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j 4 flit li 111 t '5ri k 0111 h t f ah i j wmt j riMt. if md .v r.v, T nvR D0LLARS A YEAK tF K PAID lx ADnKCR " :- ' I it v .inn iluir Jr. iimww.. .. . .. ' : ' . . ' , 1 ixi i.. n l ssa 5 I . ! -T- ; LV, .Tinsiirn, l li;)lMV .TIUIOI.X., Jt.i: 1, 18.10. ltcport from the i:onipro raitc Committee. j In the Senate on the 8th instant, Mr. Clay presented the following Report from the 1 Committee of Thirteen, appointed some ! weeks "n, to which was referred the sever . a! subjects connected with the institution of slavery. The Senate's Committee of Thirteen, to whom were referred the various resolu tions relatiug to California, to other por tions of the territory recently accqirtred by . the United States from the republic of Mexbo, aud to other subjects" connected with the institution of slavery, have, ac cording to order, had these resolutions and subjects under consideration, and beg t leave to submit to the following report: The ca.tt.n tte entered on the discharge of heir duties with a deep sense of their great Importance, and with earnest and anxious solicitude to arrive at such conclusions ns inight be satisfactory to the Senate and to ihy:ountry. Mst of the matters referred have been not only subjected to extensive and serious public discussion throughout the country, but to a debate in the Senate itself, singular for its elaborateness and its duration: o that a full exposition of all these motives land views which, on the several subjects collided to the committee, have determined the conclusions at which they have arrived, seems quite unnecessary, lney will, there fore, restrict themselves to a few general ob servations, an J to some reflections which grow odt of these subject?. Out of oar recant territorial acquisitions, 2 and iu connexion with the institution ot 'i slavery, questions most grave have sprung, 1 which, greatly dividing and agitating the J people of the Uuited Stale, have threaten ed to disturb the harmony, if not to eudan ger the safjty of the Union. The commit " tee believe it to ha highly desirable aiid uec- essary speedily to adjust all those questions, J in a spirit of concord, and in a maimer to f produce, if practicable, general satisfucion. The'y think it would be unwise tj leave any Of them open and unsettled, to fester iu the public miwh audio prolong, if not aggravate he existing agitation. It has been their Abject, therefore, in this report, to make such ' proposals and recommendations as would ac f complish a general adjustment of all those I ; questions. i Among the subjects referred to the cora ls mittee which command their first attention, I are the resolutions offered to the Senate by the Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Bell. By a provision in the resolution of Congress au nexiug Texas to the United States, it isde fclared that "new States of convenient size, j not exceeding four in number, in addition to iWid State of Texas, ani having smhoieni . ' population, may hereafter, by the consent ol said State, be formed out of the territory , i thereof, which shall be entitled to admission fiuder the provision? of the federal constitu tion ; and such States as may be formed out of that p irtion of said territory lying south of 3J deg. 30 mil, north latitude, commonly .Jknown as the Missouri commpromise line, shall be admitted into the Union with or ,v without slavery, as the people of each Stale asking admission may desire.' 4 The committee are unanimously of opin ion, that whenever one or more States, fbrmed of the territory of Texas, not exceed ing four, having sutficieut population, with ISe consent of I'exas, may upply to be ad .rfljtte'J into the Union, they are entitled to such admission beyond! all doubt, upon' the clear, unambiguous) and ab-olute terms p the solemn compact contained in the res olution of annexation adopted by Congress, aad assented to by Texas. But whilst the .cchnmittee conceive that the right of admis sion iuto the Union of any new States carv- out of the territory of Texas, uot exceed ing the number specified, and under the con ditions stated, cannot be justly controverted, b committee do not think that the forma Jtifn of any such new States should now orig indie with Congres initiative, in conformity with the (Mage which has heretofore prevailed, should fe taken by a portion of the people of Tex 4 themselves, desirous of constituting a uew (Slate, with the consent of Texas. And in taa formation of such new State, it will be wr tho people composing it to decida for themselves whether they will admit or will ixclude slavery. And however they may Jeeue that purely muuicipal questiou, Con gress is bound acquiesce, and to fulfil iu good faith the stipulations of the compact with Texas. The committee are aware that it has been contended that the resolu. tioa of Congress annexing Texas was un constitutional. - At a former epoch of our couutry's history, there