The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-18
REl.OAr.

tNcSssurl
REFORT.
Made 10 the EouSe Of Ecaresrnfa.ire.
The committee, TO whom WAS referred
tne memorial OF the legislative camci &
House or Representatives OF Inc Niississ,,,s
pi Territory, * the pc III als of suncrv CT
tizens thereof, pravi:g Il be admitted inv,
the union of the UaiJea States, on an
equal footing with the 0yiginai states &
also. the petition Of the inhab,tr.,.s 3
West Florida, setting forth their desire
to be annexed to said territory, for RED
sons therein ccnta,ned. have had these.
subjects under consideration, & beg leave
to submit The following
REPORY..
That there has existed in the Mississ;p-
pi territory, temporary government foun
deu on The ordinance for The Govefn,neat
OF The territory north ives, e the river On;
slhce the il'h' day Oh Alril, one thea
SAND seven hundred and ninety eight tha
although his ordnance has undergone so,,.e
modihcan0ns, extending, in limited lie
gree, the rights and privileges of the ci,i
zen, 1t stiii contains provisions incomnatib.e
with political liberty, and unfa> orable t.
due and imDaru4i I'D niniNtrati,n Of jus
uce, IN the redress u private wrongs an
injuries. Inc Cnief executive magistrate
Is charged with the execution # the laws /;
Is commander IN Chief OF thc militia h.
the sole power OF Appointment to Office.
civil and military, vi.hm The territory. and
the removal OF these officers at pleasure :;
Is vested with an unqualified ucto on az
olils passed by The other coordinate bran
ches of the Legislature, and is, msreove,,
Clothed with Tie odious and arbitrar, au-
thority t. prorcuge and dissolve the gene
Nv hon
snail be exped,ent. These nigh and regal
prerogatiyes, Constituting some Of the NEST
obYioAa characteristics which distin guish an
absolute monar ny fr'm the constitution at
tree state, are coLhded To the discre.iun-
airy exercise III a governor, who is ne,thcr
CHOSEN by, nor rcsponslble to the people :hc
is often total stranger to the local inter
ests and circumstances of the country, over
which he Possesses such unlimited controui.
and Is accountable only for mai conduct, or
corruption M Office, to the President OF the
Onite'i states. The only security which
exists against the frequent and wantsn
abuse OF these powers, is to be found in
the mud & cunCIliatory disp .sition uniform
!, maifessed b. the general government
Z wards Its territories. huI experience has
shewn that IN ali Colonial governments, nffi-
GERS situated at remote distance from the
tribunal 70 which they are responsible, too
1re4 aently ieei power and forget right,
and by GLIDING me vigilance Of rigid N
VesuSdtion, are enabled To practise acts
of oppression with IMMUNITY.
Your committee forbeir To enter minute
ly into an eX.upinatIoa; of tie various OBJ
jecuoiis- which might De urged aga.ns, the
present sysrem OF TERRITORIAL governments.
The aboae summary 81 executive powers,
SO opposite N lhelis natiile tofhosc primes
pies which torn the bass Of the federal
coi Ms sand whSh arg . transfused
through tae constitutions of, the several
settes, IS sufficient To slew that the people
are deprived OF all participation in tne
choice yct these who adfninisIh, the laws
and that pubnc funcrioaageS are rendered
independent of the couiA.Sinity whose inter
ests are c9p;ided to their ianagcment and
DISCRETION. These restrictions on the rights
Il the people Can De justined ,only by The
most evident necessity "esu'tingsrom pecu-
liar and unavoidable circumstances Your
committee, therefore, Consider il an act bath
Ut strict justice and sound pniicy to advance
the respective territories of the United
states 70 the grade of separate Common
wealth, whenever they shall contain The
number Qt Inhabitants necessary to entite
them, under che ratio established b. iay,
to Y Representative IN the Congress of the u Il
states. On the subject 4 pOpeiation there
exists no difficulty, whether the TERRITORY
be taken III conncXIou with West Florida,
or with It's present limits. From The ufficial
returns 1T The census, takeD during the sum-
MGR Of the past year, it appears that there
we're IN The Mississippi territory the mum
Der vi forty thousand three hundred & ffty-
Two sOuls. This enumeration, tits ale red,
fell considerably short OF the actual popu-
lIm uf the territory at that time ; and
wfhuut .,ssting tbe most rem &c censure on
tue oincers who we're employed in that
.erNIce, Sncn = suggestion is strongly sup
ported by the vast extent Of country over
which the settlements arc dispersed. 1t al
50 appears TO your committee, that the pro-
grcssive emigration from the old states to
ms section. Of the union, added to the
length OF time which it will rcq.,ire to form
4 constitution, and pat the same ~ opera
ton, afford satisfactory pledges, That ante
nor 10 the final admission of the territory
to the rights Of site sovereignty, the num-
Der OF us inhabitants wall amount to at least
sixty thousand whereby they will possess
Inc unqualified right, ~ conformity with
tricles Of ccssion aad agreement between
ue .. ~R'es and Georgia, to be admitted
nt the OnioH Ola an equal footing with the
,rginai states
THIS view Che subject IS presented with
MT reference to the augmentation Of pop
lation, which would result from the AN
lex ti1n of Wcsr Florida in that event to-
number Oi souls in he territory, cJ<c,0,i
u the county Of Madisc1 which lies hes
he great bend Of i'ennessce river, may l.
.stimated at about eighty thousana. a