The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-05-23
MIR. CIay,s Speech
On the Compromise Bill, delivered in the
United States Senate. Muu13.

Cn1teG States Senate, May 10.
Mr.. Clay moved, and the Senate proceed
ed to the consideration OF the special order,
being the bill providing for the admission of
California as State into the Union, terrific
rial governments for Utah and New Mexico,
and making proposals to Texas in considera-
ton of the settlement of the houdaries be-
tween her territory and New Mexico.
Mr.. G. said, that he proposed TO make a
few remarks in further explanation, and to
make some additional exposit ton of the pro-
lceedings of the committee which took place at
the various consultations on the great and abb
sorbing questions submitted to them. When
the report was presented a lew days ago,
several members of the committee took occa-
sion to express their views on several points
upon which they dissented from the report
They might have gone further and sad that,
on no single point did the report express the
opinions of the whole committee He, on one
point, was himse!fin a minority. But he was
not discouraged by the opposition and tie diff
ficulty in the committee and the manifesto
tons made in the Senate on the day when
the report was presented. He had an abiding
hope in tile measure, and in the eventual
adoption by the Senate.
Gentlemen who were on the committee,
and others, who may have objections to va
rious points in it, can with great propriety-
and there was nothing to preclude them from
so doing-move such amendments as will make
il conform to their particular views; and if
the Senate adopt Them their opposition can
be avoided; but he hoped that no one, wheth-
er such amendments were adopted or rejected,
was so irrevocaby committed against the bill
as not to be able to give it his support when
final vote was to be taken upon it, He hoped
that the bill may meet with an affirmative
vote on its final passage by every gentleman
who was on the committee.
He was not discouraged by anything which
has taken place in opposition 10 the bill, and
he would stand by it till the last moment, and
looked forward to its receiving the alfirma-
tive vote OF a large majority of the Senate.
He said that he considered the Crisis had ar
rived, and that in the fate of the bills reported
by the committee were involved the peace
and harmony, or the distraction Of the coun-
try
He indulg most confidently in the hope
that this measure will eventually obtain the
approval Of d majority in both branches OF
Congress. He said that he rose more par
ticularly to explain more fully than had been
done in the report. the action OF the commit
tee upon the subjects reported upon by them.
The first point was the obligation on the
part of the Government Of the United States,
under the resolutions Of annexation OF Texas,
to admit new States not exceeding four in
number, to be formed out of Texas, with the
assent OF Texas. On this point in the COM
mittee, there was no difference of opinion
) but two Senators, while asserting to the OBJ
legation, reserved to themselves the right OF
deciding hereafter, and at the time when the
admission of such State shall come before
} Congress, whether under the circumstances
existing at that time, they would vote for the
admission of that State. All the members OF
the committee. however, recognized the same
construction 10 be placed on the resolutions o
annexation of Texas.
The next question before the committed
was the admission ofCalIornia, and that was
subject on which there was the most diff
: Guilty. Against the admission of California
: there were various objections urged in the
: committee. The first was, that there was nc
evidence that there was sufficient population
4 there to entitle her to admission and that, i
, she were admitted, she would be admitted
r with but one representative. 1t was also
denied that there was any evidence that sht
S had that population which would entite heI
to one represent tive,
. 1t was impossible to ascertain the popula
i ton of California by any Of the regular de
e cennial enumerations of the inhabitants of the
Y United States. She was but a short time
: part of this Union, and the increase of he
y population had been sudden and rapid. Thu
only mode of arriving at the probable humble
S OF her inhabitants was such evidence as cir
s cumstances afforded. What was the course
adopted in the first apportionment OF repre-
J. sentatlves among the several States of thu
Union? There had been no federal enume
IS ration otthe inhabitants. Some Of the States
n particularly Georgia. were allowed more rep
q resentatIves than her population entitled he
to. They followed such evidences as crcum
stances afforded, and that was the only ccurs
IS they could adopt. 1t was well known tina
:. Georgia had not that population which wou
- give her the representatives. allowed to he
} by the convention. But it was said that sh
~ was new and growing State, that emigra
ton was rapidly flowing in, and, if she ha
not the requisite number, she would have SUI
:. hclent by the time her representatives too
= their seats. The same principle was followe
= =, in the case OF Texas. No one supposed tina
- Texas, when she was admitted into tn
y Union, had population sufficient to enttl
q her to two representatives, but it was know
- that emigration was rapidly Cling up he
, territory, and when the next census shall b
taken he had no doubt but Texas will have
: population sufficient TO enttle her TO two.
~ not more than two representatives. He sal
= that, IN the remarks of the Senator froy
" Georgia (Mr. Berrien) on this subject on tn
~ day the report was made that Senator ha
-, made mistake in surprising that to entitl
- California to two representatives, she mu,
J.. have double that number of inhabitants mad
N necessary for one representative by the act
y, Congress regulating the aPDortionment {
" representatives. By the law of Congress,
- was expressly enacted that any State havin
., an excess over moiety of the number ixe
~ as the basis of a representative shall be Ell