were those (and Mr. Jefferson, under whose auspices the treaty " of Louisiana was ttoucluded, was anion i them) who believed that the States formed , 1 6ut of Louisiana, could not be received iuto " the Union without an amendment of the con- stitution But the Slates of Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa have been all, I nevertheless, admitted. And who wonld i now thiuk of opposing the admission of Mm I nesota Oregon, or other new States formed I . .out of the ancient province of Louisiana, uj on the groaud of an allogeJ original defect I of constitutional power. In grave nationa. transactions, while yet in their earlier or in cipient stages, differences may well exist: But when one they have been decided by tosstitutionai majority, and are consumma ted, or are in process of consummation, thero can be uo other afe and prudent alter mi native than to respect the decision already ,j renuereu, ana to acquiesce in it. Entertain- I wginese views, a majority of the commit I tee do not tlunk it necessary or proper to rec ommend, at this time, or prospectively, any new State or States to be formed out of the territory of Texr.. Should any such State be hereafter formed, and preseut itself for ad mission iuto the Union, whether with or walnut the establishment of slavery, it can not be doubted that Congres willunder a full sense . f houor, of goJ faith, and of all the high obligations orrising out of the com pact with Texas, daciJe, just as it will de cide under the influence of similar consider ations, in regard to new States formed of or out of, New Mexico and Utah, Willi or with out the institution of slavery, according to the constitutions and judgement of the peo ple who compose them, as to what may be beet to- premote their happiness. Iu considering the question of the admis siou of California as a State into the Union, a majority of the committee conceive that any irregularity by -which that State was organized without the previous authority of an act of Congress, ought to be overlooked, in consideration of the omission of Congress to establish any territorial government for the people of California and. the subsequent necessity which they were under to create a government for themselves, best adapted to their own wants. There are vafteus in stances, prior to the ease of California, of new States into the Union, witjiout any previous authorization by Congress. The sole condition required by the Constitution of the United States in repect to the admis sion of a new State i3, that its constitution shall bj republican iu form. California pre sents such a constitution; and there is no doubt of her having a greater population than that which, according to the practice of the government, has been here'oforedeem eJ sullicient to receive a new State into the Union. Iu regard to the proposed boundaries of California the committee would have been glad if there existed more full and accurate geographical knowledge of the territory which those boundareis include. There is reason to believe that large as they are, they embrace no very disproportionate quantity of land adapted to cultivation. And it is known that they contain extensive ranges of mountains, deserts of sand, -and much un productive soil. It might have be.n, per uaps, better to have assigned to California a more limited front on the Pacific : but even if there had been reserved oil the shore of that ocean a portion of tlie bourtdary which it presents far any other State or States, it is not very certain that an accessible interior of sumcient extent cou d have been given to 'hem to render an approach to the Ocean through xJieir own" limits off any very great importance; . A majority of the committee think that there are many and urgent concurring con siderations in favor of admittiug California with the proposed boundaries, and of secur ing to her at this time the benefits of a State .rovernment. If hereafter, upon art incrdn'se of her population, a more thorough explora tion ot her territory, and an ascertainment of the relations which may arise between the people occupying its various parts, it should be found conducive to their criiive uieuse an 1 happiuess to form a new Stale out of Ca ifornia, we have every reason to believe, from past experience, that the ques tion of its admission will be fairly considered anJ justly decided. A majority of trie committee, therefore, recommended to the Senate the passage of the bill reported by the Committee on Ter ritories for the admission of California as a Slate iuto the Union. To prevent miscon ception, the committee recommend that ths amendment reported by the same committee to the bill adopted, so as to leave incontest able the right of the United States to the public domain and other publij property in California. Whilst a majority of the committee believe it to be necessary and proper, under actual Circumstances, to admit California, they thiuk it quite necesary