United States. Congress Correction to Slave Trade Amendment

[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
2d May, 1800.
Committed to a Committee of the whole House, to-morrow.

The Committee to whom was referred the Bill sent from Senate, intituled "An act in addition to the act intituled "An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country," report the following amendment, viz. Strike out from the word "assembled" in the second line of the first section, and insert
1 That it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United States, or other per-
2 son residing within in the United States, directly or indirectly to hold or
3 have any right or property in any vessel employed or made use of in
4 the transportation or carrying of slaves from one foreign country or
5 place to another; and any right or property belonging as aforesaid,
6 shall be forfeited, and may be libelled and condemned for the use of
7 the person who shall sue for the same; and such person transgressing
8 the prohibition aforesaid, shall also forfeit and pay a sum of money
9 equal to double the value of the right or property in such vessel, which
10 he held as aforesaid, and shall also forfeit and pay a sum of money
11 equal to double the value of the interest which he may have had in

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12 the slaves which at any time may have been transported or carried in
13 such vessel after the passing of this act, and again the form thereof
1 SEC. 2. And it be further enacted, That it shall be unlawful for any
2 citizen of the United States, or other person residing therein, to serve
3 on board any vessel of the United States, employed or made use of in
4 the transportation or carrying of slaves from one foreign country or
5 place, to another; and any such citizen, or other person, voluntarily
6 serving as aforesaid, shall be liable to be indicted therefor, and on
7 conviction thereof, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding dollars, and be imprisoned not exceeding
1 SEC. 3. And it be further enacted, That if any citizen of the United
2 States shall voluntarily serve on board of any foreign ship
3 or vessel which shall hereafter be employed in the Slave Trade, he
4 shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to, and suffer the like forfeitures,
5 pains, disabilities and penalties as he would have incurred, had such
6 ship or vessel been owned or employed, in whole or in part, by any
7 person or persons residing within the United States.
1 SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any
2 of the commissioned vessels of the United States, to seize and take any
3 vessel employed in carrying on trade, business, or traffic, contrary to
4 the true intent and meaning of this or the said recited act; and such
5 vessel, together with her tackle, apparel and guns, and the goods or
6 effects, other than slaves, which shall be found on board, shall be for-
7 feited, and may be proceeded against in any of the District or Cir-
8 cuit courts, and shall be condemned for the use of the officers and crew
9 of the vessel making the seizure, and be divided in the proportion di-
10 rected in the case of prize: and it shall moreover be the duty of the
11 commanders of such commissioned vessels, to apprehend and take
12 into custody every person found on board of such vessels so seized

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13 and taken, being of the officers or crew thereof, and him or them
14 convey, as soon as conveniently may be, to the civil authority of the
15 United States, in some one of the districts thereof, to be proceeded
16 against in due course of law.
1 SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the District and Circuit Courts
2 of the United States shall have cognizance of all acts and offences
3 against the prohibitions herein contained: and it shall be the duty of
4 the court in which judgment may be rendered against any person,
5 in a civil or criminal proceeding instituted under this or the said
6 recited act, to direct a copy of the proceeding to be transmitted by the
7 Clerk of the court, to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall cause
8 the same, or an abstract thereof, to be published in one or more
9 newspapers; and the party against whom judgment shall be rendered
10 as aforesaid, shall, ever after such judgment, be incapable of holding,
11 in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any vessel registered under
12 the laws of the United States, and denominated or deemed a vessel
13 of the United States, and shall be incapable of enjoying any commer-
14 cial privileges or advantages which are or may be conferred on citi-
15 zens of the United States.
1 SEC. 6. Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted, that nothing in
2 this act contained shall be construed to authorize the bringing into
3 either of the United States, any person or persons, the importation of
4 whom is, by the existing laws of such state, prohibited.
1 SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the forfeitures which shall
2 hereafter be incurred under this, or the said recited act, not otherwise
3 disposed of, shall accrue and be, one moiety thereof to the use of the
4 informer, and the other moiety to the use of the United States; except
5 where the prosecution shall be first instituted on behalf of the United
6 States, in which case, the whole shall be to their use,

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Slave Trade. Amendt.
to the Bill from the Senate