Such a provision would not necessarily admit that the importers had had a title in the slaves before capture, but it and it alone would effectively divest them of any color of title to which they might pretend.

The amendment was defeated by a vote of 36 to 63.
When the bill with amendments was reported to the House by the committee of the whole, on December 31, there was vigorous debate upon the question of substituting imprisonment of from five to ten years in place of the death penalty.

Mr.Talmadge of Connecticut supported the provision of death with a biblical citation; and Mr.Smilie said he considered it the very marrow of the bill.

Mr.Lloyd of Maryland thought the death penalty would be out of proportion to the crime, and considered the extract from Exodus inapplicable since few of the negroes imported had been stolen in Africa.
But Mr.Olin of Vermont announced that the man-stealing argument had persuaded him in favor of the extreme penalty.

Early now became furious, and in his fury, frank.