Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-08

| of March, 1855, when I" motion was made by Mr.
King, seconded by Mr. Elery that the followins
proposition be committed:
That there shall be neither slavery nor inyoluntar,
servtude in any Of the States described in the resolve
Congress of the 23d Of April 1854 otherwise than il
punishment o. crimes whereof the party shall have beer
personally guilty; and that this regulation shall be al
article OF compact and remain fundamental princple
the constitutions between the thirteen States anc
each Of the States described in said resolve Of the 23d
| OF April 17S4."
On the question for commitment, The yeas anc
nays being required by Mr. King, eight States, viz
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, RhodesIsland. Con
necticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. anc
Maryland, voted in the affirmative; andfhree States
viz Virginia, North Carolina, and South Caroline
voted in the negative. Georgia had bit one mem
Der present. and of course her vote wasnot counted
To what committee this motion was referred. or what
further was done the subject is notstated in the
Journal. Onthe It'll July, 1886, this eatry is made
Congress took into consideration report Of grand
committee, to whom among other things was referred
motion Of Mr. Monroe respecting the cesson of Western
territory, and forming the same into Sttes;" when il
was resolved that it be and is hereby recommended to
the Legislature of Virginia to take into consideration their
act of ceson and revise the same so far y to
the United States in Congress assembled make such
division Of the territory of the United State living north
wardy and westwardy of the river Ohio n distinct and
republican States, not more than five apr less than
three &c.
The next entry in the Journal which has refer
ence to the subject is under date of september 90
1856, when Congress proceeded in the considers
ton OF an ordinance for the government of the
Western territory, reported by Mr., Johnson, Mr.
Pinckney, Mr.. Smith, Mr. Dane and Mr.. Henry. y
On the 4th Of October following " Congress resumed
the consideration of the ordinance for the govern
ment OF the Western territory On Nay 9, 1887,
inrovr II Al. II Il r. N
ordinance for the government of the Western ter
ritory." On May TO- 1877, the third reading was
postponed. On July H. 1851
:" The committee consisting Of Mr.. Darlington Mr..
Dane, Mr.. h. IL. Lee, Mr. Kean and Mr. Smith to whom
was referred the report of committee touching the tenn
porary government Of the Western territory reported an
for the government Of the territory the United
States northwest of the river Ohio which was read first
time
The next day it was read second time and the
day following, July Ii, l767,it was read third
time and passed BY the following vote
Massachusetts-Wr. Holton ay, Mrl Dane ay-Ay.
New iorS-Mr. Smith ay, Mr. HIRING ay, Mr.. Yates
New Jersey--Mr. Clarke ay Mr.. Scieurman ay-Ay
Delaware-Mr. Kearny ay Mr.. Mitchell ay-Ay
Virginia-Mr Grayson ay, Mr.. R. IT, Lee ay, Mr. Car
rington ay-Ay
North Carolina--Mr. Blount ay Mr. Hawkins ay-Ay.
South Carolina-Mr. Kean ay Mr. Htrer ay-Av
Georgia-Mr. Few ay, Mr.. Pierce ayIAy
SO it was resolved in the affirmative
The ordinance, as it thus fnallypassed Congress.
with such extraordinary unanmiiy, first provides
rules for the inheritance and conveyance of proper.
ty it then provides for the appointment of the 60
vernon, judges and other officers Of the temporary
or territorial governments, and defines their powers
and duties; 1t also provides for tie election of a
delegate to Congress- to have the right of debate but
not OF voting, during the temporary government.
1t then goes on to say I" For extending the funda
mental principles of civil and religious liberty"
&C. "t is hereby ordained and declared, by the au-
thority aforesaid, that the following articles shall
be considered as articles of compact between the
original States, and the people and States in the
said Territory, and forever remain unalterabe un-
less by common consent" OF these the first ar.
ticle secures the religious freedom Of the inlabit
ants; the second secures to them the right of the
writ of habeas corpus, the trial by jury the invo-
Liability of contracts, &c. the third declares that
schools and the means Of education shall be en-
couraged; good faith shall be observed to the In
dams, DC. the fourth provides that the Terrific
RES shall remain forever part of the United
States; pay their just proportion of the Federal
debts and expenses; not interfere with the primary
disposal of the soil by the United States. nor tax
nonresident proprietors higher than residents and
that the navigabe waters leading into the Nlisss-
sippi and ST. Lawrence, and the carrying places be-
tween the same, shall be common highways and
forever free to all the citizens of the United States
the fifth provides for division of the TERRITORY into
States and their admission into the United States.
when they shall have 10000 inhabitants, on an
equal footing with the other States provided their
constitutions be republican and the sixth oriains
that there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servtude in the said Territory, otherwise than in
the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted provided, always, that
any person escaping into the same, from whom
labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of
the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully
reclaimed, and conveyed to the person claiming his
or her labor services as aforesaid There is then
added repeal Of the resolutions of April %, 1884
comparison of the plan of government, as
drawn by Mr. Jefferson, and that finally adopted by
Congress, both Of which have endeavored briefly
to sketch, will show-l. That with Mr.. Jefferson
originated the idea Of compact between the orig-
nal States and the new States to be formed out of
the territories, unaterabe but by their joint con-
sent: 2 That his plan Of government, or ordinance
was intended to apply to all territory ceded, or to
be ceded by individual States to the United States
while the ordinance as it passed Congress confined
it to territory previously acquired-that is to the
territory northwest of the river Ohio g. That by
Mr. Jeferson's plan or ordinance the territory was
to be formed into distinct States (whose names and
boundaries were designated with provision that
they might form a temporary government adopt
the constitution and laws of any one of the original
States, such laws however, being subject to atera
ton by themselves; have representative in Con
gress, though without vote and when they should
have 2oooo inhabitants form permanent State
= 4. 80.