Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-02-01

Ine oill lnuouuCeu Og oehaVoi DOubAo5 ga
behalf of the committee on Territories, for the
organization Of the Territories of Nebraska and
and Kansas, is the most importat measure that
has, or is likely to, come before Congress at its
present session. Il bids fair to open afresh the
agitation of the vexed question of slavery, aud
throw the country again into fury of excitement
fully equal to that which attended the inroduc-
ton, discussion and adoption of Compromise meas
ures of 1850, which were promised to be inal
settlement of the vexed question. The objection
to the bill is on account of the provision which
allows the people to decide whether slavery shall
or shall not exist therein when they come to form
constitution and apply for admission as State,
which is claimed to be in violation of the Com
promise of 1920, by which all territory north of
SO degrees 80 minutes was declared forever free
from slavery. Mr.. Dixon, (Whig) of Kentucky,
believing this bill does no 60 far enough in this
respect, has given notice of an amendment to the
bill absolutely repeating the Compromise of 1920,
and declaring that it "shall be deemed wholly in
applicable to the territory of Nebraska, and all
other territories of the United States, the people
OF WuOHl Slldll PO"Si VI uOOiNlHS
whether slavery shall or shall not exist therein"
What are the prospects of the passage of the
bill we cannot at present tell, but think it will
meet with pretty general opposition from North
ern members, and, it is said, will be opposed by
number of Southern Senators, who fear that it
may lead to a renewal Of the slavery agitation and
destroy the fnality of the Compromise of 1850
that both the Texas Senators will oppose it on
the ground that it violates our treaties with the
Indians. telegraphic dispatch from Washing
ton dated the 10Th ult., says that the New York
Democratic delegates held meeting the night
previous, and decided to oppose the bill-that the
Softs to man, and number of the Hards, voted
to oppose it: and that the Ohio Democratic dele
gates held meeting on the 26th and unanimous
ly decided to oppose it.
The consideration of the bill in the Senate was
set down for Monday last AS there is great in
terest felt in the question we give the following
analysis of the bill
Mr.. Douglass new bill thus defines the bounda'
ries of Kansas and Nebraska:
AL that part of the territory of the United States
included within the following limits, except such
portions thereof as are hereafter expressly exemp
ted from the operations of this act, to wit: begin
ming at point in the Missouri river where tht
forteth parallel of north latitude crosses the same
thence west on said parallel to the summit of the
highlands the waters flowing into the Green riv
er or Colorado of the West, from the waters flow
ing into the Great Basin; thence northward on tht
said highlands to the summit of the Rocky Noun
tains; thence on said summit northward to forty
ninth parallel of north latitude; thence west OF
said parallel to the western boundary of the terri
tory of Minnesota; thence southwark on sai'
boundary to the Missouri river; thence down thu
main channel of said river to the place OF begin
ming, be, and the same is hereby created into
temporary government, by the name of the Terri
tory of Nebraska. ....
All that part of the territory of the United State
included within the following, except such portion
thereof as are hereafter expressly exempted from
the operations of this act to wit: Beginning at
point OH the western boundary of the State Q
Missouri where the thirty-seventh parallel of mort
latitude crosses the same; thence west on sal
parallel to the eastern boundary of New Mexico
| thence north on said boundary to latitude thirty
eight; thence following said boundary westwar
to the summit of the highlands, dividing the water
flowing into the Colorado of the west, or Gree
: river, from the waters flowing into the Great Ba
sin; thence northward on said summit to the for
tieth parallel of latitude; thence east on said par
allel to the western boundary of the State Of Mis-
souri,; thence south with the western boundary c
said State to the place of beginning; be, and tn
same is hereby created into a temporary govern
ment, by the name of the Territory of Kansas.
The section providing for the election of de-
egate is amended by adding the words, "That tn
Constitution, and all laws of the United State
which are not locally napplicable, shall have tn
same force and effect within the said territory
elsewhere in the United States," the following
s'Except the eighth section of the act preparator
to the admission Of Missouri into the Union, ar
proved March 9th, 1920, which was superseded
the principles of the legislation of 1850, common
ly called the compromise measures, and is decla
ed imperative.
e Section 2l.-And be it further enacted, That
order to avoid all msconstructon, it is hereby de
clared to be the true intent and meaning of th
act so far as the question of slavery is concerned
to carry into practical operation the followin
proposition and principles established by the con
n promise measures of 1850, to wit: First that u
questions pertaining to slavery in the territories
and in the new States to be formed, are to be lie
> to the decision of the people residing thereil
e through their appropriate representatives.. Se'
ond, That all cases involving title to slaves, an
questions of personal freedom, are referred to tn
adjudication of the local tribunals, with the rigf
of appeal to the Supreme Court of the Unite
: States. Third, that the provisions of the const
d tuition and laws of the United States in respect
fugitves from Justice, to be carried into faitl
full execution in all the organized territories, til
" same as in the States.
S Homestead and Land DiStributiOl
: Bills i'm Congress.
Mr.. STUART writes to his paper, the Steubel
It vile Union, the following, in regard to the pro-
: poets of success of these antagonistic propos
3 tions for disposing of the public domain.
0 "The Committee on Agriculture in the Hous
has reported Homestead bill-the same as tn