mittee on the
table.

Mr. SMITH:--I rise to a question of order. I think the question now
should be on Mr. McCURDY'S amendment. I ask for information. I do not
quite see how that amendment can be informally passed over without at
the same time passing the consideration of the whole article.

The PRESIDENT:--It was passed by universal consent.

Mr. CHASE:--As I understand it, the gentleman from Illinois made the
motion that the vote be reconsidered, and the consideration of the
amendment passed for the present, and this was agreed to by the
Conference unanimously.

The motion of Mr. BROWNE to lay the motion of Mr. HITCHCOCK on the
table, was agreed to without a division.

Mr. BALDWIN:--I move to strike out these words in the third section:
"Nor shall Congress have power to authorize any higher rate of
taxation on persons bound to labor than on land." I have already
stated that I think this language singularly inappropriate to a
provision of the Constitution. The Constitution already prohibits such
distinctions in the laying of taxes, and, therefore, there is no
necessity for the adoption of this clause. But I have another and more
important objection to it; it contains and proposes to place in the
Constitution the distinct recognition of the right of property in
slaves. This recognition was carefully avoided in the Convention which
framed the Constitution, and the North always has been, and always
will be, opposed to any such recognition. Place it there, and your
article will never be adopted in any of the free States.

Mr. WICKLIFFE:--The first statutes passed by Congress on this subject
recognized the right to tax slaves. This implied the right to hold
slaves. This recognition of the right of taxation was made in express
terms. The gentleman has forgotten the history of the legislation on
this subject. The object of the committee is to prevent any
possibility that those who come after us should make any distinction
between these classes of property in levying taxes. We do not seek a
recognition of the right of property in slaves in this; that right is
already recognized to our satisfaction in the Constitution.

Mr. TUCK:--I understand the gentleman from Kentucky, and I think he is
right. If we adopt the article at all we ought to retain this
language.

The vote was taken by States on the amendment proposed by Mr. BALDWIN,
with the following result:

AYES.--Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut--3.