Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-05-16

new state rapidly ming up; strong current OF
emigration is pouring into her limits, and she will
soon, perhaps even by the time her representatives
take their seats upon the floor of the House, have
| the requisite population. In this way, sir, upon
information not obtained on Federal authority, but
upon information obtained by all the modes by
which it could be procured, and which was of a
nature calculated to satisfy the judgment of the
Convention, was the apportionment made by the
convention that framed the constitution. &c. sir,
in the case Of more recent acquisitions or annex
atoms. That of Texas, for instance. Nobody
believed, think, at the time that Texas had po-
pulation emitting her to two representatives, but
as in the case OF some of the old thirteen States,
so in the case of Texas she was rapidly filling up.
1t was known-as | have no doubt will turn out
to be the case when the census comes to be taken
in Texas-that before the next enumeration
should take place she would have d population not
only emitting her to two, but probably to more
than two representatives.
Now sir, there is an error existing, at least |
thought so from the remarks of one or two friends
the other day, with regard to the requisite popu-
aton to entitle California to two representatives.
1t is not, as is supposed, double the ratio which
was fixed ten years ago by Congress, That ratio
was fixed at 7O,680, but it was expressly provided
in the law establishing it that any State which had
an excess beyond the moiety of the ratio estab-
shed should be entitled to an additional represen-
tative. According to the provisions OF that law,
to entitle California to two representatives, she
would only be required to have population OF
106,02l, and not, as was supposed the other day,
of one hundred and forty odd thousand. Well
now sir, the question is, putting out of view alto
gether the rapid augmentation which is daily
taking place in the population OF California, whe-
Their she has population at this time-at the time
when her members come to be admited-whch
tlo bor TO f,.,l tatiuo
Mr.. President, have here what will satisfy my
mind, and | trust will also satisfy the minds of
other Senators. In the first place l offer to the
Senate an extract from memorial of the Senators
and Representatives from the State OF California
to the Congress of the United States. 1t is mat
ter dealing in details and in figures, and would
take up some time TO peruse the whole. That
memorial has been before every Senator, and can
be resorted to by him; if he has not already ex-
amined it he can examine it for himself Accord
ing to the details contained in that memorial
partly conjectural, it is true, but partly, aud be-
leve the larger portion of them official--the po-
pulation of California on the lst of January, 1850,
was LOT, O69, exceeding the amount of population
requisite to entitle the State of California to two
Representatives. But that brings it down only to
the LIST of January, 1850 Since that time we
are authorized to add to the number above mem
toned the arrivals by sea at the port of San Fran
cisco, as shown by the official report of the har
Dor master from the 1st of January, 1850, to the
9th March, 1850. Sir, without going into a
classification, there are of Americans IL ,454, and
of foreigners $685. making total from the lst
of January to the 9th of March, 1850, of 1887.
The number of desertions from ships, as stated in
the memorial before alluded to, is 3,O0O in round
numbers. The official report of the harbor mas
ter, made on the first of March last to the Legls-
lature states that the 'number of officers and sea-
men who have left their vessels, for various
causes" is 1920 An aggregate of all these
statements will give us the population of Califor-
MIA at different periods, and will show the follow
ing result: On the LIST of January, l849 there
We're $4,000; of these 5000 were Americans,
| $4,000 were Cafornians, and 5000 were foreign
ers. On the LIST of January, 1850, there were
lO7,O69; making total number up to the 9th of
March, 1850, of l24,O26; addto this for DESERT
ing seamen Il 24O, and you will have total pc
pulation up to the LIST OF March of 1926; to
which is to be added the population which has ar
rived from the United States and otherplaces since
the time mentioned. | have no earthly doubt
indeed am perfectly satisfied in my own mind,
that putting all these statements together there is
at this moment a population in California that
would entte her to two Representatives, even
supposng there had been no provision tor the
fraction exceeding the moiety of the ratio fixed
upon by Congress.
Well, upon this question of population do not
wish to take up the time of the Senate unneces-
sarily but, sir, it will be said that they fresh
population. Sir, they are bone of our bone and
flesh Of our flesh for the greater part. They have
lost none of their intelligence or capacity for self
government by passing from the United States to
California. There are foreigners there, it is true;
but, by our treaty with Mexico, all the Californians
who remained became citizens of the United States
in year, if they did not adopt the alternative
of remaining Mexcans after the treaty OF Hldalgo
was signed ] remark that the Constitution Of
the United States itself nowhere fixes any term of
residence sufficient to constitute an individual or
person portion of the people of the United
States. The language of the constitution, in the
adjustment of the question of representation and
taxation, is {" the people" and "number." |
think, then, that however long short time they
may have been there, as they ought to be repre-
scented somewhere mean those who have left
the United States and gone there-there is little
doubt that at this moment there is number OF ci-
tizens of the United States sufficient to entite Ca
lifornia to two representatives.
| Well sir, they are not now represented, and
will not be represented in the United States. They
ought to be represented somewhere; and having
gone to California-it is said they have gone there
only for temporary purposes, yet, Mr.. President,
they have gone to California they are there; and
the question of how many will return or how
many will remain there tits impossible to tell. 1t
is all right to move from place to place; and, with
regard to the State Of Louisiana, will Estate fact,
which will be recollected and confirmed by the
honorable gentleman in my eye from that State,
that thousands and thousands who went to New
Orleans and Louisiana shortly after the acquisi-
ton of that territory by the treaty of Louisiana
and who, up to the present time, 60 there, only
for temporary purposes--intendng to make for
tune and return home, never did return home, but
finding so delightful climate, and finding Them
selves so happy when they got there scarcely one
in hundred ever came back. So of California.
| dare say that vast numbers are going there,
some with the intention of returning but, sir,
after they are connected by marriage and by social
ties, and by the acquisition of wealth, and by all
1 those ties which tend tn fix in a nermanant home