The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-10

claim have leave 10 sit during the sessions of the
House, until their duties shall have been performed
HEMP.
The SPEAKER announced the regular order OF
business to be the motion to reconsider the vote by
which joint resolution, from the Committee on
Naval Affairs, for the purchase of American water
rotted hemp for the use of the navy, was referred
| 10 the Committee OF the Whole the state of the
| Union.
Debate was resumed, and, finally, the motion to
reconsider was laid upon the table
CALIFORNIA,
The House resolved itself into Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union, (Mr BoyD in the
chair and resumed the consideration of the special
message Of the President, transmitting copy of
the constitution of the State of California.
Mr.. HOWARD mir. Hams, of Tennessee, who
an amendment which he intended to offer to the
! bill of Mr.. McCLERNANp, viz
| BE IL further enacted That in case the State of
Texas does not accept the provisions of this bill,
and ratify the southern boundary of New Mexico,
by this bill established, then no territorial gov
eminent shall be organized ON the east branch of
the Rio Grande, or embrace any portion of said
territory east of that river; and all recognition of
| the boundary of New Mexico east of said river, in
this bill contained. shall be null and of no effect.
BE nfiHthy enacted, That if the State of Texas
shall accept the provisions of this BILL according to
| the terms thereof, il is hereby declared that the
present laws of said State in relation to slavery
shall be and remain in force in all the country east
of the Rio Grande, in said territory, embraced
north of the thirty fourth degree of north latitude,
and south of degree forty two, until said territory
is admitted into the. Union State.
| Be ii furth1 enacted, That If the State of Texas
shall accept the provisions of this BILL and transfer
her right to said territory, hereby contemplated
the Government of the United States shall, as soon
| as practicable, and within -- period, remove the
Indian tribes within the limits of said State north
of said thirty fourth degree of latitude; and that
portion Of said territory east of the ancient line of
New Mexico, as established by the governments of
Spain and Mexico shall be and remain an Indian
territory, for the use and occupation of said In
dams.
Mr.. HARRIS, of Tennessee alluded to the Mis-
| souri, compromise, which, he said, was framed to
give peace and quiet to the country, and generally
acquiesced in. He should regret to it violated.
but at the same time he believed it to be void He
proceeded to show that Congress have constitu-
tonal power to prohibit slavery in the Territories
If they have the power to do this, the monstrous
proposition might well be exercised in the States
where there is government territory. Gentlemen
say that the laws of nature and the laws of Mexico
have abolished slavery in the Territories therefore
it go there. II this be true, why do they
press their scheme to preclude slavery, thus agi
tating the country from end of it to the other
Why is it pressed? If slavery be prohibited by the
laws of nature, which irrepealable, and by the
| laws of Mexico, what more can they ask? Why do
they and alarm the fearsof every
lover Of the Constitution, by adhering to line Of
policy which he believed to be work of superero
gation-re- enactng the laws of nature and the law
Of the landf There could be no purpose but the
IL,
proprate all the benefits of the Territories to them
| selves. Slavery is stamped on almost every page
of the Constitution He insisted that slavery should
go wherever the Constitution of the country
tends, until slavery shall be abolished prohibited
by the local laws Of State sovereignty. The South
carry to the Territories their slaves and every
other species ofproperty and, If necessary they
call to their aid the strong and mighty arm of the
Government to protect it.
| The South cannot be excluded from the Terrific
res without destroying the equality of the States,
and creating an invdious distinction. The South
do not ask the North extend slavery to or create
in the Territories; they willing to trust to the
constitutional guarantees. All the South ask is the
poor boon of equality. The entire northern delega
ton the advocates of the Wilmot proviso and
he regretted to find that there also northern
Democrats who are warm and jealous advocates of
this policy. There some of them, however, who
act on broader basis than sectional prejudices.
These gentlemen have withstood the storm Of ia
naticism which ragged around them, and stood up
| for the compromises of the Constitution. Every
| lover of the Union and the Constitution owed to
| them debt Of gratitude. To them he appealed.
He hoped that there was sufficient number of them
left 10 save the Constitution and the Union which
our fathers bequeathed to us. He had objections to
the admission of California, but, Notwithstanding,
he would vote 10 admit her in connexion, with an
arrangement for settling the question arising out
of the disposition of the Territories; and he would
TO this, with view TO the restoration of peace
and harmony to the country. He was opposed to
voting dollar to buy the Texan boundary, because
1
putable. The proposition TO do ought to come
from Texas herself not TO originate in Congress- if
she wishes TO SELL And in conclusion, he said that
law ought TO be passed more efiectually to secure
the return Of fugitive slaves.
| Mr.. CORWIN, of Ohio, after few PREDATORY re-
marks, said he had supposed that when California
took upon herself the burden of a State govern
ment, "a territorial government having been re-
fused by the previous Congress, and the population
being now between one and two hundred thousand
persons,) there would not be dissenting voice
from Wing, Democrat, Free Soiler, to receiv-
ing her a member Of this Union; and more espe-
cially when they asked TO do 80 by the Chief
Magistrate, and by the Constitution itself No OBJ
lection has been made to her constitution, on the
ground that il is not republican" Was it pre-
| tended by any gentleman, that special act Of
Congress was necessary to authorize the formation
of the constitution, to describe the qualification
| OF votersg Gentlemen mistake. There is not one
word in the Constitution Of the United States which
imposes such an obligation. Eight out of fifteen
of the States have been admitted without the pre-
vious action Of Congress. This is the first time,
when the constitution OF a State has been acknow-
lodged to be republican, that objection has been
raised against il. II is novel mode, unknown to
any former Congress. We are called on, by
voice which cannot be resisted, to admit her. with
all the rights and privileges Of the original States
We have added insult to injury by delay. Cslifor-
mia has nothing TO do with New Mexico and Desc
ret; and he was opposed 10 uniting her with them
in any system of measures. "Let the dead bury
their dead"
/
of any thing done here IL was out of the question
dissolution was never going TO take place. II
was utterly and morally impossible. Gentlemen
\ had spoken Of equilibrium between the
States; but how did they know about the end and
aim of the Constitution Were they not aware
that the ordinance Of 1857 excluded slavery from
all the territory then belonging To the Government
and were they not aware that the first Congress
passed il into a binding law for fear that slavery
would be extended II as fixed as the laws Of
the Mcdcs and the Persians. He repeated, the ordi
nance covered all the territory belonging TO the
United States. II was never intended that there
should be equal number of free and slave States
and he had never heard Of so prcposterous a pro-
position until recently. Il could not be done.
He then alluded 10 the acquisition of slave terri
tory by the aid Of northern votes and the distress
Of the northern manufacturers in consequence Of
the reduction Of the tariff for the benefit OF the
South; and defended the Northwest from the impu-
taton that there organized bands in that sec
ton TO facilitate the escape of slave negroes. He
spoke for Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and
Wisconsin, and asserted that there not more
| than man in a hundred thousand who would
aid in this business. When brought before the
courts, full and more than ample compensation was