The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-29
CITY OF WASHINGTON, SATURDAY MORNING JUNE 80 1850

as genuine and valid Is u not most exuaOrunafy sr
that should be permitted to know 30 very little about
document important this, and where such vast
interests are at stakel Congress has right to be in
whether there has been an i 1SEnah origin ordinance hsS
il Who brought il to Washington Who sent iti Who
whhods il Why was not transmitted to the President
with the consultation, and by him to Congress-! Sir, We
are reasoning in the dark entirely until have
assurance about this matter Is there any senator here
who will avouch the authenticity OF the ordinance which
/ hold in my haadi Will the honorable senator from
Illinois, Mr. DoUGLAs,l who introduced Il into the Sen,
ate, and moved the Senate's order for lite printing will
ask Of the Secretary to hand me the original. on file with
n The VICE PRESIDENT The Chair is informed that
the paper alluded to in the Secretarys Office and it will
presently H soug no In The sss,s,v Ssnas hooking q, the
document had better, perhaps 40 on with synopsis q
what the printed ordinance provides Hpresenss the fol-
Article lst binds this government to give California
four sections in each township in the State for the use OF
| schools. U.
~ sections for the use OF university.
Article 81 binds this government TO give four sections,
to be selected BY e Sdte for the use Of seat Of gov
Article 4h binds this government to give 1000 900 Of
acres designated under the direction Of he legislature
for the purpose OF deirayng the expenses OF the State
government and for other State purposes also per
cent Of the net proceeds OF the sales Of the public lands
in the State for the encouragement Of learning,
Article 9Th binds this government to give all me sat
springs within the State and all the land reserved for the
use OF the same.
Let us pause here moment before noticing the 9th
article It is perceived that, while these five sections
bind this government to make to California all these
grants OF lands, far exceeding any grant that was ever
made to any other new State. not one OF them binds
California TO anything! Now, without yalaing at all
(for want Of data the amount arising from the per
cent the net proceeds here is grant OF ,737,2S0
acres Of land with an absolute authority 10 s
of California make her own selection of 1905 500 OF
the same from any portions Of the public doman How
and where these lands would be located By the State II
needs no to forete and while very large proper
fal
States share. every foot Of the gold regions would at
be covered and secured to California to the perpeu
exclusion q Inc United States tate and q every I'VE s Ssas s
either house Of Congress who would sanction by his
acceptance Of these propositions as they stand in
the ordinance But does not the ordinance confer some
authority by which these propositions may be modIed 50
the acceptance Of Congress! No, sr; none
whatever The California convention has ioseciosed
OF either OF them They to be accepted or rejected
toto, and of their rejection avoids the whole or
dinance This is obvious from the 9th and last article o
the ordinance, which | will proceed to read to the
Senate:
Arr. g. The first and representatives elected to
Congress Som this State are hereby authorized and tpo,o
sfest Of he State may require; and any such changes
propositions, when APPROVED yts legislature. shall be
thecio And all spulaions entered into by the legislature,
Of The ashority hersin conferred shall be con,
State and lhe legislature is hereby further auhorsed 70
oseae In behalf Of the people OF California 4 such deca
ration be proposed by Congress- that they will not tnere
with primary disposal under the authod Of the uai-
ted States, Of the paeua lands within the limits Of the
Stale. s
II is plain then that this section has conferred no a
horty whatever upon Californas senators and repre-
senlatives TO make assent TO any variations in the
propositions contained in the first five sections OF the BILL
and expressly limits their agency TO other propositions
which they might make or assent to; and hence the ac-
ceptance Of this ordinance by Congress would not only
treasury Of 0s se 1aoa o hs choicest DS FARMING
the State, but the entire mining region OF that country
But there ether strange matters about this ordinance
1st II is strange the ordinance is said 10 have
been modelled upon tha, OF Michigan, (and is manifest
il was that the very clause should have been left out
OF it which. in the Michigan ordinance, conferred the
power vary the propositions made by that State Tor
that ordinance provided that the senators, &C.,
thorzed and Empowered TO make assent to such other
propositions OF 10 such variations Of the propositions here
II is strange, 2dly that this ordinance should have
been modelled upon that OF Michigan as il must have
been known that that oil Michigan was rjeed by Con-
gresS, euen rh e foregoing eonsarattUe clause contda
ed IN u.
II is strange. 3dly that while the ordinance printed
by the Senate oms the clause conerrng authority "fo
vdry the propositions herein made" the ordinance as
found in the printed debates OF the California convention
which have before retains that clause in the words
OF the Michigan ordinance but omts the clause touching
the power "to make assent 10 other propositions
Mr. DOUGLAS. IL the senator from Louisiana al,
taches any importance TO that fact, will give an expla
nation ol IL. knew nothing oil this ordinance till one
OF the senators from California called and stated
that there was ordinance | asked why he had not
presented itl He answered that the construction they
put upon 1t was, that i simplyfo for them 10 make
these terms after the State admitted. told him
thought would be well ii il before the Senate, and
asked him for copy He got copy, and brought that
paper and after consultation with the senator from Ken
lucky, [Mr CLLY,l l moved to have il printed. That
senator says he obtained il from the official reporter OF
the debates OF the California convention II there is any
error, it is an error OF the reporter in copying.
Mr.. S0ULE | hope III, senator from Illinois will
not understand casting the least suspicion upon the
gentleman who handed him this ordinance. | know
him well and he is the very last person whom would
suspect OF in the remoies degree improper
becoming. am sure he aas acted in good faith but
his does not remove the difficulty which arises from the in
consistency between the ordinance for the Senate
and the ordinance printed in the book of debates.
was discussing mere matter OF sc without any refer
10 individuals connected with IT, officially or other
WISE The SENATOR see, has discovered that nconsist
ency TO which was alludng and, from what has just
fallen from his lips lett with no means oil ascer
tanning which be the valid ordinance. The ordinance
itself must have been regarded by the honorable senator
being o some Importance, we find that, after hay
ing reported bill from the Committee Territories he
afterwards amends that bill by inserting the clause which
have referred to- and makes specific reserves Tor that
ordinance
Air DOUGLAS Il true, as the senator has stated,
that the bill reported contained clause regard 10
the public doman for the that the committee did
not then deem such clause necessary II VIII be reco
ectod at the time that objection first made To the bill
that account, offered to prove, by the ndispua
Bile authority, that no such clause necessary Sab
sequenty, alter the suggestions made by the sena
tor from Alabama and others, stated that would sosner
write down than argue down the objection. Hence
brought in the bill it At the time oil the
senators from California told me that at the time the