Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-28
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON THE ORDINANCE OF 1857.

In the History of the Ordinance of 1887, publish
ed in the National Intelligencer on the 9th of the
present month, there are several errors, which, be-
fore they become " fixed facts" should be correct
ed These Notes furnish materials for the correc-
ton of some Of them.
On the first of March, 1884, a committee, con-
sistng of Mr.. JEFFERSON, of Virginia, Mr.. CHASE,
of Maryland, and Mr.. HOWELL, of Rhode Island,
submitted to Congress the following Plan for the
temporary government of the Western Territory
The committee appointed prepare plan for the tempo
ray government Of the Western Territory have agreed to the
following resolutions
dual States the United States, whensoeyer the same
shall have been purchased Of the Indian inhabitants and
offered for sale by the United States shall be formed into
additional States, bounded in the following manner
nearly such cessons will admit that is say, north
wardly and southwardy by parallels Of latitude, that
each State shall comprehend, from south to north, de-
grees Of latitude, beginning to count from the completion Of
hiryone degrees north OF the equator but any territory
nohwardy Of the degree shall make part of the
State next below And eastwardy and weswardy they shall
be bounded, those the Mississippi by that on
side and the meridian of the lowest point of the rapids Of the
Ohio the other and those adjoining the east by the
meridian their western side, and their eastern by
the meridian Of the cape of the mouth of the Great
Kanawha. And the territory eastward Of this last meridian
between the Ohio Lake Erie and Pennsylvania shall be
State.
"
offered for sale shall, either their petition the
order of Congress- receive authority hem with appoint
ments of time and place. for their free males full age meet
together for the purpose of establishing temporary
ment adopt the constitution and laws any of these
States that such laws nevertheless shall subject
alton by their ordinary legislature, and to erect subject
like alteration counties townships for the election of
beis for their legislature.
force in any State until shall have acquired twenty thousand
free inhabitants when, giving due proof thereof to Congress-
they shall receive from them authority with appointments Of
time and place. call convention of representatives to estab
h permanent constitution and government for themselves
Proudd That both the temporary and permanent govern
ments be established on these principles their basis
l. That they shall forever remain part of the United
States of America.
3 That in their persons property, and territory they shall
be subject to the Government of the United States Congress
assembled, and to the Articles of Confederation in all those
cases in which the original States shall be subject
g. That they shall be subject pay part of the federal
debts, contracted be contracted be apporioned
them by Congress according to the rule and
measure by which appointments thereof shall be made
the other States.
A. Ths their respective governments shall be in repubi-
forms, and shall admit person TO be citizen who holds
any hereditary title.
S. That after the year 1900 ofthe Christian there shall
be neither slavery involuntary servude any Of the said
States otherwise than punishment of crimes whereof the
party shall have been duly convicted have been personally
guilty.
That whatsoever any of the said States shall have of free
Inhabitants many shall then be in any of the least
Of the thirteen original States such State shall be
admitted by delegates the Congress of the United States
equal footing with the said original States, after which
the of thirds Of the United States in Congress
sembed shall be requisite in all those wheren by the
confederation the assent OF nine States required pro-
vded the of States such admission may be OBJ
tanned according to the eleventh OF the articles of conedera
ton Until such admission by their delegates into Congress-
any the said States after the establishment their tempo
nary government shall have authority to keep sitting mem
Der in Congress- with right of debating but not Of voting.
That the territory norhward of the forty fifth degree that
is to say, of the completion of degrees from the equa
tor and extending the Lake of the Weod shall be called
Syrania that of the territory under the forty fifth and forty
fourth degrees that which lies westward of Lake Michigan
shall be called chgdnia and that which eastward there
Of within the peninsula formed by the lakes and of
Michigan Huron, ST. Clair and Erie, shall be called Cher
Toess, and shall include any part of the peninsula which
may extend above the foryfh degree Ofthe territory
der the forty third and forty degrees that TO the
ward through which the Assensp Rock river runs shall
be called Assenispia and that the eastward in which
the fountains Of the Muskngum the Mames Of Ohio
the Wabash, the Illinois, the Miami Of the Lake. and the
Sandusky rivers, shall be called Meropotamia. OF the terri
tory which lies under the foryst and foreh degrees the
western, through which the river Illinois runs shall he called
noa that next adjoining, to the eastward Saratoga; and
that between this last and Pennsylvania and extending from
the Ohio to Lake Ere shall be called Washington OF the
territory which lies under the thry-nnth and thirty
degrees which shall be added much of the point of land
within the fork of the Ohio and Mississippi lies under the
thirty degree, that to the westward within and ada
cent to which the confuences of the rivers Wabash
Shawanee Tansee, Ohio Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri
shall be called Poypotana and that to the eastward far
Their up the Ohio, otherwise called the Pesp shall be called
FeLsipia.
That all the preceding articles shall be formed into char
ter ocompac shall be duly executed by the President Of the
United States in Congress assembled under his hand and the
seal Of the United States shall be promulgated and shall stand
as fundamental conditions between the thirteen original
States and those newly described unaerae but by the joint
consent of the United States in Congress assembled and of
the particular State within which such alteration is proposed
TO be made.
This report recommtted to the committee the
18th Of March, and submitted the 22d Of
the month The second report agreed in substance with
the first The principal difference the omission Of the
paragraph giving the States be formed of the
Western Territory 1t taken up for consideration by
Congress the 9th Of April on which day, the motion
Of Mr. Spagh of North Carolina the following clause
struck out
Tha after the year 1900 of the Christian era there shall
be neither slavery involuntary servude any Of the said
States otherwise than in the punishment Of whereof the
party shall have been duly convicted have been personally
guilty."
The report further considered and amended the Goth
and 2ls On the 23d agreed to- (ten States voting
aye and one no. without the clause prohibiting slavery AID
involuntary sevitude after the year 1900 On the question
to agree to the report after the prohibtoy clause struck
out the yeas and nays required by Mr. Beresford The
vote
A.. Il