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“ [266] of the subject of slaves and Slavery into this chamber;” though no one but himself had mentioned either in connection with this measure. He drew a ludicrous picture of “a big negro follow,” fantastically arrayed, being presented as Minister from Hayti. Mr. Sumner rejoined; and Mr. Davis's substitute, providing for consular relations only with the republics aforesaid, was voted down-Yeas 8; Nays 31--and then the bill passed: Yeas 32; Nays 7. On reaching the House, it was referred to its Committee on Fereign Affairs; which Committee was discharged1 from its further consideration, on motion of Mr. Gooch, of Mass., who ably and temperately advocated its passage. Mr. Cox, of Olio, replied, à la Davis; and, after further debate by Messrs. Fessenden, of Maine, Eliot, of Mass., McKnight and Kelley, of Pa., and Maynard, of Tenn., in favor, and Messrs. Diddle, of Pa., and Crittenden, of Ky., in opposition, it was passed — Yeas 86; Nays 37--and, being signed2 by the President, became the law of the land.

Previous to the triumph of Emancipation in the Federal District, there was no public provision for the education of the blacks, whether bond or free; and very few, even of the latter, received any schooling whatever. The great obstacle to improvement having been s wept away, Mr. Grimes, of Iowa, submitted3 to the Senate a bill providing f)r the education of colored children in the city of Washington ; prefacing it by a statement that, whereas the number of those children was in 1860 no less than 3,172, and while the Free Blacks of the District were taxed $36,000 per annum , whereof a tenth was appropriated to the support of schools, not one of their children was permitted to enter those schools or to receive any benefit whatever from the money thus wrested from them by law for the education of the children of the Whites, many of whom paid no tax whatever. His bill proposed simply that the city revenue raised for schools by the taxation of Blacks should be devoted to the education of their own children, and not those of the Whites.

This bill having been referred to and reported4 from the District Committee, it was taken up,5 on motion of Mr. Grimes; and certain nonessential amendments of the Committee agreed to. Mr. Wilson, of Mass., then moved to add a new section, as follows:

That all persons of color in the District of Columbia, or within the corporate limits of the cities of Washington ad Georgetown, shall be subject and amenable to the same laws and ordinances to which free White persons are or may be subject or amenable; that they shall be tried for any offenses against the laws in the salle manner as free lite persons are or may be tried for the same offenses ; and that, upon being legally convicted of any crime or offense against any law or ordinance, such persons of color shall be liable to such penalty or punishment, and only such, as would be imposed or inflicted upon free White persons for tile same crime or offense: and all acts, or parts of acts, inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.

This important amendment prevailed ; and the bill, thus improved, passed :6 Yeas 29 ; Nays 7. Reaching the House, it was there referred to its District Committee ; reported7 therefrom without amendment, by Mr. Rollins, of N. H., and, on his motion, passed, under the Previous

1 June 2.

2 June 5.

3 April 29.

4 April 30.

5 May 8.

6 May 9.

7 May 15.

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