The Personal Liberty Bill recently passed by the Legislature of Wisconsin is based upon the decision of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin that the Federal Slave Act is unconstitutional and void. It secures for all persons claimed as fugitive slaves trial by jury, the benefit of the writ of habeus corpus, and proof of the fact of slavery by at least two credible witnesses. Severe penalties are imposed for falsely representing a free person to be a slave
(Liberator, March 27 1857, pg 3)