Part 265

DELEMOS, letter in cipher of Gen. Wilkinson to, 642; do. letter of, 665.

DENNIS, JOHN, Representative from Maryland, 50; on considering the resolution to inquire into the official conduct of Judge Chase, 92, 111; on the resolution to appoint a committee to inquire into the official conduct of Judge Chase, 122; on the retrocession of the District of Columbia, 304. See Index, vol. 2.

Departments, Executive.--See Index, vol. 1.

DESHA, JOSEPH, Representative from Kentucky, 613.

DICKINSON, JOHN, his death announced in the Senate, 553.

DICKSON, WILLIAM, Representative from Tennessee, 51, 285, 378, 494. See Index, vol. 2.

Diplomatic or Foreign Intercourse.--See Index, vol. 2.

District of Columbia, resolution for the recession of, considered, 161; point fully considered at the last session, 161; motion to go into committee lost, 161; motion to discharge the committee carried, 161; resolutions relative to, 295; resolutions for recession considered, 303; motion to postpone lost, 303; not the intention to remove the Government, 303; object to cede back to Maryland and Virginia all but the city of Washington, 303; question of power in Congress after accepting the cession, 304; constitution examined, 304; its possession every way expensive to the General Government, 304; the people of the District are the merest subjects in their condition, 304; in a degraded situation, 304; the resolutions are unconstitutional, inexpedient, and unjust and cruel to the people of the District, 304; resolutions of high importance, 306; it is said the recession cannot be made without the consent of the people of the District and of the United States, 306; these points examined, 306; seat of Government is fixed permanently here if the right of jurisdiction extended only over the soil covered by the public buildings, 306; if the right of Congress to recede is admitted, the whole will eventually be receded, 307; two questions involved, 307; difficulty of legislating for ten miles square considered, 308; the State Legislatures had presumed Congress would exercise exclusive jurisdiction, 308; the removal of the seat of Government, which would be the consequence of recession, is not only inexpedient, but also unconstitutional, 308; these points examined, 308; what are constitutions, 308; if the object is to recede all but the city of Washington it operates a change of the seat of Government, 309; this point demonstrated, 309; Congress not prepared to act on these questions at present, 309; constitutional point examined, 310; expediency of retrocession, 310; is Congress competent to legislate for the people of the District, 310; no, 310; not equal to the task, 310; the end of the resolutions is to reduce the present quantum of territory, 311; expense and time in legislating for the territory, 311; business of the Union interrupted, 311; resolutions lost, 311.

Bill to prohibit the exaction of bail in certain suits within the District of Columbia, read third time, 312; proper measure to prevent the oppression of malignant creditors, 312; not essentially necessary, 312; recommitment moved, 312; lost, 312; bill lost, 312.

Bill to authorize the court of the District of Columbia to decree divorces in certain cases, 313; reasons for the bill, 313.

Emancipation in the District, reasons for, considered, 313; rejected, 313.

Divorces, bill to authorize court of District of Columbia to grant, postponed, 343.

Documents, Executive, communicated to the House, 379.

DORSEY, WALTER, his testimony for the defence on the trial of Judge Chase, 227.

Drawbacks.--See Index, vol. 1. Duties on Imports.

DURELL, DANIEL M., Representative from New Hampshire, 612; on fortifications and gunboats, 628.

Duties on Imports, passage of the bill imposing specific duties, 342.

Duties on Imports, bill for the protection of commerce against the Barbary Powers considered in the House, 158; moved to strike out first section laying increased duties to provide means for protection, 159; improper to tack to the provisions for the Mediterranean service, upon which there could be no difference of opinion, a new tax, in respect to which they could not agree, 159; the increased rate of duty proposed, 159; duties already high, 159; why impose a tax of $750,000 to meet an expenditure of $500,000? 159; now about to authorize a greater expense than usual, and the Legislature are called upon to provide means, 159; the public debt should never be increased while the resources of the country are adequate to its wants, 159; statements of the opposition examined, 159; average rate of ad valorem duty thirteen and a half per cent., 160; goods charged with ad valorem duties are the most difficult to smuggle, 160; duty on spirits not too high though it yields a fifth of the revenue, 160; duty on sugars, on salt, on wines, on woollens, 160; design to apply the resources to the support of the navy, 160; the only objection is to the imposition of unnecessary taxes, 161; the measure gives an improper impression of the causes of the bill, 161; motion to strike out lost, 161; do. renewed in the House and lost, 161.