and proper to estab lish governments for the resi Jue of the terri tory derived front Mexico', a'iid to bring it within the pale of the Federal 'authority. The remoteness of that territory from the seat of the Federal Government: the dis persed state of its population ; the variety of races pivre and mixed of which it con sists ; the ignorance of some of tt.e races of our laws, language and habits; and the sol emn stipulation of the treaty by which we acquired dominion over them impose upou the Uuited btates the imperative obligation of extending to them protection, and of pro viding for tb.3in government aul laws suit ed to ihjir condition. Conjrrest will fail in the performance of a high duty if does not give, or attempt to give, to them the be nefit o; such protection, government and laws I hey are not now, and for a long tune to come, may not be, prep .red for State Gov ernment. The territorial form, for the pres ent, is best suited to their condition. A bill has been reported to the Committee ru Ter ritories dividing ali the territory acquired from Mexico, not comprehended within the limits of California into two territories, un der the names of New Mexico and Utah, and proposing for each a Territorial government. Ihe committee recommended to the Sen ate the establishment of those Territorial Governments; and, in order more certainly to secure that desirable object, they also rec ommend that the bill for th&ir establishment be incorporated in the bill or the admission of California, and that, united together, they both be passed. The combination-of the two measure in the same mil w ejected to on various grounds. Ct is said that they areumngrinus, and have no noceisary eaonexba with each other. A majority df the committee think otherwise. The object of both meaure is the establish mentof government suited to the conditions, respectively, of the proposed new state and f new territories. Prior to their trans ter to the United States they both formed a part of Mexico, where they stood in equal relations to the government of that repub lic. They were both ceded to the Uuited States by the same treaty. Aud iu the same article of that - treaty, the United States by solemnly engaged to protect and goveru both. Common in their origin, common in their alienation fiom one loreign govern ment, to another, common in their wants of good government, and contermiuous in some of their boundaries, and alike iu many par ticulars of physical condition, they have nearlv every thing iu common in the rela tions in which they staud to the rest of this Union. There is then, a general fitness and propriety in extending the parental care of government to both iu common. If Cali fornia, by a sudden and extraordinary aug mentation of .population, has advanced so rapidly sis to mature her for State govern ment, that furnishes no reason why the less fortunate territories of New Mexico and Utnh should be abandoned and left iingov eined by the United States, or should be disconnected with California, which, altho' she has organized for herself a State govern maul, must be legally and constitutionally regarded as a territory until she is actually admitted as a State in the Union. It is further objected, that by combining the two measures in the sunte bill, niembeis who may be willing to vote for one and un willing to vote for other would be placed iu an embarrassing condition. They would bo construined, it is urged, to take or to reject both. On the other hand, there are other members who would bo willing to vote for both united, but would feel themselves con strained to vote against the California bill if it stood alone. Each party finds in the bilW wjicn it tavors something which commends it to acceptance, and in the other something which it disapproves. The true ground, therefore, of the objection to the Union of the measures, is not any want of affinity be- tween them, but because of the favor or dis favor with which they are respectively re garded. In this conflict of opinion, it seems t a majority of the committee that a snirit of mutual concession enjoins that the two measures honld be connected together ; the effect ol which will be, that neither oniniori will exclusively triumph, and that both mav find in such an amicabie arrangement enou-rh of good to reconcile them to the nccepiauce of the combined measure. And minh a cduxSe of legislation is (ot at ull unusual Few laws have ever passed iu which thete were not parts to which exception was ta ken. It is inexpedient, if uot impracticable. to separate these parts, mid ernbodv them in distinct bills, so as to nccommodnte th ili. versity of opinion which may exist. The constitution of the United States contained jtiit a great variety of provi.