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[left hand side of document], Petition of Stephen Sewall & fifty others praying that our our Senators in Congress be "instructed" and Our Representatives "requested" to use all proper means to effect the entire abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia

House of Representatives Feby 7. 1837 Read and referred to Mesrs. Holmes of Winthrop. Holmes of Alfred, Goodenow of Paris, Hop- kins of New Portland, Appleton of Portland, Marden of Palermo and Rollins of Nobleboro on the part of the House, with such as the Senate may join Such as for concurrence.

H. Hamlin Speaker

In Senate, Feb. 8, 1837, Read & further consideration postponed till the 8 Feb. 1937

J. C. Talbot Pres. E. Holmes Wm Th[?]

{right angled to above text] SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

    Congress, by the Constitution of the United States, has the right 'to exercise 
  legislation, in

all cases whatsoever,' over the District of Columbia -- See Constit. U.S. Art. I. Sect. 8.

   Under the authority of Congress, and therefore of the whole people of the 
 United States, more than

SIX THOUSAND men, women and children are held as SLAVES in the District.

    Under the same authority, a slave-trade, as atrocious as any known in the 
 world, is carried on in the

same District. Slave Factories, with chains and grated cells, are established at

 the Seat of Government,

where slaves are constantly collecting from the neighboring States, and thence

 regularly shipped in car-

[half line illegible in fold] for licensing private slave prisons. The District of Columbia is one of the greatest and most cruel slave markets in the

 world!
    Under the same authority free colored persons are thrown into prison, and if 
 they cannot obtain evi-

dence to prove their freedom, they are sold as slaves, to pay jail fees! Five

 persons have been sold in one 

year, into perpetual slavery, to pay jail fees!

    The Public Prisons of the United States, maintained by taxes which we all 
 pay, are made use of by the

slave dealers, to store the victims of the American slave trade.

    The guilt of tolerating these enormities rests on the whole American people, 
 and on every individual

who will not exert himself to remove them. Congress, it is true, has the power of

 legislation. But it

will never exercise the power, until the people require it. When the American

 people declare in a 

voice of thunder, that they will not endure to have their own metropolis profaned

 with Slavery, then,

and not, till then, will the legislation of Congress be the echo of their voice.

 Speak then, fellow citizens!
   Overwhelm Congress with petitions and tell your Representatives that 
 Slavery and all traffic in human 

flesh at the Seat of Government must be TOTALLY, IMMEDIATELY, AND FOREVER ABOLISHED!

[at right angle] Samu