The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-06
MR.. BENToNs BILL.

annexation. We also append his remarks
A BILL TO provide for the annexation OF Texas 70
the United States;
n. Il enacted by the Senate and House Of Represents
fires of the United STATES Of fmeea IN Congress assem-
bed That State, TO be formed out OF tho present
republic Of Texas, with suitable extent and oounaS,
rss and with Two representatives In Congress until
the next superintendent Of representation, shall De
admitted into the Union by virtue Of this act, on an
.aua footing with the existing States as soon as the
terms and conditions of such admission, and the ees-
sion of the remaining Texan territory TO the United
States shall be agreed upon by the government oil
Texas and the United States.
Sec 2. find be Il further enacted That the sum oil
one hundred thousand dollars be, and the same Is
hereby appropriated TO delray the expenses oil mis-
sons and negotiations TO agree upon the terms oil said
admission aud cession, either BY treaty, 10 be submit
ted To the Senate, by articles TO be submitted TO
two Houses Of Congress, the President may direct
The bill having been read
Mr. BENTON said he would avail himself Of the In
diligence OF the Senate 10 state the reasons which In
duced him TO offer il. II was copy, he said, sub
stantay Of the bill which he had previously offered,
with the omission Of all the terms and conditions
which that bill contained lie had been induced to
omit ali these conditions because OF the difficulty oil
agreeing upon them, and because II was now clear
that whatever bill was passed upon the subject oil
Texas, the execution Of Il must devolye upon the
new President who had been just elected by the peo-
pie with view to this object. He had confidence
IN Mr. Polk, and was willing 10 trust the question OF
terms and conditions TO his untrammelled dsofetioa
certain that be would do the best that he could for
the success Of the object the harmony Of the Unos,
and the peace aud honor Of the country. He had,
therefore, Withdrawn all the terms and conditions
which his previous bill contained and only retained
its cardinal features, namely the admission ofa Tex
ian State by law the cesson Of the remaining Texan
territory TO the United States and the adjustment OF
the terms and conditions Of this admission and ces
sion by ENJOYS, commissioners subject TO the con
frmation Of the two governments. This seemed to
him to be the natural practicable way Of proceeding
and was certainly the most respectful to Texas.
The joint resolution sent up from the House OF
Representatives nothing but proposal, and pro-
posa cogged with conditions and limited TO time
Ii il passed both Houses Of our Congress, IL might
be re ected by Texas and then the process OF ma
king proposals would have TO commence again. Lee
gslste propositions interchaDged by two legislative
bodies sitting in two different countries, at the dis
lance Of near two thousand miles apart, a slow
way Of coming TO conclusions; and, unless more
practicable method was adopted, the annexation OF
Texas might be looked upon event deferred for
years Commissioners, or ENJOYS, to discuss PROPOSE
lions face to face with right TO give we'll as to
take-with power to yield as well as TO demand-can
alone be competent to the successful termination OF
such business He, therefore, adhered to that part
OF his former bill which propo ed to send ministers
TO settle the terms Of annexation.
The occasion (said Mr. B. is an extraordinary one
and requires an extraordinary mission. The yoIun.
lary union of two independent nations is a rare oc.
currence, and is worthy TO be attended by every cir
cumsance which lends It dignity, promotes its sue,
cess, and makes it satisfactory When England and
Scotland we're united at the commencement of the
last century, no less than thrtyone commissioner rs
were empoyedIo agree upon the terms and the terms
they agreed upon received the sanction Of the Par
llaments of the two kingdoms, and completed union
which had been in vain attempted for one hundred
years. Extraordinary missions, nationally constitu.
ted have several times been resored to IN our own
country, and always with public appreciation, whe.
Their successful or not. The first Mr.. Adams sent
Marshall Gerry, and PinckDey, TO the French drec-
tory in 1888: Mr.. Jefferson sent Ellsworth, Dayie
and Murray, 10 the French consular government OF
1900: MIR. Madison sent Adams, Bayard Gaatn,
Clay, and Russell, 10 Client in 1914. All these mis-.
sions, and others which might be named, were ma.
tionally consttuted-composed of eminent citizens
taken from each political party, and from different
sections OF the Union and, OF course, all favorable
TO the object for which they we're employed An
occasion has occurred which, in my opinion, requires
mission similarly constituted-as numerous as the
missions to Paris or to Ghent-and composed of Cit.
zens from both political parties and from the non.
slaveholdng as well as the slavehodng States Such
a commission could hardly fail to be successful no,
merely in agreeing upon the terms Of the union but
agreeing upon terms which would be satisfactory 10
the people and the governments of the two countries
And here, to avoid misrepresentation and the appear
ance of dlsrespect, where the contrary is felt,
would say that the gentleman now in Texas as the
Charge OF the United States, is, in my opinion emf
nenty fit and proper to be of the envoys extra
ordinary and ministers penipotentary which my bill
contemplates.
he bill which now propose (sad Mr.. b. is brief
and plain but comprehensive and effectual IL pro-
poses to admit one Texan Sate-to obtain a cessiop
Of the remaining Texan territory-and to settle the
terms and conditions of the admission and cession by
the usual and practicable mode of negotiation.
The admission of the State, or rather its right to
admission, is to be complete under the bill II is ia
be admitted by virtue of the act so that no future
legislation Will be necessary for that purpose and
the possibility of Missouri controversy will be en-
tireiy avoided. The admitted State is to have all
the rights OF the existing States from the moment Of
her admission, not only theoretically, but practi.
cally for the bill fixes her representation in the
federal Congress, and avoids all delay or debate upon
that point 1t says nothing about Senators, for
there the Constitution alone is sufficient it h 9th
gives the right to senators, and fixes the number
10 representatives 1t gives the right but leaves il to
Congress to fix the number. This bill FIXES II and
gives to the first Texan State two members-a num-
Der to which her present population will entie her
and which will be sensibly increased before the pro-
cess of admission can be accomplished, and doubled
or trebled before the new apportionment under the
census of 1850 can be extended to her
A State OF proper size beng formed, the cession
OF the remaining lexian territory TO the limited
States becomes indispensable and here the Joint re-
solution from the House of Representatives Is essen
tally detective 1t admits the whole republic of
Texas as one State, and provides no means of re-
ducing her limits without her consent In fact.
when once admitted as State, she never can be re
duced without her consent: the constitution of the
United States forbds it and the equilibrium of our
system will not admit of such overpowerina prepon-
derance in any one member of the Union. This is
not new point in our history it has occurred be-
fore, and has been decided. The early history Of
our contederacy Is full of instruction upon il. Many
of the States, at the close Of the revolution were
found TO be too large for the safety of the rest and
the most persevering efforts were made to reduce
them. As early as $780, they we're called upon by
the continental Congress to reduce their limits, and
cede their surplus territory. Some Welded readily
from feelings OF harmony and concatiop-those
feelings being rather stronger then than they are
Virginia ceded gratuitously all her territory
beyond the Ohio river. Connecticut did not cede for
twenty years and then got two and half millions for