-ions, to some it which serious objection was made iu the convention which formed it by different members of that body;nnd when it was submitted to the ratilioatiou of the States. some of thein objected to som8 carts, and others to other parts of the same instrument. Had these various parts and provisions been separately acted ouin the convention, of separately submitted to the people of the L mted t-tatns, it is by no means certain that the constitution itseil wduld ever have been adopted or ratified. Those who did not like particular provisions found compensa tion iu other parts of if. And in oil cases ol constitutions aud laws, when either is pre sented as a whole, the Question to he dfini. ded is, whether the good it contains is not of a greater amount, aud does uot neutralize any thing exceptionable in it. And, as nothing human is perfect, for the sake of (hat harmony so desirable in such a confederacy as this, we must be reconciled to secure as much as we can of what We wish and be consoled by the reflection that what we do uot exactly like as a frteuJiy concession, an 1 agreeable to those who, being united with us in a common destiny, it n desirable should always live with us iri peace and concord. A majority of the committee have, there fore, been led to the recommendation to the Senate that the two measures be united. Ihe bill for estabiishiux the two territories. it will be observed, omits (he YVilmot provi so, on the one hand, and, on the other, makes no provision for the introduction of slavery into any part of the new territories. That proviso has been the fruitful sonrce of distrac tion and agitation. If it were adopted and applied to any territory, it would cease to Have any obligatory force as soon as such territory were admitted, as a State into the Umon. There was never any occasion for it, to accomplish the professed object with which' it was originally offered. This has been clearly demonstrated by the current of events. California, of all the recent territo rial acquisitions from Mexico, was that in which, if any where within them, the intro duction of slavery was most likely to take place ; and the constitution of California, by i no unanimsus vote oi ner convention, has expressly interdicted it. There is the high est degree of probability that Utah and New Mexico wui, when they come to be admit ted as States, follow the example. The proviio is, as to all, these regionsiu common, a more attraction. Why should it be anv onger insisted on? Totally destitute, as it is, of any practical import, it has, neverthe less, had the pernicious effect to excite seri ous, if not alarming, consequences. It is high time that the wounds which jt has in- hcted should ba healed up and closed; aud that to avoid, in all future time, the agita .ions which must be produced by the cou Jijt of opinion on the slavery question, ex isting Irthis institution doe in some of the States, and prohibited as it is in others, the true principle which ought to regulate the action of Congress in forminz territorial eoV- Jernraents for each newly acquired domain U to refraiii from all legUlat-ou on the subjo in territory acquired, so long as it retain the territorial form of government !oavin; it to the people of nch territory, wIit they have a'tamed to a condition u Inch en titles them to admissiou as a State, to de cide for themselves the question of the al lowance or prohibition of domestic slavery. The committee believe Uiat they express the anxious desire of an immense majority of the people of the United States, when they de clare that it is high tim- .hat good feelings, harmony and fraternal cntiini-iits should be again revived, and that the government should be able ohee more 10 proceed in its great operations to promote the hnppiness aud prosperity of the country, undisturbed by this distracting cause. As for California far from feeling her sensibility affected by her being associated with other kindred measures she ought to rejoice and be highly gratified that, iu enter ing into the Union, she may have contribu ted to the tranquility and happiness of the great family of States, of which, it Is to be hoped, she may ono day be a distinguished member. The commilea l?g leave next to report on the subject of the northern and western boundary of Texas. On that question a great diversity of opinion has prevailed. According to one view of it, the western limit of iexaswasthe Nueces; according to another it extended to the Rio Grande! and stretched from its mouth to its source. A majority of the committee having come to the conclusion of recommending an ami cable adjustment of the boundary with Tex as, abstain from expressing any opinion as to the true and legitimate western and uorth. ern boundary of that Slate. The term9 proposed for such an adjustment are con tained iu the bill herewith reported, ond they are, with inconsiderable variation, the same ns that reported by the committee on territories. According to these terms, it is proposed to Texas that her boundary be recognized to the Rio Grande, and up that river to the point commonly called El Paso, and running thence up that river twenty