The Nevada journal., 1852-02-07

icing the JUDICIAL districts OF the state,
and reducing their number to seven
Referred to the judiciary committee.
Mr., Boggs introduced bill entitled
an act recommending Constitution.
al Convention Of the people Of Califor.
mia. 1t was read and referred to Sc
lect committee OF thirteen, and 100 copies
ordered to bs printed.
Mr.. Turner gave notice Of his inten-
tion to introduce a bill for the division
of the State into Congressional Districts
and fixing day for the election Of Con.
gressmen.
Mr.. Wall, from the committee on
Ways and Means, to which was referred
the joint resolution for the reliof Of Hi.
ram c. Hodge. Treasurer of Nevada
county, submitted an able report in IA
yer Of the passage Of the resolution, with
an amendment. The report was adopt
sd. and the resolution was read three
several times and passed.
Mr.. Peachy gave notice of his inten-
ton 10 introduce bill entitled IN act
in addition to an act entitled an act con-
csrning corporations.
The House took up the joint resolution
Of tho Senate requiring the Treasurer
to set apart $500 to meet the current
contingent expenses of the Senate and
Assembly. An amendment was offered
appropriating an additional sum for tho
benefit Of the Governor, but the amend
ment failed, and the resolution went
back upon the table.
The House, in Committee of the whole
resumed the consideration of the bill
introduced BY MIR. Crabb. entitled an
act respec ting fugitives from labor, and
slaves brought to this State prior to her
admission into the Union. A debate,
tremendous in its scope and power, en-
sued on the various provisions of the
bill. Messsrs Ellis, Of Nevada, Peachy
and others, addressed the House at great
length, and with unusual ability. The
4th and last section of the bill was the
principel subject Of contention. Tha,
section is as follows:
Sec. A. Any person or persons hold
to labor or service in any State or Ter
ritory of tho United States, by the laws
of such State or Territory, and who
were brought or introduced within the
limits Of this State, previous to the ad-
mission Of this State rs one Of the Uni
ted States Of America, and who shall
rofuse to return to the State or Terrific
~ where see or they owed such labor or
service, upon the demand Of tho person
or persons, his or their agent or attorney.
to whom such service or laber was due,
such person or persons so refusing to re.
turn shall be held and deemed fugitives
from labor, within the meaning Of this
Act, and all the remedies, rights and
provisions herein given to claimants of
fugitives who escape from any other
State into this State, and hereby given
and conferred upon claimants of fagitives
from labor within the meaning Of this
section.",
Mr.. Ellis, of Nevada, offered an
amendment to this section, Is follows ;
"Insert after tho word America the
words and who shall not havo been held
to service within this State since its ad.
mission into the Union by the claim.
ants of the services Of said persons"
Mr.. Peaohy said that the 9Th section
Of the bill involved very grave consid.
Grafton. He held that when the United
States acquired territory it belonged
alike to the citizens Of all the Mates
and that each citizen Of every State had
o right to lake his property to that ter
ritory and enjoy. its full use, service and
value. He knew that able men had
taken other positions, but he did not
think they could be maintained. 1t ap.
peared that to the territory of Califor-
MIA slaves were brought by cmigrants,
and had remained there after the adopt
tion of the constitution. An argumen.
had been urged that the Spanish laws,
in force here before the constitution,
did not allsw the existence of slavery.
Mr.. P. said this proposition made the
law of conquered people superior to
those Of the conquerors which he con.
eidered absurd. He said it was tru g
that the law Of nations recognized che
laws Of conquered nations until those
Of the conquerors were specifically ex-
tended over them, which was just and
equitable provision, made to prevent
anarchy and confusion but he dsaied
that ell the Spanish laws in California
had prevailed up 70 the time Of the ex.
tension Of positive enactments BY tho
U. 5. over the country. He maintained
that such % were not in actual enforce
ment in the country prior to our occu.
patton. were not to be recognized, and
that no political sanction could be given
them, except to the extent in which
they were found in real de facto opera
tion, and deriving their force from the
absolute requisition Of the society in
which they obtained. Mr.. P. said that
a. soon as We acquired territory, the
constitution was extended over il, and
governed, paramount. to any conflicting
regulations, without any express enact.
ments repsaling or sbrogsting them.
The next point was whether the consti-
tuition of the State deprived citizen Of
any right which he had before its adop-