Salt, motion for an inquiry relative to the duty on, 295; various rates which have been imposed, 295; present duty twenty cents per bushel, 295; equal to thirty cents, 295; finances amply sufficient to authorize a reduction, 296; imports of salt, 296; origin of Liverpool salt, 296; distinction to be made against British salt, 297; to retrieve reputation of salted provisions, 297; resolution moved, 297; state of the finances will not allow a reduction, 297.

Resolution to inquire into the expediency of repealing the duty on salt, 479; committee already instructed, 479; duty too high, and falls heavy on the agricultural interest, 479; adopted, 479; bill to repeal duty on salt and bounty on exported salt provisions and pickled fish, considered, 479; note, 479; moved to amend so as to take off eight cents of the duty, 480; a difference of twenty cents on the bushel will operate very seriously on those who have made shipments, 480; changes should be gradual, 480; this duty was pledged for the payment of the national debt, 480; no argument that it will operate injuriously on shipments, 480; one of the objects of the bill to get rid of the pledge to pay the debt, 480; the taxes pledged will still exceed the amount for which they were pledged, 481; can the Administration get along without this tax, 481; immediate effect of this measure ruinous, 481; further debate on the third section, 481; passage of the bill, 481.

Amendments of the Senate considered in the House, provisions repealing the duty on salt being struck out, and imposing two and a half per cent. duty, retained, 482; sole and indisputable prerogative of the House to grant the money of the people, 482; extent of the power of the Senate, 482; House should never give up this privilege, 482; not a bill originating revenue, 482; a question of necessity, 483; motion to agree to amendments of Senate lost, 483; reasons for adhering to the disagreement, 483; committee of conference appointed, 483; Senate adhere, 484; House receded, 484.

In Senate bill passed, 491; in House bill for repeal referred, 502; passed, 503; note, 503.

Importation of Slaves, duties on considered in the House, 96; South Carolina repealed her law prohibiting the importation of slaves, 96; its repeal gives fresh activity to the trade, 96; to impose a tax on imported slaves is the extent of the power of Congress, 96; resolution to lay a tax of ten dollars on each slave imported, moved, 96; in Committee of the Whole, resolution amended to lay a tax of ten dollars on each slave imported into the United States and their Territories, 129; repeal of the law of South Carolina, should not occasion so much dissatisfaction here, 129; the law was repealed because it was evaded, and could not be enforced by the State, 129; this tax will not prevent the introduction of a single slave, 129; by laying the tax and deriving a revenue, the Government will be giving a sanction to the trade, 129; effect of the resolution, if adopted, would be injurious, 130; the question is on the policy of laying the tax, 130; this point considered, 130; to import slaves is to import enemies into our country, 131; danger of a rebellion, 131; effect of holding slaves on the national character, 131; importation of slaves is in direct contradiction to the principles of morality, 131; Eastern States engaged for many years in smuggling them, 132; the resolution would sanction the trade, 132; all declamation and appeal to the passions in behalf of the resolution unnecessary, 132; impose the tax and it becomes the duty of our armed ships to protect the trade, 132; the question is not whether we shall prohibit the slave trade, but whether we shall tax it, 132; other considerations urged against its policy, 132; as a profitable article of commerce it is as eligible for taxation as any other, 133; by laying the tax Congress does all it can to discourage the trade, 133; this is the only constitutional power at present enjoyed, 133; the question should be considered only in its commercial, economical, and fiscal relations, 133; present extent of the commerce, 133; present prohibitory statutes disregarded by common consent, 133; arguments against the policy of the tax considered, 134; so far from binding the nation to protect it by laying a tax, it is already recognized in many of the States and permitted by the constitution, 134; the condition of man subdued by fraud or force delineated, 134; a tax will in some degree discourage the traffic, 135; gentlemen reprobate a traffic as infamous and horrid, and yet wish to draw a revenue from it, 135; South Carolina had an undisputed right to do as she has done--why single her out for censure, 135; it is not a mere question of revenue, but whether the Government of the Union shall condemn the act of a State which she was fully authorized to pass, 135; should not be hurried away by passion and feeling, 136; the Treasury wants money, and taxes must be laid, 136; this article should be taxed because the trade is odious, 137; motion that the committee rise and report progress, as there is a prospect the Legislature of South Carolina will repeal the law admitting the importation, 137; arguments urged by the friends of the measure two-fold, 138; people of South Carolina not friendly to the act admitting the importation, 138; question of postponement lost, 139; resolution adopted, 139; bill ordered, 139; question on the day for the consideration of the bill, 140; motion to postpone to next session, 140; all concede that the tax will not diminish the traffic, 140; the revenue should be appropriated to humane purposes, 140; propriety of agreeing to the postponement considered, 140; a postponement will be destructive of the bill, 141; the law would have a partial effect, 141; brief postponement carried, 142; note, 142.

