The following diagram shows in graphic form the legislative history of the act:—­[64]

Senate.      1805.       House.
Bradley gives notice.    +        Dec. 12. 
Leave given; bill read.  +             17. 
Postponed one year.      +             18.
|          1806.
Feb.  4.         + Bidwell’s amendment. 
Notice.                  +        Dec.  3.         + Committee on
Bill introduced.         +              8.         |  slave trade. 
Committed.               +              9.         |
|             15.         + Bill reported.
|             17.         |
|             18.         |
|             19.         |
|             23.         |
|             29.         |
|             31.         |
|          1807.        |
|        Jan.  5.         |
|              7.         |
|              8.         + Read third time;
Reported.                +             15.         |  recommitted.
|             16.         |
|             20.         + Reported
Third reading.           +             26.         |  amended. 
PASSED.                  +             27.         |
\ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   |
28.      |  | Senate bill
Feb.  9.      |  |  reported.
10.      |  |
11.      +  | Senate bill
12.      |     amended. 
Reported from House.                   13.      +       PASSED.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ |
Reported to House.       |             17.            Reported back.
— — — — — — — — — — —
18.      |    House insists;
— — — — — — — — — — —       asks conference.
\                     /
— — _ __ — — — — — —
X
House asks conference.   _ _ _/ \_ __
\ _
2|5 — — — -_    Conference report
_ _ _ _ _  _-|- — — — —      adopted. 
Conference report        /            2|6
adopted.                \_ _ _        |
Bill enrolled.                 — — — -2|8
March  |2. 
V
Signed by the President.

This bill received the approval of President Jefferson, March 2, 1807, and became thus the “Act to prohibit the importation of Slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States, from and after the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight."[65] The debates in the Senate were not reported.  Those in the House were prolonged and bitter, and hinged especially on the disposal of the slaves, the punishment of offenders, and the coast-trade.  Men were continually changing their votes, and the bill see-sawed backward and forward, in committee and out, until the House was thoroughly worn out.  On the whole, the strong anti-slavery men, like Bidwell and Sloan, were outgeneraled by Southerners, like Early and Williams; and, considering the immense moral backing of the anti-slavery party from the Revolutionary fathers down, the bill of 1807 can hardly be regarded as a great anti-slavery victory.