The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-08-02
From the Baltimore Sun.
THE TERRITORIAL BILL.

THE TERRITORIAL BILL.
We are indebted to our Congressional cor
respondent for copy Of the territorial bill re-.
ported by Mr.. Clayton, Chairm,n OF the Com
promise Committee, 10 the Srnate, and have
given Il an attentive per,isal. The main FEATURES
Of the Till are the same as those by which the
Territory Of Wisconsin, lowo, aud other terri
tories have been governed previous TO their ad'
mission into ,he Union as States, and conse'
qu"ntly il is not worth while TO publish it en-.
tire. The hill reported ny the committee covers
thiry.two printed pages. and contains thirty
six sections. -.4g.-
70 The lst section direct. that, from the massage
of this act, all the territory of the United States
west OF the summit Of ,he Rocky Mountains,
and north nf the 42d parallel Of latitude, shall
he organized into Temporary government. hy
The name of thu Territory of Oregon. The
government of the United States rrserving thr
power of dividing that region hereafter into
one or more territories.
:. The next section Of special interest we find in
the bill, is the following:
. Section 9Th. "The legislative power Of the
territory shall extend to all righlf,l subjects of
legislation consistent with tie Constitution Of
The United States, and the provisions of this act,
but no law shall be passed interfering with the
primary disposal Of the soil; no tax shall be
imposed uponihe property Of III" United States;
nor shall the lands or other property Of non.
residents he iaxedhi.her than the lands or other
property Of rexi Tents. All ih. laws passed by
The legislative assembly sball I've submitted 'o
the Congres. of the United States. and if dis
apprDvrd, shall Le null anI Of m effect.
This clause, in effect. a,ahorizrs the cycln-
sion of slavery in the territory, hy the Legislative
powers. If il should be deemed advisable"
Section 2lst enarI-. THAT from aud after the
passage Of the art, all TINT part %; the trrrI"ries
OF the United States called Upper California.
acquired by the treaty Of peace, iriendshp.i'ni's
and settlement between the United States Of
America and the Me1ican republic, concluded
Al Guadaupr Hha!go on the. sceauf tlay 'f
February, eighteen hundred and f"rty eight,
shall be nrganIz"d inin. and r"nstin," a temp"
~ government by the name nf California. The
government Of :he Uni ed States reserves the
power of dividing said terriiory into two "r
more Territories. in s,lch manner, and at such
time. as Congress shall deem c"n'rni'ni and
proper, aud also Of attaching any portion of
said territory to any other Stale or Territory ni
the United States"
The next section Of interest is the following.
which establishes the Territory Of New Mr1i.
Co..
:. Section gath provides 'that from and after
the passage Of this act. all that part Of :hr ter
ritnries of the United States called New M"xi.
CO, acquired by The treaty Of peace. friendship,
limits, and settlement between the United States
,ot America and the Mexican Repub ic, c"ncln.
ded al Guadalupe Hidalg" an the second dav of
FEBRUARY. eighteen hundred and fnrtv.-ig ght.
shall he orsanized into and constituted TEN.
,pnr,ry government, by the name OF the terrific
.ry Of New Mexico. The power of dividing
said territory, and Of aliching any portion there.
Of ia. another State or Territory, is retained by
the United States"
:, The following section is inScrted in the bill
,as applicable 10 the Territories Of California
and New Mexico, and it will be sren contains
q direct prohibilinn of power on the part OF
either to pass law respecting slavery:
Section 26ih provides 'that the legislative
power of said territory shall, until Congress
shall otherwise provide, h. vested in the govern.
or, secretary, and judges of the supreme court,
who, or a majority Of them, shall have power
10 pass any law Tor the ad,ninsiratio of Justice
in said territory, which shall not bc repngnanr
10 This act, or inconsistent with the laws and
Constitution Of the United States. But no law
-shall be passed interfering with the primary
disposal of the soil. respecting an establishment,
OF religion, or respecting slavery; and no tax
shall he imposed upon the property of the United
States. nor shall the lands of non residents he
"a ted higher than the lands or other property 81
residents. All the laws shall be submitted to
the Congress Of the Unnited States, and, II dis.
approved, shall I've null and void"
Il will thus he seen that the bill in effect
authorizes the sxcusion Of slavery from Ore.
gon, hy permitting It's legislature to act drfiniie.
ly on the subject, bn, leaves the question open
a. it respects Califarnia and New Mexico.-
Shareholders and non.slaveholdrrs can settle
in the iva latter Territories indiscrimna,ply.
and If any difficulties arise ont a any such set
Elements, they are 10 BE- referred ultimately 10
the Supreme Court Of the United States for ad
pldicaiinn. Thus Congress vii! hc relieved
frnm he necessity Of acting on the main ques
ton until after after the next Presidential cec.
lion and n nuioh longer as they NAV .er f..
The view taken by the comnitiee j. plausible.
viz: thst the qnefsion is a constitutional one,
and ihrrrfnre halonas rather to the Supreme
Court. As the rightful interpreters Of The cons,i
tuition, than to Congress. ..r.a
. Gen. Cushing, it Is said. be the Democrat.
3c candidate for Governor Of Massachusetts.