miles, measured thereon bv a straight line.'and thenro cast wardly to a point where the hundredth de gree of west longitude crosses Red river; being the southwest angle in the line desig nated between the Uuited States and Mexi co, and the atne angle in the line of the terri tory set apart for the Indians by the Uuited States. If this boundary be assented to by Texas, she will be quieted in that extent in her li tie. Aii'd1 some may sujipose that, in con sideration of this concession by the United States, she might, without any other equiv. alent, relinquish any claim she has beyond the proposed bonndary; that is, nny claim to nny part of New Mexico. But, under the influence of a sentiment of justice and great liberality, the bill proposes to Texas, for her relinquishment of any such claim, a large peciiiiinry equivalent. As a consider ation for it, and considering iha't fll portion of the debt of Texas. was created on a pledge to her creditors of the duties on for eign imports, transferred by tho resolution of unnexaiion to the United States, and now received and receivable in their treasury,- a majority of the committee recom mend the payment of the sum of mil- lions of dol'ars to Texas to be applied in tho first instance to the extinction of that por tion of her debt for the reimbursement of which the duties on foreign imports were pledged as aforesaid; and tho residue iu such manner as she may direct. The said sritri is to be paid by the Uuited States in a stock, to be created, bearing five per cent, interest annually, payable half-yearly at the treasury of the United States, and the prin cipal reimbursable at the end of fourteen years. According to an estimate which' fias been made, there are included in the territory to which it is proposed that Texas shall relin quish her claim, embracing that part of New Mexico lying east of the Rio Grahde.'a lit tie less than 121,933 square miles, and about 79,037,120 acres of laird. From the proceeds of the sale Of this land, the United States may ultimately be reimbursed a por-1 tion, if not the whole, of the amount of . wnat is in us proposed to be advanced to Texas. It caiin'ot be anticipated Texas will de cliue to accede to those liberal propositions; : but if she should, it u to bo distinctly under-' stood that tho title of the United States to any territory. acquired from New Mexico, east of the Rio Grande, will remain unim-'Ae paired, and in the same coudition as if the proposals of adjustment now offered had never been made. A majority of the committee recommend to the Senato that the section containing these proposal to Texas shall be incorpo rated into the bill embracing, the admission of California as a State, and the establish ment of territorial governments for Utah and New Mexico. The definition and es tablishment of the bonndary between New Mexico and Texas has an intimate and ne cessary connection with the establishment of a territorial government for New Mexico. To form a territorial government for New Mexico, without prescribing the limits of the territory, would leave the work Imper feet and incomplete, and might expose New Mexico to serious controversy, if not dan-D-eroui collisions, wirh tha Stat nf Term. And most, if not all, the considerations which unite in favor of combining the bill for the admissiou of California as a State and the territorial bills, apply to the boundary question of Texas. By the union of the 'three measures, every question of difficulty and division which has arisen oat. of the territo rial acquisitions from Mexico will, it it hoped, be adjusted, or placed in a train of tiMaetoy adjustment. Tbe commi-tee. ovnilmg thcnwtvrs of the arduous and val uable labors of the commitit'e on territori, report a bill, embracing those three mra. ures. the passage of which, uniting them to. pettier, tney recommend to the Senate. The committee will now prorwd to the consideration of, and to report upon, the fiual trial iher would be a complete rnock subject of persons owing service or labor in ery of jutice, so far as the owner of the fu. one State escaping iuto another. The text gitive is concsrned. If the trial by jury be of the constitution is quite clear: "No per- admitted, it would draw after it its usual son held to labrr or service in one State, ut- consequences of contiuuotire, from time to der th laics tltertnf, escaping into another, ' time, to bring evidence from distant places; shall, id consequence of any law or regitla- J of second or new trials, in cases where the lion therein, be discharged from such service jury is hung, or ti'.e verdict is set aside ; end or labor, but shall be dvlhrral vp on the of revivals of the verdict and conduct of the clnim of the party to whom such service ojf Ljuries by competent tribunals. During the labor may be due.' Nothing can be niorcm nrog-rts of all tlreee dilatory and fxpeusi. explicit than this language nothing more minutest timn the right to demand, and the