes of Senators of the Committee-Senators of the Republican party to constitute one class, and Senators of other parties to constitute the other. Mr. CRITTENDEN offered his amendments. The first article was lost-yeas 6, nays 7: YEAS-Messrs. Bigler, Crittenden, Douglas, Hunter, Powell, Rice-6. NAYS-Messrs. Collamer, Davis, Doolittle, Grimes, Seward, Toombs, Wade-7. The second was lost under the rule-yeas Doolittle, Grimes, Seward, and Wade. 8, nays 5. The nays were Messrs. Collamer, The third, fourth, and fifth articles were that Mr. Grimes did not vote. lost by a similar vote; also the sixth, except Mr. THOS. L. CLINGMAN of North Carolina, said he was "utterly opposed to the propoMr. CRITTENDEN then submitted a Joint sition," but was willing to give it the direc-Resolution, containing four propositions: tion its friends desired. Mr. MILTON S. LATHAM of California, said he "had no confidence in this thing," but would vote for the motion. When it was presented to the House, Mr. SAML. H. WOODSON of Missouri, said he would vote to receive it, but was against the proposition. Mr. BURTON CRAIGE of North Carolina, said he was "utterly opposed to any such wishywashy settlement of our National difficulties.' Mr. SHELTON F. LEAKE "regarded this thing as a miserable abortion, forcibly reminding one of the old fable of the mountain and the mouse; nevertheless, he was willing to let the mouse in, in order to have the pleasure of killing it." Mr. THOS. C. HINDMAN of Arkansas, believed the report "to be unworthy of the vote of any Southern man." Mr. MUSCOE R. H. GARNETT of Virginia, "intending and desiring to express my abhorrence of these insidious propositions, conceived in fraud and born of cowardice, by giving a direct vote against them, yet from respect for the conference which reported them" was willing to receive them. The above were the only votes taken upon the recommendation. That in the House was not a test, as some voted to receive who 1. That the Fugitive Slave law is in strict pursuance of the plain and mandatory provisions of the Constitution, and has been sanctioned as valid and constitutional by the judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States, that the slave-holding States are entitled to its faithful execution, and laws should be made to punish those who to hinder or defeat its execution. attempt, by rescue or other illegal means, those State laws which conflict with the 2. Congress recommends the repeal of acts of Congress, or impede, hinder or delay Fugitive Slave law or other constitutional its free course and execution, or such modification of them as may prevent their being used or perverted to such mischievous purposes. 3. The Fugitive Slave law should be so amended as to make the fee of the Commis sioner equal, whether his decision be for or call the posse comitatus to his aid should be against the claimant, and the authority to limited to cases of resistance, or danger of resistance or rescue. 4. The laws for the suppression of the African slave trade should be made effectual and thoroughly executed. The first was lost under the rule-yeas 8, nays 3-Messrs. Doolittle, Grimes and Wade, were opposed to the adoption of the report, voting nay; Mr. Collamer and Mr. Seward and probably vice versa. Senate Committee of Thirteen. December 18th, 1860. On motion of Mr. POWELL, a Committee of Thirteen were authorized to consider the condition of the country; which consisted of Mr. Powell, Mr. Seward, Mr. Collamer, Mr. Bigler, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Toombs, Mr. Davis, Mr. Rice, Mr. Crittenden, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Wade, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Grimes. Dec. 31st. The chairman reported that the Committee had not been able to agree upon any general plan of adjustment. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE. Dec. 22d, 1860, it was agreed that no proposition shall be reported as adopted, not voting. The second was lost under the rule-yeas 7, nays 4-Messrs. Collamer, Doolittle, Seward, and Wade, voting nay; Mr. Grimes not voting. The third was unanimously agreed toyeas 13; also the fourth. Mr. DOOLITTLE moved that the laws should secure to the alleged fugitive slave, when he shall claim that he is not a fugitive slave, a jury trial before he shall be delivered to the claimant. Mr. TOOMBS moved to amend by adding the words, "in the State from which he fled.' Agreed to, yeas 7, nays 5. Mr. CRITTENDEN moved to limit this right to cases "where he shall have been out of the possession of the claimant for more than |
