The New York herald., 1850-05-18
Il III E sP f. Il q III
HON. ENRY Cl AY
california and the Territorial Governments.


from the Select Commltiee of Thirteen) TO admit
California as q State into the Union, to establish
territorial governments for Utah and New Mexico,
ment Of her western and northern boundaries.
The bill being under consideration, as in Com
mttee of the Whole,
Mr. CLAY rose and said; have risen, Mr.. Pre-
sident for the purpose OF making some further ex-
PLANTATION, and additionai exposition 10 that con-
tanned in the report OF the Committee of Thirteen,
which has recently been in consultation upon the
important subjects referred 10 them. When the
report OF the committee was presented 10 the Sc
nate. last week, various members Of the committee
rose IN their places, and stated that certain parts of
the report did not meet with their concurrence. 1t
might have been stated with perfect truth that no
one member OF the committee concurred IN all that
was done, or omitted 10 be done, by the committee
There was majority upon most, and even upon
all the subjects reported by them and each mem
ber perhaps, LETT to himself separately would have
presented the various matters which were reported
10 the Senate in form somewhat different from that
an which they were presented in the report. was
myself, upon one occasion, IN the minority IN the
committee; yet i have not been discouraged IN the
smallest degree by the differences which existed in
The committee, OF which were manifested in the
Senate last week. Gentlemen who did not agree
exactly to what was done, wIl in the progress of
the measure, endeavor 10 make II conformabe to
their wishes. If II should not be so modified,
indulge with great confidence the hope that no one
of them is irreyocaby committed against the
measure, as induce him, upon the question of its
final passage, 10 vote againsl IT, ! am not author
iZed to say, and do not mean to say that there will
be an affirmative vote OF every member of the Sc
nate IN favor OF the measure, upon the final passage
of the bill; but / need not say that indulge the
hope, whether all notifications which were de-
sired by various members Oi the committee, may
or may not be made, that finally there will be not
only unanimous concurrence of the committee
generally in the measure recommended. but trust
that it Will leave this branch OF Congress with
large majority in Its favor. | repeat that am not
discouraged by anything that has transpired in the
q
upon the subject of tins measure. | have be-
lieved from the first, and | yet firmly be-
heye, that If these unhappy subjects which
have divided the country shall be accommodated
by an amicable adjustment, ii must be done upon
some such basis as that which the committee has
reported. And can there be II doubt upon this sub
lect The crisis of the CRISES repeat, has arrived
and the fate of the measures hch have been repor
ted by the committee, IN my humble judgment deter
mines the fate of the harmony the distraction of
this country. Entertaining that belief cannot but
indulge the hope that no honorable senators, who,
upon the first hearing OF the report, might have
seen some matters in IL Objectionable, according to
their wishes or judgment, will tit to oppose its
nal passage; but that The entire Senate after full
consideration Of the plan proposed, and after fair
contrast between this aud All other proposed plans
al least all other practicable plans of adjustment Of
the queston-whateyer eXpt Citations or hopes may
have been announced elsewhere, out of this body,
VIII concur in this measure brought forward by the
committee of thirteen, and that ultimately the nlea-
sure VIII obtain the general concurrence of both
houses OF Congress.
But have risen, as | announced. more particu-
lary for the purpose of entering into some further
explanation OF the couTse OF the committee, and of
throwing out some few observations in support of
the measure which they have recommended for
The adoption of the Senate.
The first measure upon which they reported was
that Of the true exposition OF the compact between
the United States and Te exas, upon the occasion OF
the admission OF that State into the Union. Upon
that subject, as already announced in the report
am happy TO say, there was AN undivided opinion
NJ.
sent, and the other present-while they declared
their concurrence in that The true exposition, de-
carcd that they would not hold themselves. and
lid not intend TO be regarded holding themselves
IN every possible state OF things, and in every con-
tingency, 10 vote for the admission of States that
might hereafter be carved out of Texas; but that
they reserved TO themselves, no understood them,
The right to determine tins question whenever any
new States formed out Of Texas should present
themselves for admission. Whether, under al
the circumstances Of the country, and the cir
cumstances under which new State might
present itself, il should should not be ad-
fnitied, they made this reservation; and yet
they united most heartily in the true expo
sition OF the compact between Texas and the
United States, according 10 which, as we all know,
a number Of States, not exceeding four, with or
without slavery, having the requisite population
with the consent of Texas, were TO be admitted
into the Union, from time to time, as they might
be formed, and present themselves for admission.
But Will not dwell longer upon that part of the
subject. will now approach that which IN the
committee, and perhaps IN the two houses, has
given the most trouble and created the most anNi-
ETY., amongst all the measures upon which the com
mIttee have Teported-l mean the admission of Ca
lfornia into the Union. Against that measure there
were various objections. One of these objections
was with respect TO lis population. IL has been
tended that Il ought only To be admitted II admit
ted at all, with one representative; that II admitted
with two representatives, II would be violation Of
the constitution of the United States, and that there
is no sufficient evidence before the Senate and the
country that its population would cntitle Il even TO
one representative. suppose that no one viii con-
tend-Caloma and the other acquisitions from
Mexico having been admitted into the Union only
about two years ago last February Chat, believe,
two years from the date ofhe treaty Of l1algo)
that that sort OF evidence, 10 enitle her
two representatives, which Is furnished by the de-
cennial enumeration Of the population Of the United
states, would be requisite. Ii Is impossible with
respect TO California that any such evidence should
be fuTnishcd, che having part Of "A common empire
only for the short time have mentioned. Now,
LET me ask, what was done IN the institution OF the
INST aTporiionmeni OF the representation among the
states Of the Unionl There was no. federal emu
meration Of the people OF the United States upon
which that apportionment was made So many
representatives allowed To one state. and 20
many 10 another, and so on. completing the num-
ber provided for by the constitution OF the United
States; but in that instance, the convention that
allotted these representatives. to the various States,
based u upon all the information which they pos
seesed, whether IL was perfectly authentic or not.
II is known by those who are all acquainted with
the adjustment Of the question Of representation
among the several States, that in several Of them,
q may mention particularly the case ofGcorgia,)
u pretty well known at the time that
larger number Of representatives were allotted
than the exact state a the population would au-
thorize. But II said IN that case. Georgia is
new state, rapidly filling mp; n strong current
OF emigration IL flowing into her limits and she
will soon havc-ITihaps by the time the two
representatives take their ts-the requisite popu-
laiion.' In this way, not upon information
obtained under federal authority, but upon infor-
nation obtained by all the modes by which IL
Could bc procured, and which was Of a nature cal
culated 10 satisfy the Judgment Of the convention,
was the aTTortionment OF the representation made
ly the trainers Of the constitution. so Of a more
recent acquisition or snnexation-that Of TcNas.
Nobody believed, | think, at the time, that Texas
had a population sufficient TO cntitle her to two
rcprest natives AS in the case Of some of the old
thirteen States, so in the case Of Texas, II was
known that she was rapidly filling up-as have
doubt will turn out 10 be- the fact when the next
census comes 10 be taken in TeNas--that before
the enumeration Of the next census was taken,
che would have population cntitling her
10 two, and probably more representatives.