Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-06-19
VETO
OfMe Governor. on the bill tn re sub
mil the Constitution to the UOte IF
the people.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. ;
Iowa City, June Oh, lS45. (

submit To the people the draft of Con.
s,itut;On framed by the late Conven-
ton" with my objections to it.
The act of The Legislature. under the
provisions Of which The late Convention
assembled, expressly reserves TO The
people. the RICH, to vote for or against
the Constitution. at The April election
succeeding lis Formations; and the ord-
nary course would have been TO await
the action Of the people upon it. before
presenting il to Congress, and asking
admission into the Union; but the Con.
venllon did not deem il necessary to do
so, and a, the close of their iabors
adopted memorial to Congress asking
10 be received into the Union. This
application for admission, before the
people had determined whether they
would adopt or reject the constitution,
though out of the usual course, was the
less Objectionable, because the constl-
tuition put Congress in possession Of the
fact, thai it was subject 20 be rejected,
if such should be The pleasure of the
qualified electors Of the Territory. at
al the April election of the present
year. That provision of the consttu-
ton will be found in the sixth section
OF the thirteenth article in the following
words: This constitution together
with whatever conditions NAV be made
10 the same by Congress shall be rat
fled or rejected by vote OF the quail
fed electors of this Territory. at the
township elections in April next. IN the
manner prescribed by The act Of the
Legislative Assembly, providing for
holding this Convention: ProUlded,
hoW ger, that the General Assembly Of
thus State may ratiy or reject any con
ditons Congress may make 10 this
Constitution after the first Monday IN
April next.
Congress did make provision for the
admission Of Iowa By an act entitled
IAN act for the admission Of the States
Of Iowa and Florida into the Union"
in which will be found the following
provision, "ihat IL is made and declared
to be fundamental condition of the
admission of The said State of Iowa into
the Union, that so much Of this act as
relates 10 The said State Of Iowa. shall
be a>senied to by majority OF the
qualified electors al their township
elections, in the manner, and al the time
prescribed in he sixth section of the
thirteenth article of the constitution
adopted al Iowa City the fist day Of
November. Ammo Domini eighteen hun
dred and forty four, Or by the LeglsIa
ture of said State." Ii will be seen
that this provision of the act Of Con
gresS goes beyond the constitution. IN
providing that the Legislature of the
State may, as well as the qualified cleo.
tors, assent 10 the provisions OF that act;
tut 1t is difficult TO comprehend how
legislature Of the State can assent TO or
reject terms o! admission, the accept
ance of which is declared TO be fun
damen,al condition." of our becoming
State.
The power to reject or accept the
conditions upon which our entrance
| into the Union was made 10 depend,
having been thus plainly presented 70
us, II is not easy, ~ account Tor he iact
| tina; no poll was opened or vote taken
al the April election. for or against the
ratification Of the conditions upon which
| Congress had provided for our admls-
sion. Owing to this unfortunate over
sight and without appearing to be
aware of their right to accept or reject
those conditions by direct vote at the
/ April election, "A question was raised
among the people, whether the adop-
ton of the Constitution would, as A
necessary consequence carry with il the
adoption of the boundary of the new
State, proposed by Congress; or, IN 9TH
er words. the people did not seem to
understand tina, they possessed the same
right to vote upon, and accept or reject
the boundaries. tina, they had in refer
ence to the constitution itself, and this
confusion in the public mind, "lhere is
reason to believe. had much influence
in producing the rejection of the Con-
slitution."
This view represents an outline OF
the proceedings in relation to our effort
IT, obtain admission into the Union; out
of them has arisen necessity for fur
Their legislation to carry out the prevl-
ouslv expressed wish of The people TO
throw off the Territorial government. or
to ascertain whether that wish is sllll
/ entertained.
had the honor a, the commence.
men, os your present session. in my
Message to the two Houses, To Suggest
the course of legislation which tho
best calculated 10 give general satisfac
ton in relation TO this matter. and
which, if adopted. would have enabled
us if such had appeared TO be the will
of the majority, to present anew 10
Congress, at the commencement of the
next session, our wish to be admitted as
member of the Union. OF that par,ic
ular course, however. | am not at all
tenacious. There is no constitutional
provision or established usage which
should restrain IA territorial Legislature
from directing polls to be opened fol
the purpose of ascerlaining the will OF
the constituent body in relation 10 The
adoption or rejection of any proposition
for forming constitution, or adopting