African cotton; boots; soap and candles from palm oil; ploughs, hoes and
other implements from native iron and home manufacture; farina;
chocolate; planks, shingles, cabinet work, and many other products of
Liberian agriculture and industry.

President Benson was reelected without opposition, and entered upon his
second term in January, 1858. A fresh outbreak of the slave trade in
this year was followed by a number of captures by U.S. cruisers, giving
rise to the old difficulty in regard to the disposition of the cargoes.
The Act of March 3, 1819, which had long fallen into disuse, was
revived, and a contract made with the Colonization Society to transport
and maintain for a twelvemonth the recaptured Africans already on the
Government's hands. The substitution of small, swift steamers for the
craft of older days so increased the efficiency of the navy that
captures were made in rapid succession. Within two months 1,432 Africans
were landed at Key West. This state of affairs made further legislation
immediately necessary. Congress, acting upon the suggestion of a
Presidential message, passed an Act amending the Act of March 3, 1819,
which empowered the President to form a five-years' contract with "any
person or persons, society or societies," to receive in Africa and care
for the unfortunates rescued from slavers, for the period of one year,
and at a price of $100 per capita. Commanders of cruisers were to be
instructed to land their captures directly upon the coast of Liberia
whenever practicable; immediate measures were to be taken for removing
to Africa those already at Key West; and the sum of $250,000 was
appropriated to defray expenses.

Three large vessels were at once chartered and stored with $60,000 worth
of supplies; with the least possible delay the suffering crowd at Key
West was transported to Liberia; but only 893 survived the passage. The