obligatiof. to deliver up to the claimant, any uch luifitive. And the constitution ad dresses itseif alike to the States composing the Union, and to the General Government. If, indued, there were any difference in the duty to enforce this poition of the constitu tion between the States and the Federal Government, it is more clear that it is that of the former than of the !ntt,er. But it is the duty of both. It is now well known and in contestable that citizens in slaveholding States encounter the greatest difficulty ill obtaining tho benefit of this provision of tlie constitution. The attemjit to recapture a fugitive is nlmort always a subject of great irritation and excitement, aiid often lends to most unpleasant, if not perilous collisions. An owner of n sluve, it is quite notorious, connot pursue his property, for the purpose of its recovery, iu some of tho States, with out imminent personal hazard. This is a deplorable state of tilings, which ought to bo remedied. The law of 1793 lias been found wholly ineffectual, and requires more stringent enactments. There is, especially, a deficiency iu ihe number of public func tionxries amhorifed to offord oid iu the seiz ure and arrest of fugitives. Various States have declined to afford aid and co-operation in the surrender of fugitives from labor, as tho committee believe, from n misconcep tion of their duty arising under tho Consti tution of the United States. It is true that a decision of the Supreme Court of the Uni ted State has given countenance to them in withholding their assistance. LJut tho committee cannrt but believe that the inten tion of the Supreme Court has been misnn derstood. They cannot but think thal'that court merely meruit that laws of tho several States wjiich created obstacles in the way of tho recovery of fugitives were not au thorized by the constitution, aud not that State laws nflfordinz facilities iu the recove ry of fugitives were forbidden by that iiu strumeiit. The non-slaveholdinjr States, , sympathies any of their citizens may feel for persons wno escape Irom other States, can not discharge them e ves from an obligation to enforce the constitution of the United States. All parts Of the iiwtrifment being dependent upon and connected with each other, ought to bo fairly and justly enforced. If some Statos may seek to exhonerate themselves from one portion of the constitu tion, other State may endeavor to evade the performance of other portions of it; and thus tho instrument, in some of its most im portant provisions, might become inopera tive and invalid. But, whatever may be tho conduct of in dividual States, tlio duty of the General Government is perfectly clear. The duty is, to amend the existing law, and to provide an effectual remedy for the recovery of fu gitives from service or labor.' In devising such a remedy, Congress ought, whilst on tho one hand securing to the owner the fair restoration of bis property, effectually to guard on the other, against any abuses in the application of that remedy. Iu all cases of tho arrest, within a State, of person's charged with offences; iu ali cases of the pursuit of fugitives from justice from one State to another State, in all cases of extradition, provided for by treaties between foreign powers, the proceeding uni formly is summary. It has never been thought necossary to apply, in cases of that kind, the forms and ceremonies of a final tri- al. And when that trial does take place, it is in the mate or country from which the party has fled, and not in that in whu-.h h has found refuge. By the express language of the constitution, whether the fugitive is held to service or labor or not. i ia h tmr. rained y tlu laws of the state r rom wkkK JUd: and, coti?equeut!y. it is most pro- per that the tribunals of that state fhould expound and administer it own laws. If there Have boen instances of abuse in the erroneous arrest of fugitives from service or labor the committee have not obtained knowledge of them. They be eve that none such have occurred, and that such are uot likely to occur. But, in order to guard against the possibility of their occurrence, the committee have .pre pared, aud herewith report, a section to be offered to the fugitive bill bow pending before the Senate. Ac cording to this section, tho owcer of a fugi tive from service or Jabor U, when practica- ble. to carry1 with him to the state iu which the person is found a record from a competent State show a rapidlv progressive de tribunal, adjudicating the facts of elope- crease In Ihe number o'f slaves in Vsh -ment and slavery, with a description ofthe ingfoa cunty: According to the cen fru'fied TL th. -0rr!y, T?e and u of J83l). number wr.SDSjaud rvsa in 1840 ? ' 3'3,S ' .