tion Society. The slaves that were
recaptured on the barque Pons were turned over to the
Colonization Society, by the authority of the United States,
sent to Liberia, and there kept at the expense of the society
for one or two years. Most of them were children of twelve,
fifteen, and sixteen years of age. The society thinks that the
expense of feeding, clothing, and educating these people, which
was thus devolved on them by the action of the Government,
ought to be repaid them. It was certainly an expense incurred
by the society, through the action of the Government in
throwing these young negroes upon them for maintenance, instead
of taking them, as the Government was bound to do by law, and
providing for them. That is the nature of the claim. They
simply ask that so much shall be paid them as the society, from
its own experience, pays in reference to its own emigrants. The
claim was reported upon favorably two years ago. A similar
report has again been made; and as the necessities of the
society require that they should have the money, I hope, said
Mr. U., the Senate will consent to take up the bill. The Senate
agreed to take up the bill, and proceeded to consider it as in
Committee of the Whole.

"Mr. Turney asked for the reading of the report of the
Committee.

"The Secretary read the report accordingly. It sets forth that
a liberal construction of the act of Congress of March 3d,
1819, would require that the Government should provide for the
support of these recaptured Africans, for a reasonable time
after they had been landed in Liberia, and that it is beneath
the dignity of the Government to devolve this duty upon the
society. The petition of the executive committee of the society
which the Committee incorporated in their report, states that
on the 16th of December, 1845, the United States Ship Yorktown,
Commodore Bell, landed at Monrovia, in Liberia, from the slaver
Pons, seven hundred and fifty recaptured Africans, in a naked,
starving, and dying condition, all of them excepting twenty-one
being under the age of twenty-one. The United States made no
provision for their support after they were landed....

"The services of providing for the destitute negroes were not
required to be performed by the society under their