JOHN FORSYTH. ALS: "John Forsyth" as U.S. Congressman and Senator-elect from Georgia, 1p, 8x9¾. Washington, 1818 November 21. To Georgia Governor William Rabun. In full: "One of the Committees of the house of Representatives wish to have a copy of the law or laws of Georgia regulating the mode of the disposing of the Negroes imported into the United States contrary to the act of Congress & forfieted therefor, & if there is any act in which the American Colonization Society is named a copy of that also. As the Chairman of the Committee is not known personally to you I have by his request asked to have the copies of those acts abovementioned transmitted thro (sic, through) me. I have the honor to be your Excellency's friend & obt Servt". Docketed (unknown hand) on verso. The American Colonization Society was formed in Washington, D.C., in 1817 to promote African repatriation of freed slaves. In 1807, Congress had passed an act banning the importation of slaves into the United States. It required anyone who seized a ship with slaves aboard to turn the slaves over to the government of the state, to be "disposed of" according to state law. A Georgia law of 1817 permitted the slaves to be sold by the governor, or to be turned over to the American Colonization Society to be resettled in Africa. This was the law Forsyth was requesting. William Rabun served as Governor of Georgia from March 4, 1817 until his death on October 24, 1819. John Forsyth later became Jackson and Van Buren's Secretary of State (1834-1841). Ink has spread in text but not at signature. Folds, vertical fold at the "J" in John. Rubber stamp of collector at lower left corner. Verso, which has pencil notations (unknown hand) at upper margin, is completely silked. Light ink show through from verso.