Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1854-01-19

wolves the constitutional power OF Congress
to pass laws prescribing and regulating
the domestic institutions Of the various ter
ritories of the Union. In The opinion Of
those eminent statesmen who hold that
Congress is Invested with no riehtful
authority to legislatc upon the subject Of
slavery in the territories, the eighth section
Of the act preparatory to The admission of
Missouri is null and void; while the prevail
ing sentiment in large portion Of the Un-
ion sustains the doctrine that the constitu-
ton Of the Unised States secures to every
citizen Of the U. S. an unalienable right TO
move into any Of the territories with his pro-
perry, of whatever kind and description, to
hold and enjoy the same under the sanction of
law. Your committee do not feel themselves
called upon to enter into the discussion of
these coniroverted questions. They involve
the same grave issues which produced the
agitation, the sectional strife, and the fearful
struggle Of 1850. As Congress deemed it
wise and prudent to refrain from deciding
the matter in controversy then, either by af-
firning or repeating the Mexican laws, or
by an act declaratory OF the true intent of
the constitution, and the extent Of the pro-
lection afforded by il to slave property in the
territories, SO your committee are not pre-
pared now 10 recommend a departure from
the course pursued Oh that memorable occa-
sion, either by affirming or repeating the
eighth section OF the Missouri act, or by
any act declaratory of the meaning of the
constitution in respect to the legal points in
dispute. Your committee deem it fortunate
for the peace of the country and the securi-
ty Of the Union that the controversy then
resulted in the adoption of the compromise
measures, which the two'great political par
ties, with singular unanimi,y, have affirmed
as cardinal article of their faith, and pro-
claimed to the world as final settlement of
the controversy, and an end of the agitation.
A due respect, therefore, for the avowed
opinions Of Senators, as well as q proper
sense of patriotic duty, enjoin upon your
committee the propriely and necessity of
strict adherence TO the principles, and even
a liberal adoption of the enactmcnts, of that
adjustment, in all their territorial bills, so
far as the same are not locally inapplicable.
Those enactments embrace, among other
things less material to the matters under
consideration, the following provisions:
"When admitted as State, the said
Territory, or any portion of the same, shall
be received into the Union, with or without
slavery, as their constitution may prescribe
at the time Of their admission. ....
THAT The legislative power and authority
Of said Territory shall be vested in the gov
ernor and Legislative assembly.
"That the legislative power Of said Ter
ritory shall extend to all rightful subjects Of
legislation, consistent with the constitution
of the United States and the provisions of
this act; but no law shall be passed inter-
fering with the primary disposal of the soil:
no tax shall be imposed upon the property of
the United States; nor shall the land or
other property Of non-residen,s be taxed
higher than the lands or other property Of
residents.
"Writs of error, and appeals from final
decisions of said supreme conrt, shall be
allowed, any may be taken 10 the supreme
court Of the United States, in the same man.
ner and under the same regulations as from
the circuit courts ofthe United States, where
the value Of the property or the amount in
controversy TO be ascertained by the oath or
affirmation of either party, or other COM
petcnt witness, shall exceed one thousand
! Noh"iS ;, SASs ~ oihy uiat, III all cases IN
volving title to slaves, the said writs Of error
or appeals shall be allowed or decided by
the said supreme court, without regard 10
the value Of the matter, property, or title in
controversy; and except, also that writ of
appeal shall also be allowed to the supreme
court of the United States, from the decis-
ions Of the said supreme court created by
this act, or Of any judge thereof, upon any
writ OF habeas corpus involving the ques-
ton OF personal freedom; and each OF the
said district courts shall have and exercise
the same jurisdiction, in all cases arising I'M
der the constitution and laws of the United
States, as is vested in the circuit and district
courts of the United States, and the said
supreme and district courts of the said Ter
ritory, and the respective Judges thereof,
shall and may grant writs Of habeas corpus
in all cases in which the same are granted
by the judges Of the United States in the
District of Columbia"
To which may be added The following pro-
position, affirmed by the act of 1850, known
as the fusitive-slave law.
That the provisions Of the "Act respec-
ting fugltives from justice. and persons
escaping from the service of their masters, -
approved February II, 1893, and the pro-
visions Of the "Act to amend and supple
mentary TO the aforesaid act, approved Sept,
18th, 1850, shall extend TO and be in force
in all the organized territories" as well as
in the various States of the Union.
From those provisions it is apparent that
the compromise measures Of 1850 affirm and
rest upon the following propositions:
III
slavery in the territories, and in the new
States to be formed therefrom, are to be left
to the decision of the people residing there
! in, through their appropriate representatives,
to be chosen by them for that purpose.
Second, that ''all cases involving title IA
slaves y and "questons of personal freedom, u
are referred to the adjudication of the local
tribunals, with the right of appeal to the Su.
, preme Court ofthe United States.
Third, that the provisions of the constitu.
,nft he ta1 80.