The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-01-25


ritory and population is known, the rep
resentatives should remain as they were
until new census. The Kentucky case
had staggered him, for when she was
separated from Virginia, the latter re.
tanned her whole number of representa-
tives, and Kentucky was allowed two in
addition he though int this precedent un-
constitutional, and would not wish TO
have it established in the present case !;
but let each portion of the Common
wealth retain what their population
would entitle them to. lie further re-
marked, that the separation depended
upon the contingency that Congress
should give its assent to the admission of
Maine, by the Sd of March next, which,
if ii should hot be done, all that had Ia
ken place on the subject, would be void.
Mr.. II. said, he hoped the gentlemen
we're not serious, when they put Maine
upon the same footing with Missouri !;
the subjects were who'll unconnected !;
and Mr.. Ii. said, that ii he did not ell
terrain the opinion which he had former
ly expressed on the subject of imposing
restrictions on Missouri, and were told
that Maine should not be admitted into the
Union, unless Missouri scas also uncondi-
tionally admitted, he ro,.ld forfeit the
chance Of Maine, rather than forfeit has
opinion. He entirely disclaimed the
doctrine that Maine and Missouri should
be put upon the same footing.
Mr.. Clay, again rose, and said ex-
pressly that he did not mean to give has
assent to the admission of Maine into the
Union, as long as the doctrines were up
held of anneXing conditions to the adj
mission of States into the Union from
beyond the mountains. Equality, said
he, is equity. II we have no right to
impose restrictions on this State, We have
none to impose them on the other. He
said, there was time enough before the
Sd of March, to receive considerable
light n this subject, and he did not see
occasion for such haste, in driving the
bill through the House. He made some
further remarks upon the representation:
as that it was not in the power of
Congress to disfranchse Massachusetts,
by taxing away 7 of her representatives,
&c. but his object seemed to be, to have
the bill postponed TO a future day, re-
peating at the same time that he did not
wish to defeat the admission OF Maine.
Mr.. WHITMAN, of Massachusetts, said
that the gentleman had avowed his OBJ
ject i'll opposing the progress OF this bill,
with his usual and characteristic frank
ness which, he hoped, would constitute
sure pledge that he would give up his
opposition, if it should appear not to be
well founded. The gentleman had ex-
pressed his wish to unite the two ques-
tons of Maine and Missouri. 1t had
sometimes occurred, Mr.. ". said when
one branch of a Legislature refsued its as
sent to a measure which had passed the
other, that the object of the latter was
obtained by taking the obnoxious propo-
stion to some favourite measure Of the |
former: and, as Mr.. w. understood the |
honorable Speaker, he had declared that
he would go on this principle in the adj |
mission OF new states into the Union
and that, in this case, he would not ad.
init Maine unless lacked to Missouri
he would admit both at the same time,
and both on the same principles. Now,
Mir. W. said he held that there was no
similarity in the two cases. The Speak
cr would certainly do the gentlemen who
were opposed to the admission of Mis-
souri, Internationally into the Union, the
justice to believe, that they were honest
and sincere in their opposition to it, and
that they did believe that Congress have
a right to impose conditions on her adj
and they did further believe |
the proposed condition to be expedient. |
Here, then, was part, perhaps a ma
jority, of Congress believing in the right
of annexing conditions to the admission
of Missouri into the Union. How was
it with regard to Maine Why, not
one individual member in this house
not the honorable Speaker himself, sup
posed that any condition ought to be all
nexed to her admission on the con-
trary, he had avowed his belief that she