be full and conclusive evidence of the
fact of the escape, and that the service or labor of the person escaping
is due to the party in such record mentioned. And upon the production by
the said party of other and further evidence if necessary, either oral
or by affidavit, in addition to what is contained in the said record of
the identity of the person escaping, he or she shall be delivered up to
the claimant. And the said court, commissioner, judge, or other person
authorized by this act to grant certificates to claimants of fugitives,
shall, upon the production of the record and other evidences aforesaid,
grant to such claimant a certificate of his right to take any such
person identified and proved to be owing service or labor as aforesaid,
which shall authorize such claimant to seize or arrest and transport
such person to the State or Territory from which he escaped. _Provided_,
That nothing herein contained shall be construed as requiring the
production of a transcript of such record as evidence as aforesaid. But
in its absence the claim shall be heard and determined upon other
satisfactory proofs, competent in law.

THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.

ADOPTED MARCH 6, 1820.

_An Act to authorize the People of the Missouri Territory to form a
Constitution and State Government, and for the Admission of such
State into the Union on an equal Footing with the original States,
and to prohibit Slavery in certain Territories._

(All the previous sections of this act relate entirely to the
formation of the Missouri Territory in the usual form of
territorial bills, the 8th section only relating to the slavery
question.)

_And be it further enacted_, That in all that Territory ceded by France
to the United States, under the name of Louisiana, which lies north of
thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, not included
within the limits of the State contemplated by their act, slavery and
involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes,
whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, shall be, and is
hereby, forever prohibited. _Provided always_, That any person escaping
into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed, in any
State or Territory of the United States, such fugitive may be lawfully
reclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or
service as aforesaid.

THE STATES OF THE UNION.

The following is a