Motion in House to impose a tax of ten dollars per head on each slave imported, 385; ninth section of the constitution read, 385; no reason why this article of importation should remain without duty, while others pay, 385; the adoption of the resolution can only express the opinion of Congress of the impropriety of importing slaves, 386; be partial in its operation, 386; a question of revenue merely, 386; partial and unjust in its operation, 386; a duty on South Carolina alone, 386; it would have prevented a large importation if it had been adopted two years ago, 386; black men not the only men imported into this country, 387; moved to strike out the word “slaves,” and insert the word “persons,” 387; this preserves the words of the constitution, 387; under the constitution a tax can be laid on the importation of slaves or freemen, 387; object to express disapprobation of the traffic, 387; amendment would make a false impression in Europe, 387; amendment necessary to the passage of a law on this subject, 388; how should a cargo of slaves be entered at the Custom House, 388; proceedings in North Carolina on the subject, 389; the amendment does not correspond with the spirit of the constitution, 389; this point examined, 389; amendment lost, 389; object of the resolution to raise a revenue, or to point the disapprobation of the nation against South Carolina, 389; is this a course to secure peace and harmony, 389; amount to be realized, 390; reasons for not exempting this article, 390; further debate, 391; resolution agreed to, 391. A new section to the bill moved, prohibiting the importation of all slaves into the United States, 401; what would be the effect of forfeiture in case of smuggling slaves, 401; further debate, 401; ordered to be engrossed, 401; read third time, 418; bill recommitted, 418.

Bill to prohibit the importation of slaves in Committee of the whole House, 494; strong objections to forfeiture of persons of color imported, 494; under the bill it was followed by a sale of these persons as property, 494; better be left to the laws of the several States, 494; in some States there could be no such thing as a slave, 494; fugitives in the State of Massachusetts faithfully restored, 494; her laws do not interfere with persons passing through, only those coming there to reside, 495; note, 495; a valid sale would interfere with these laws, 495; this motion an old thing in a new shape, 495; importation in the free States an improbable thing, 495; the United States should retain control of them, 495; if imported in the south they will be slaves, if at the north vagabonds, 495; what shall be done with the negroes if they are not forfeited, 495; to leave them to the operation of the laws of the States is to leave them to become slaves, 495; slaves will continue to be imported unless you forfeit them, 496; motion to refer the bill to a select committee, 496; reasons for the motion, 496; if imported contrary to law they are to be seized as smuggled goods, and treated accordingly, 496; what besides the negroes can be found for the law to operate on, 496; committee rose, 496; objections against the amendment reduced to two; first, that a forfeiture is necessary to deprive the importers of every motive to introduce any slaves into the country and render prohibition effectual; second, if slaves are emancipated and turned loose in the Southern States they will be a nuisance, 497; objections not well founded, 497; a forfeiture implies a right of ownership in the importer, 498; better do nothing than forfeit them, 498; the practical state of things, 498; what is our duty? 498; objections to forfeiture considered, 499; only a commercial question, 499; forfeiture only will effect prohibition, 499. See slaves, importation of.

Bill laying more specific duty on certain articles, and imposing light money, read a third time, 158; postponement moved, 158; a postponement a rejection of the bill, 158; it increases the existing rate of duties, 158; remove the fraudulent practice in making out invoices of the articles, subject to ad valorem duties, 153; promote manufacturers in the Eastern and Middle States to the detriment of the Southern, 158; postponement lost, 158; bill passed, 158; note, 158.

Remission of Duties on Books, report of the committee considered, 289; constitution a grant of limited powers, 289; its leading feature an abhorrence of exclusive privilege, 289; the privilege asked for is referred to the first section of the eighth article, 289; the impost shall be uniform, 289; one quantum, one mode of collecting, and one manner, 289; if one class is exempted, others may be also, 289; objectionable on the ground of expediency, 289; constitutional objection considered, 289; the power of Congress adequate to promote science and literature, 289; mistake to suppose that a denial to exempt books from impost is a tax on literary institutions, and, therefore, not uniform, 290; these institutions soon be rivalling booksellers, 290; report against the remission adopted, 290.

Duties on Imports.--See Index, vols. 1 and 2.