The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-24

from the select Committee of Thirteen To admit
California as a Staten into the Union, TO establish
territorial governments for Utah and New Mexi
go. and making proposals To Texas for the es-
Enlistment of her western and northern bounda-
ries This bill WAS announced to be under con-
siderntion as in Committee OF the WI ole, and
open TO amendment
Mr. DOUGLAS. Mr.. President, am desir-
Gus of getting test vote ofthe Senate upon one
question involved in this controversy. am not
certain but this is the best time to submit mo-
ton in order to produce that result. We have
the subjects involved i'm that bill before us in two
shapes once in separate bills, and then in a
joint bill, the bills being substantially the same
in both cases. | desire now to ascertain wheth-
er il be the wish of the Senate to proceed with
them Jointly or separately, because, that point
being decided, it would necessarily make great
difference in our action. My object, therefore,
is to submit motion which will decide whether
we shall proceed to the consideration of these
bills Jointly or separately. In order to decide
that question, move to lay the bill on the Ia
BILE, for the purpose of proceeding TO the cons-
deraton of the bill to admit California a State
separately, and upon that motion | ask the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, and, being
taken, resulted MS follows
YEAs-Messrs, Baldwin, Benton, Bradbury,
Chase, Clarke, Cooper, Corwn, Davis of Massa-
chusetts Dayton, Dodge of Wisconsin, Douglas,
Felch. Greene, Hale Miller, Norris Seward,
Shields, Smith, Spru nee, Wales, Walker, Web
ster and Yuee--24.
NAys-Mcssrs. Atchison, Bill, Berrien, Por-
land, Bright, Cass, Clay. Clemens Davis of
issssipp Dawson, Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa,
Downs, Elmore, Foote, Houston, Hunter, Jones,
K;nr Mapu,,n Mortop Draft Rusk Soula
Sturgeon, Turney, Underwood, and Whitcomh
-2S.
SO the bill was not laid upon the table
May 29th.
The Senate resumed, ms in Committee of tn
Whole, the consideration of the bill to ADM
California as State into the Union, to establish
territorial governments for Utah and New Mex
leo, and making proposals to Texas for the es
tablishment of her western and nOthern bounda
ries
The pending question was that offered by Mr.
PRATT, and modified and adopted by Mr.. DAVIS
Of Mississippi, as follows:
Strike out the words Sin respect to- and in.
sert .to introduce or exclude" and after the
words slavery" to insert the following pro
yiso:"
g Prorided, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed to prevent said territorial le
for the protection of the rgts of property Of any
Mind which may have been, or may be hercafte
conformably to the Constitution and laws Of thu
United States, held in or introduced into sale
territory"
Mr. UNDERWOOD resumed and concluded
the speech which he began yesterday
The yeas and nays were demanded and or
dered on the amendment of the senator from
Mississippi.
Mr. CHASE. Mr.. PRESIDENT it is not III,
purpose or desire TO enter mt present Into dis
cussion of the principle involved in the amend
ment now before the Senate. agree with tn
proposer of it, Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, TIN
it is exceedingly desirable to have propositio
to vote upon which means something, and Ia
the same meaning in every part of the countr,
am not able to regard this amendment rs sue
proposition The senator from Mississippi
declares that if we adopt it, we shall rccogniz
by strong implication at least the existence
slavery in the territories or, at all events, tn
constitutional right of shareholders to carr
their slaves into them, and hold them there
Other senators deny this. Now, sir, desire t
exclude the conclusion of the senator from
Mississippi j, and, for that purpose, submit Al
amendment, which, | think, will have that effect
| ask that it may lie read, and desire vote upo
it.
Mr. PRATT inquired whether it would be i
order to offer to amend he amendment after tn
yeas and nays had been ordered on that amend
ment
The VICE PRESIDENT decided that it wa
in order.
The SECRETARY read the amendment to tn
amendment, us follows:
Prorided, further, That nothing herein con
tained shall be construed as authorizing or per
uniting the introduction of slavery or the hold
ing of persons as property within said Terri
tory"
Several SENATORS. 1t is the Wilmot Pro
viso.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
June 9Th
Mr.. DICKINSON. have but word to say
1t has seemed to me from the beginning that al
undue consequence has been given to the sec
tion under considerations and to both the amend
ments proposed to it. do not favor the orig
nal section, which prohibits legislation in respec
10 African slavery, and shall vote to strike it on
but shall vote for the bill if it is retained be
cause deem the measure of so much conse
ouence that | will not be turned from its sup
port by details of minor importance OF which
do not approve. The senator from Mississippi
mfr. DAvIs,l notwithstanding the bill autho
rizes the territorial legislature to act uponal
"rightfm subject of Legislation" believes that
certain policy legislation, which he thinks may
become necessary, may, by a strict construction
of the section, be prohibited, and has proposed
an amendment providing that nothing contained
in that section shall be construed to prevent pro-
per legislation for the protection ofevery species
of property there, or which may be carried there
in conformity with the Constitution and laws OF
the United States. suppose this amendment
cannot be necessary under any view of the ease
siuce rghtful subjects of Legislation are provided
for; but the Senator thinks it is, and ] sec nc
particular harm in it except that it makes provi-
sion for cases already sufficiently provided for
The senator from Ohio Mr.. CHASE then, to
guard against any inference which may be drawn
from the amendment of the senator from Mis-
sissippi authorizing slavery, proposes to add Q
further provso, that nothing therein contained
shall be construed to authorize slavery, &c
This is not, as has been supposed by some, the
ordinance of 1887 over again, butmerely rebut.
any inference authorizing slavery which the Sen