Quill
  1. Overview: The Road to Civil War
  2. Full Record: The Road to Civil War
  3. Committee:Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union of the House of Representatives
  4. Session: 1862-04-10 12:00:00
  5. Event type: CREATE_FROM

The Road to Civil War

Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union of the House of Representatives

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Document introduced in:

Session 12161: 1862-04-10 12:00:00

The House, as in Committee of the Whole, considers S. 108

Document View:

S. 108

Shown with amendment 'S. 108: Mr. Wickliffe's Substitute' (e889159)

There are 0 proposed amendments related to this document on which decisions have not been taken.
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A Bill

For the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That noall person not nows held to service or labor within the District of Columbia, nor now owned by reason of African descent, are hereby discharged any person or persons now resident within it,d freed of and from all claim to such service or labor; and from and after the passage of this act neither slavery nor hereafter born within it,involuntary servitude, except for crime, whereof the party shall ehaver be held in slavery withen duly convicted, shall hereafter exist in said District.

Sec. 2. And bBe it further enacted, That noall person now ws loyal to the United States holdin said District,g claims to service or now owned by anylabor against person or persons now residens discharged therefrom by this act may, within ninety days from the passame, or ge thereof, but not thereafter born within it, shall ever be held in slavery without, present to the commissioners hereinafter mentioned the limiir respective statements of said District: Provided, Thr petitions in writing, verified by oath or afficers of the Government ofrmation, setting forth the United Statnames, ages, being citizensand personal description of the slaveholding States, coming intosuch persons, the manner in which said District on public business,petitioners acquired such claim and remaining only so long as may bfacts touching the value thereasonably necessary for that object, may be attended intoof, and declaring his allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that he has nout of said District, and whileborne arms against the United States during the pre, by the necessary servants ofsent rebellion, nor in any ways given aid or comfort themselves andreto: Provided, That their families, without oath of their parighty to hold such servants in serthe petition shall not be evidence beingof the facts thereby impairin stated.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all children born of slave mothers withe President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint three commissioners, resaidents of the District on or after the 1st day of __, inf Columbia, any two of whom shall have power to act, who shall receive the year of our Lord 1862, shall be free, but shall be reasonably supppetitions above mentioned, investigate and determine the validity and value of the claims therein presented, as afortesaid, and educated byappraise and apportion, under the respectivproviso hereto annexed, the value in mownersy of their mothers, or by several claims by them found to be valid: Provided, however, That their hentirs or representatives, ane sum so appraised and apportioned shall servnot exceed in the aggreasonable sgate an amount equal to $300 for each person shown to havice as apprentices tbeen so held by lawful claim: And provided further, That no claim suchall be allowners, heirs, and representatives, until they respectively arriveed for any slave or slaves brought into said District after the passage of twenty-onhis act; nor for any slave claimed by any pears, when they shall be entirely free; and the municipal authorities of Washington anon who has borne arms against the Government of the United States in the present rebellion, or in any way given aid Georg comfort theretown, within their respective jurisdictional limits, areor which originate in or by virtue of any transfer hereby empowered and required to make tofore made or which shall suitable and necessarhereafter be made, by any perovisions for enforc who has in any manner aided or sustaing obedience to this secte rebellion onagainst the parGovernment of both masters ane United Stapprentices.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all perssaid commissioners nowshall, within nine months from the passaid District lawge of this act, make a fully and final report of thelir proceedings, findings, and appraisement, and slaves, or now ownhall deliver the same of the Secretary of the Treasury, which report shall be deemed by any person or persons nowd taken to be conclusive in all resident within said District,pects, except as hereinafter provided; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall remain such at the will of, with like exception, cause the amounts so apportioned to said claims to be paid from their trespective owners, their asury of the United States to the parties found by said report to be entitled theireto as aforesaid, and legthe same shall be representativesceived in full and complete compensation: Provided, That any such owner, or hiin cases where petitions may be filegal red presenting conflicting claims or settiveng up liens, said commissioners shall so specify in said report, any time receive from thd payment shall not be made according to the award of said commissioners util a period of sixty days shall have Trelapsed, dury of the United Stating which time any petitioner claiming an interest in the full value of his or her slaveparticular amount may file a bill in equity in the circuit court of the class District of Columbia, making all other claimants section mentioned; upon whichdefendants thereto, setting forth the proceedings in such slavcase shall be forthwith and forever free: Ae said commissioners and their action therein, and provided further, That the President ofaying that the party to whom payment has been awarded may be enjoined from receiving the United Statessame; and if said court shall grant such provisional order, a copy the Secretary of State, andof may, on motion of said complaint, be served upon the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall be a board for determining the value of such slaves as their ownthereupon cause the said amount of money to be paid into said court, subject to its orders may desire to emanciand final decree, which payment shall be in full ander this sec complete compensation, and whose dutys in other cases.

