committ<'e on the Constitution to correct errors and phruseology of the same. 2. Mr. :Fisher of l\fatngorda, chairman of committee on Naval aiinirs made tbe following report on the African Slave trade. "The committee to whom was referred a letter dated Velasco, March 2d, 1836, from Wm. S. Fisher, Collector, beg leave to ob- serve, that the subject matter of said letter is of such a nature as to involve several important legal questions, which your committee do not consider come within the sphere of their duties; inasmuch as the private rights of some of our valued and respected citizens are thert'- in involved. Yet your committee feel bound to give it as their opin- ion, that the introduction of Afric{m Negroes, is in contravention of the existing Treaties between most nations, and the existing laws of this land. And your committee have no hesitancy in stating their views and belief of the extreme impolicy of either covertly or di- rectly countenancing a traffic, which has called forth the indignant condemnation of nearly the whole civi]jzed world. It is to that civ- ilized world that we now, in our present struggle look for sympathy, and hope from that sympathy to extract assistance.-Almost ever.v nation has proclaimed against this traffic many years since, and d~- nounced it as ''Piracy;" and we are bound to believe from the late Message of his Majesty the King of Great Britain that, he has con- cluded ,vith Denmark, Sardinia and Sweden, new conventions cal- culated to prevent it, and was in expectation of receiving a rati- fication of a similar treaty with Spain-that he was engaged in negotiating with other powers of Europe and South America for similar purposes, and hopes ere long, the traffic will be entirely sup- pressed. Your committee therefore respectfully suggest that, as a nation just ushered·into existence, it most eminently becomes our duty and policy to adapt our measures to the genius and spirit of the age. We must be governed by the opinions of others-we must so regu- late our infant steps as to deserve the kind and watchful solicitude of older Nations. But while advocating the broad and abstract principle of justice, let us not by taking a retrospective view, of a doubtful and exciting question, interfere with or violate the just rights of our citizens. Your Committee therefore in presenting their individual nnd col- lective views of the justice and policy of the Traffic in African Ne- · groes, would respectfully beg that your honorable body discharge them from t.he further consideration of the subject, as being one which does not properly come under their notice." On motion of :Mr. Childress 1000 copies of the report were or- dned to be printed. Mr. Ellis lnin hefore the Convention a communication from Ed- ward HarC'ourt which wa11 read and reforrecl to the committee on Military afl'nirs.
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