The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-02
@Dnuge9a.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
JANUARY Is, 1910.
DEBATE


| DEBATE
On the biz 'tto enable Tire heohie of tie ter
ritory Of Orleans. to form a constitution
and state government, and for the ad-
mission ef such state INTO the Union. on
an equal footing with che original states !;
and jor other fufhoseS."
| (coMTIkUED.)
Mr.. Poinderter. Mr. Speaker-It is with
extreme reluctance that / claim the indul-
gence Of the House, to participate the dis :
cussiun o. the subject now under considera
ton should deem il not only useless but
inexcusabie u trespass ON your time, anu
delay the fnai Question on the passage of
the bill before ia, bet for the novel and
extraordinary aspect which has been given
! 10 ,ae Ge6ite by an hanrrable member from
Massachusetts, (Mr Quincy.) The ten
dency Ut the remark. made by that gentle
man IS manifest. hostile 10 the best interests
OF tine nation, and calculated to rxci;e so
Tar as their Influence extends, spiri If re-
, volt anong tbs people OF ,ne Uni ed States
Cam therefore, torbs ar to enter my pro-
tes. H. the only form constltutiOnally provi.
ded for tn peculiar situation which occu
Ply on ms door, against the estabishm ent
or prm lpteS rAugh: with such disastrous
con-, quences Bu, sir, as various obiecti
on, nave besn uade to he passage OF tn,
b'ii, and az profess 70 be friendly to its gem
e'a objects, 4 shall endeavor to give some
OF these GDjc tons concise examination
before pi"Ceed TO notice the observations
OF the gentlemen from Massachusetts
1t has been commended by an honorable
gentleman from G nnecticut, mi Pjtk,n)
that inasmuch as the ives ern li0..ts of lou
isiana remained underlined, the state to be
formed OF the present Territory of Orleans
would ex, end its jurisdiction over the pro
vince of Te20s, Rio Bravo, and down hat
river pits confluence with She sea, So as 20
include the Bay o. ST Bernard and the
whole extent of country, supposed by the
American government to be ia sIsrted by
the French Republic und, the name of
Louisiana. Ih,s circunis ance it is
alledged, will enable the COVE nment OF the
new state TO involve the United States IN
war, for the establishment of the most ives
tern boundary, to which we nave asserted a
claim.
he gentleman has himself referred to a
fact which, in my estimation, furnishes a
sufficient answer to this objection He ad-
mits, thai the northern boundary ot-the state
of Massachusetts, WAS neve, dehaitively es-
tabshed until commissi3ners were appoiot.
ed by he government Of Great Britain an.
the United States, to ascertain what was
the true river ST Crolx. Anerior to that
risdiction OF Massachusct, sxirnded but
the most scrupulous advocates tur state So
vereignty never imagined MAJ tn state could
decide It's own boundaries and call upon ne
general government TO supper that decisi-
on at the point If the oayo The diff -
! Guilty was adjusted by amicabie negocIaJi;,n,
and The river designe,ed oy the wo nations
became the permanent boundary OF the 81 at
Can the gentleman distinguish that case
from the one which exists as TO the western
, boundary OF louisiana BY the second sec
;ii,'n of the bill, il is provided, that the state
shall be composed OF all that part of the ter
ritory or country ceded under the name Of
Louisiana by the tr, ATTY made at ParisIon the
30 n day of April. 1908, between the u. ;. *
France, 6" nozv contained zyith,n the. limits
4 Of the territory Of Orleans. except that
part lying west o! the river lberville, and a
line tU be drawn along he Middle of the
lakes, Maurepas and Ponchartain, to the
ocean" The territory IT Orleans is limi =
ted indefinitely by the western boundary of
Louisiana but by an arrangement made in
the autumn It 1906 between the comman =
der in Chief of the American army aud the
commanders of the Spa"i.h forces In shat
quart r, ii was agre ed that 10 tHe or sent
> the Spaniards should nos cross the SABINE,
, and that the American settlements should
not extend to that river. To carry this ar
range ment into effect. the government of the
United States has gwen ins ructiors mat
the public lands should be dispose OF
west OF meridian passing by Na!chitnches
Beyond that line / am inclined TO believe
= the territorial government OF Orleans has
net yet extended its au h ri y. II follows
therefore, by fair construction of the sec.
, ton TO which have referred, that the state
: to be formed OF tina, territory will be con
fined within the same limits until by ain act
of the general government the western boun-
, Diary OF the cession shall be finally adjust
ed.
1t belongs exclusively TO the high con =
tracing parties, o render that certain which
by the deed Of cesson is eQuivocal, and
, whatever line they may conscni tn establish
as the western extremity OF the country
ceded under the name o/LoRisidna will con
stIiute the permanent limit of the state
whether II extends to Rio Bravo or the Sa
T blne, or meridian passing by Natchilo.
, ches This, sir, is conformable with usage
9 The southern boundary to Georgia was fix.
ed by the lPeaty of he 9th day Of October
l195 with the king OF Spain; aud, bv the
r treaty OF 1894 with Grea, Britain, the rue
r river st. Croix was determined In these
E instances, the states, whose interests were
, involved, exis.ed prior to, and were par ie,
, III, the adoption of the federal constitution
and yet no one ever questioned the right o
the government of the United States to- set.
tie the line of demarcation between them
and the colonies of Great Britain ADD SDain