Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-01-25
HON. ROBERT y. GRAN STCN

To the Editor cf'tte Jour.oI
Mr.. Cranstop's vote 10 opposition to Mr..
Root . resolution of the 18Th ult., instruciing
the Comm ttce on I'err tories " ioreport forth
with bill TO establish territorial government
o New Mexico and California, excluding
slavery theretr"m." having been the sdbject OF
much remark and misconcep,ion among his
constituents, a committee Of the friends Of Mr..
&. in Newport addressed letter TO the Hon.
Caeb b. Smith, Chairman of the Committee
on Territories, requesting information as to the
course Of our Representative, with respect 10
these terri cries, when bills for their govern
ment we're pending in the committee at tho
last and present session Of Congress. The
following Is the reply of Mr.. Smith
WAsHINGToa. Ian. 10, lS49.
Gen,lemen-l have received your note o
l2th inst, addressed to me as Chairman Of the
Committee on Territories, relative to the
course Of the Hon Robert D. Crans,on. as a
member Of that committee.
In answer to your inquiries, ! will ate that
during the last session of Congress, bills were
prepared by the committee, organizing ieirto-
rial governments in New Mexico and Cali
fornia, in each of which was inserted provis-
ion extending over the territories the ordinance
of 1887 prohibiting the existence Of slavery,
Considerable discuss on was had in the
Committee on the question of Incorporating
this provision in the bills. Mr. Cranston vot-
ed in the affirmative, and at all times express
ed himself warmly and decidedly in favor of Il.
The vote in full Committee was five in the
affirmative and four in the negative. If Mr..
Cranston had voted in the negative the propo-
sition would have been lost.
| ] was instructed BY the Committee to report
the bills to the House, and in accordance with
the inslruc ions asked leave TO report them,
but objections being made, leave was refused.
This was near the close of the session, and TO
Opportunity was afterwards afforded to intro
duce their.
Early in tie present ses ion the subject was
again presented to the Committee, and tn, in.
struc,lonS to report the bills was renewed, Mr.
Cranston voting as before in the affirmative
Both OF the bil $ have sincc been reported and
are now on the files of the House. Each of
them contains the prohibition Of slavery. l
will state further, that Mr. Cranston has uni
formly advocated the prohibition of slavery in
the territories and is known by every person
here to be as decidedly in favor of this prohib-
tion as aoyimember Of the present Congress.
Yours, truly,
CALEB u. SMITH.
C.. T.. RopBlHs, ard
Jos. B. WEAVER, Eslrs.
With respect TO Nj. Cranston's vote in op-
position TO Mr.. Roots resolution il has been
understood, since that subject was adver,ed to,
that his main reason Tor opposing it was, that,
from the state Of business in the Committee on
Territories connected with this subject, it was
premature and uncallcd for was calculated
TO have no other practical effect than unneces-
sarly to agtatc the House and country
Congress not having then, nor even yet, ap-
propra,ed the fifteen millions of dollars equr-
ed by treaty for the acquisition of the territory.
PROF. J0uInai