March 2

On the 2nd in 1807, the United States Congress passed an act "prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States... from any foreign kingdom, place, or country." They could have saved the country a whole lot of grief and saved hundreds of thousands of lives in the middle of the nineteenth century if they had taken the simple step of also prohibiting slavery but apparently, they did not seriously consider that option.

Among the many privileges granted to members of both houses of Congress is enjoy the privilege, within the jurisdiction of the United States, of being free from arrest in all cases, except for treason, felony, and breach of the peace. Since Congress is literally infested with attorney, it no surprise the rules of the House strictly guard this privilege; a member may not waive the privilege on his or her own, but must seek the permission of the whole house to do so. More or less, it is like caging a fox in the hen’s coop.