Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/506

 Mr. Storrs, of New York, (opposed to the restriction,) now moved the striking out of so much of the bill as provides that the new state shall be admitted into the Union "on an equal footing with the original states" — which, he con tended, was nullified by the votes just taken. The house negatived the motion.

Messrs. Desha, of Ky., Cobb, of Ga., and Rhea, of Tenn., declared against the bill as amended.

Messrs. Scott, of Mo., and Anderson, of Ky., preferred the bill as amended to none.

The house ordered the bill, as amended, to a third reading; yeas, 98; nays, 56. The bill thus passed the house next day, and was sent to the senate.

The house bill thus passed, reached the senate Feb. 17th, when it was read twice and sent to a select committee already raised on a like application from Alabama, consisting of Messrs. Tait, of Ga., Morrow, of Ohio, Williams, of Miss., Edwards, of 111., Williams, of Tenn.

On the 2 2d, Mr. Tait, from this committee, reported the bill with amendments, striking out the anti-slavery restrictions inserted by the house. The bill was taken up in committee of the whole on the 27th, when Mr. Wilson, of N. J., moved its postponement to the 5th of March — that is, to the end of the session — negatived: yeas, 14; nays, 23.

The senate then proceeded to vote on agreeing to the amendments reported by the select committee, viz.: 1. to strike out of the house bill the following:

"And that all children of slaves born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free, but may be held to service_until the age of twenty-one years."

This clause was struck out, by a vote of 27 to 7; eleven free state senators voting in favor of striking it out; the seven senators who voted for the restriction were all from free states. The senate then proceeded to vote on the residue of the house restriction, as follows:

"And provided also, that the further introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."

For striking out this restriction, 22 — five of whom were from free states: against striking out, 16 — all from free states.

The bill thus amended was ordered to be engrossed, and was (March 2d — last day but one of the session) read a third time, and passed without a division. The bill was on that day returned to the house, and the amendments of the senate read; whereupon, Mr. Tallmadge, of N. Y., moved that the bill be postponed indefinitely. Yeas, 69; nays, 74.

The vote was then taken on concurring in the senate's amendments, as aforesaid, and the house refused to concur Yeas, 76; nays, 78.

The bill was now returned to the senate, with a message of non-concurrence; when Mr. Tait moved that the senate adhere to its amendment, which was carried without a division The bill being thus remanded to the house, Mr. Taylor, of N. Y., moved that the house adhere to its disagreement, which