Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-03

pleased to do SO, without the aid or action
of the GENERAL Government, except so far
as related to general laws. She could
ADOPT Slate Government; she could elect
her own Judges, and manage her own af-
fairs. All the territory northwest Of the
OHIO river had the same right. They could
have introduced slavery into those terrific
ries, and Congress would have had no right
or power to interfere. The provisions of
the ordinance being superseded by the adop-
ZION of the Constitution, the territory Dorfh-
west of the Ohio river was left uDtrammel-
led in its action, and the States carved out
of II could either admit slavery Of exclude
II, as suited their interests. ~
But, as he had already said, the ordin-
ance of 1857 had been disregaraed, and they
meant to disregard il now; this State would
come in, and we should also have sixth,
although the ordinance provided that there
should be hut five States in the Northwest
Territory. The adoption of our present
Constitution was virtual revocation Of the
unalterahle provisions Of that ordinance; for,
by the adoption of the Constitution, those
provisions become merged in that instru-
ment, and what was intended as special
provision for this territory was by the Con-
stitntion extended to the whole Uniou.--
Such, tor Instance, was The benefit Of the
babeas corpus act; the right of trial by Jury;
that good faith should he kept with the In
tlians; and also the provision that no tax or
impost should be levied upon property in
its transit through this territory. The lat
ter part of the 9TH article of the ordinance
was as follows:
90" The navigablc waters leading into the
Mississippi and ST. Lawrence and the car
rying places between the same shall be com
mon highways, and forever free as well to
the inhabitants Of the said territory as 10
the citizens of the United States and those
OF any other State that Inny be admitted in
TO the Confederacy, without tax, inpost, or
duty therefore,
The object ofths clause was, not to make
common highways for any other purpose
but Tor the free transit of property through
that territory. The adoption of the Con-
stitution provided remedy for this evil by
prohibiting the several States from lcvying
imposts or duties on exports or Imports
The reason eeasing, the law ceased; conse-
quently, those streams and the carrying
places between them ceased 20 be common
highways.
w hen the ordinance Of '87 was adopted,
the Constitution had not been framed and
al that time there was seen the difficulty of
paying debts and regulating commerce. AT
that time, each State had the right 70 coli
lect taxes; and until this was provided for
by the Constitution, the ordinance operated
for the benefit of the people. The proyis-
ions of the ordinance, however, were merg-
ed in the Constitution.
He concluded, therefore, that they ought
TO adoptthe proposition ofW iseonsin without
amendment, except il were to take the line /
proposed to them by Congress in 1916, to
which they had assented. lie thought so
because y thought Congress had no right |
TO take Them with any other line than the /
one which met with their acceptance. They |
had right To say what kind Of territory /
they would come into the United States I
with; aud il Congress did not accept the /
line which suited the people of Wisconsin,
they had the right 10 remain ont of the I'M T
ion. He thought they were bound by the /
net which Congress had heretofore passed,
and they should not now disturb the compact /
into which they had entered. He certainly /
should not vote for any other line, unless +
some better reason could be shown him than
any he had yet seen. He hoped this bill
would be ncted upon, as the people of Wis /
consia wished. lie would not longer de-
tain the House, because, he knew there /
were several gentlemen who desired to ex-
press their views upon this subject.
MIR. Collaner said he understood that, be- /
fore he came here this morning, the House
Ind adopted a resolution To- terminate de-
bate this day AT two o'clock. He would re-
mind gentlemen, that ordinarily, when
they had bill under discussion, aud the
House fixed limit 10 the debate, they new
or got further than the first section of the
bill until the hour to close debate arrived;
and that IL anybody had any remarks 10
make ON any subsequent section, he must
make them while the question was pend
ing on the frs, section. The time, then, be-
Ing now limited, IL became necessary that
he should say wha, he had to say on other
sections AT this time, unless he would be con-
tent with the five minutes allowed by the
rules for the explanation of an amendment,
which would not he sufficient, for his pres
cnt purpose. He would say nothing of the
first section. for he thought that was pretty
well understood, bur he felt il TO be his dr-
~ to make some remarks in relation to the
second and third sections, and he should do
at this time because no other time would
be afforded him.
The second and third sections, he would
here remark, were not necessary parts of
this bill, either TO admit Wisconsin as n
State or 10 carry n constitutional govern
ment into effect. Ii those sections were
stricken out, and the bin were passed with
out them, Wisconsin could be admitted a
State of this Union Just as well as fihose
sections were retained. They were see.
tons which related TO the public lands of
the proposed State, and they were inserted
in consequence Of the passage of certain
resolutions by the convention of Wisconsin.
Ii gentlemen would turn 10 the latter part
of the document containing the constitution,
they would find these resolutions, aud they
would find that they contained requests that
Congress would do certain things. Wheth-
nr fhaN ANnrn nNnrflu nt,h ,....,,,ti.,,,.. - n.