Sec. 5. And be it shall be tofurther enacted, That said commissioners shall hold atheir session fors in the purpose oncity of Washington, at such place and times as the firsPresident Mof the United States may direct, of each calendar month; to receive which they shall give due and public notice. They shall applications,have power to subpoena and, on satisfactory evid compel the attendance of witnesses, and to receive testimony and enforce in eachts production, as in civil case that the person preses before courts of justice, without any exclusion of any witness on accounted of color valuation is a s; and they may summons before them the persons making claim to service or labor, and ofexamine the class in this m under oath; and they may also, for purposes of identification and appraisementi, call before them the persons so claimed, an. Said commis owned by thesioners shall applicaoint a clerk, who shall value suchkeep files and complete record of all proceedings before them, who shall have at his or her full cash valuepower to administer oaths and affirmations in said proceedings, and give to the applicant anwho shall issue all lawful process by them ordered. The marshal onf the Treasury for the amountDistrict of Columbia shall personally, or by deputy, attend alsoupon to suche slavessions of said commissionertificate of freedoms, and shall execute the process issued by said clerk.

Sec. 56. And be it further enacted, That the municipal authoritisaid commissioner shall receive in compensation for their services the sum of Washington and Georgetown, wi$2,00 each, to be paid upon the filing of their respectport; that said clerk shall receive jurisdictional limits, afor his services the sum of $200 per month; that said marshal shall receive such fees as are allowed by empowlaw for similar services performed and required to provide active and efficient means to arrestby him in the circuit court of the District of Columbia; that the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all other reasonable expenses of said commission to be audited and allowed, and that said compensation fees and deliver up toexpenses shall be paid from their owners all fugitive slaves escap treasury of the United States.

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of carrying this act into effect there is hereby appropriated Districtfrom the treasury of the United States a sum not exceeding $1,000,000.

Sec. 68. And be it further enacted, That the election officers withiany person or persons who shall kidnap or in any manner transport or procure to be taken out of said District of Columbia are heany person or persons discharged or freed by empowered and requiredthe provisions of this act, or any tree person or persons, with intent to reenslave or sell such person polls at or persons into slavery, or shall reenslave any of said persons, the usualperson or placersons of holso offending shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and on convictions on the first Mondareof in any court of April next, and receivecompetent jurisdiction in said District shall be imprisoned in the vote of epenitentiary not less than five nor more than twenty years.

Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That withite male citizen abn twenty days, or within such time as the said commissioners herein provided for shall limit, after the passage of twenty-one years, havhis act a statement, in writing residor schedule, shall be filed within said Distric the clerk of the circuit court for the periodDistrict of one yearColumbia, by the several owners more next proceeding claimants to the timservice of such votingthe persons made foree or againstmanumitted by this act, to proceed in taking said votes in all respects not herein specified, as at elections usetting forth the name, age, sex, and particular description of such prisons severally; ander the municipal laws,said clerk shall receive and with as littlrecord in a book by him to be providelay as possible to transmit correctd, and kept for that purpose, the statements of the votes so cast tor schedules, on receiving fifty cents each the President of the United States; and ifor; and no claim shall be allowed to any claimant or owner who shall be the duty of neglect this requirement.

Sec. 10. And be it further Prenacted, That the saident to canvass said votes immediately clerk, or his successors in office, shall from time to time, on demand if, and majon receiving twenty of-five cents them be fourefore, prepare, sign, and deliver to beach prison made free, or manumitted by this act, to forthwith issue his proclamation giva certificate under the seat of said court, setting noutice of the fact;name and this actdescription of suchall personly be in full force and effect on, and stating that such person was duly manumitted and after the damade free by virtue of such proclamationthis act.

Sec. 711. And be it further enacted, That involuntathe sum of $100,000, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwiservitude for th appropriated, is hereby appropriated, to be expended unishmentder the direction of crime wthe President of the party shall have been duly convUnited States, to aid in the colonization and settlement of such free persons of African descent now residing in shall in nowiaid District, including those to be prohibiliberated by this act.

Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That for all the purpose, as may desire to emigrate to the republics of Hayti or Liberia, or such other country beyond the limits of this act,e United States as the jurisdictional limPresident may determine: Provided, The expenditure tor tins of Washington are extendpurpose shall not exceed $100 for each emigrant.

Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, Thato all paracts of Congress and all laws of the State of Maryland in force in said District of Columbia not n, and all ordinances of the cities of Washington or Georgetown, includedonsistent within the limitprovisions of Georgetownthis act, are hereby repealed.

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