-u- . . . wuo.ro. weperaoii mjr A reduction in ten vr i.f i. owing labor or service is found, is to be held competent and sufficient evidence of the facts which had been adjudicated-,' and" will leave nothing more to be done tbau to Iden tify the fuziuve. ' Numerous petitions have been presented praying tor a trial by jury, iri the case of I arrest of fugitive, from servico or labor, the not:4ilavtholdiiig Mate.' It has Lcr, al ready thowu that this would be fbtirely contrary to practici and uniform usage in all Mtmlar eae. Uuder the name of a pop ular and cherished institution h institu tion, however, never applied In cases of urelirninarv procrdi'iir. and onlv in cases of proceedings, what security is there as to the custody and forthcoming of the fugitive up ou their termination? And if, finally, the claimant fhould be successful, contrary to what happens in ordinary litigation between1 free persons, he would have to bear alt the burdens and expense of the litigation, with out indemnity, and would learn, by cad ex perience, that ho had by far better have abandoned his right in the first instance, than to establish it at such unremuncrated cost and heavy sacrifice! - Bui whilst the committee conceive that' a trial by jury, ih d state where a fugitive y from service or labor is recaptured, would s be a virtual denial ol justice to the claimant , of such fugitive, and would lie tantamc&nt . to a positive refusal to execute, the provis ion of the constitution, ihe same objections do not apply to such a tiinl in the state from which he lied. In the slaveholding statos, full justice is administered with en tire fairness aiid impartiality, in coses of all actions for freedom. The person claiming his freedom is allowed to sue in forma pau peris: counsel is assigned him; time isak lowed him to collet hiswiinesse and toaf tend the sessions of the cotirtj ana his claimant is placed under bond aiid security, or is divested of the possession during the progress of the trial, to ensure the enjoy.' meut of these prMleges; and if there be nny leaning on the port of courts aiid juries, it is always on the side of the claimant for freedom. ' k , . ; Iu deference, to the feelings mid prejudicee which prevail iu the non-sin veho, ding States, the committee propose such a tjial in the State from which the fugitive fled, iu till cases where ho declares to the olliccr giving the certificate for his return that he has a right to his freedom. Accordingly, the committee have prepared, afd report here with, two sccfioiis, which they recommend should be incorporated in tbe fugitive bill pending in the Senate. According to these ions, the claimant Is placed under bond, wlmtCVeArfCoilftty iu the State from which fi f)a. and i vr 1,1,,,, ,in IH" LIVE LU L11UL there to take htm before a competent tribu nal, and allow him to assert and establish his freedom, if ho can, affording to him for that purpose all noedfiil facilities. 1 , The committee indulge the hope that if tho fugitive bill, with the proposed amend ments, shall be passed by Coneress, it will be effectual to secure the iccovery of all, fugi tives from service or labor, and that it will remove all causes o'f complaint which have hitherto been experienced on that irritating subject But if in its practical operation it sliall be found insufficient, and if no ade quate remedy can be devised for Ihe restora tion to their owners of fugitive slaves, those owner will have a just title to indemnity out of the Treasury of the United States. It remains to report upon the resolu-T tions in relation to slavery and tho slave trade in the District of Columbia.' Without discussing tho power of Con gress to al.olwlj slavery vithin the Dis trier, in regard to which a diversify of opinion exists, I he committee are of opinion that, it ought not to be abolish ed. Jt could not be done without in dispensable conditions, which are noil likely to be agreed to. It could not b done wilhout exciting great apprehen sion and alarm in the slave States; If the power were exercised within t'ha District, they would nppiehentj tfrajt,' under some pretext or another, it mTgbt be hereafter attempted to be exercised wrhin Ihe slaveholding Stales: It i true that at present all such power is almost unanimously disavowed A'nd din claimed m the Irer Slate?. But expori rce in publw affairs has too' often hown th;it where ihere is a !sir tn do a particular thin. th rvuvr tn complisli it isoonrr or laW,- will b found or assumed. " i Nor doslli nnmWr nf.l - the District make the nb-li' imi ol slav, r.- u., i,;..t c "' i t" '.L'! A" c'")"l" e ca an appears to be attached iq' it m KOmo pnrls of the Union. Since the retroces sioi of Alexandria, county t- Virginia on Ihe south side of the 'Potomac. th District now consist only of Washing.' ton county, on the north side of thai? river; and the returns ofthe decenrra' enumeration of the neonln nfl b TTiutAl ono-lhird. If it should continue in tha ,LM .. ..- . . same ratio., the number, according to ine census now about to be taken, will bo only a little upward of two rtibuV an' But a' mniorjfv of the eommrtte ttlrt difttl iS regard ItoiiTZZ 'of 4 i ' t ' . f t. l' r I, i'