Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-08
NUMBER. 1:k
THIRTY-FOURTH CONGREss-.;,., S,.
THURSDAY, APRIL ., 1896.
EEN SsIst,


The bill for the relief OF the widows AMI ors:a -
the officers and seaInen aud marines of II, ,... -
war Albany, and the joint resolul: .rc:.e:r ,',-
manner i'll which the pension laws for III. ben, rl .,s
the Cherokee Indians sigil be executed were u. .a
Mr. Coamcr proceeded a. show by The pT.., - ,
con.emporaneous construction Of the power -. t'r\
gress relative TO slavery in the territories "f 'hI u
States, that Congress has never SuLnte ed ti"g
OF freedom or slavery To the people al III" rera
IN amy form 10 be operated upon while they So. o.
rtores. The people ct territory, III forming y
government nust, oi course, have power "a lnrn \
government like any other State IN The Mon. t- ~. .
please, so il be republican form Of government. 4
order to be IN an equality with tie other S:a"s "
body denied that; ii required no arg'Ien: :" pro.
but II was not the point. The question how l'
subject Of s!avery-the existence or regulation ~
slavery should be arranscL while it reaAIuc 'a--
ritory.
This question, he said, had never beeu a:,et~l -,
discussion or legislation about any OF tle ;e...'...
themselves; and therefore he Insisted that ,,r uG-.
attempt to introduce that question n esp ...
ment and the very fact that it new cAp,r fr#s
was almost enough 10 condemn it III hr gstlu.,; '..
He went on TO show, i'll the next place, that Co. w
had exercised the power which they pn.s-s' 8.
slavery in the following way Where savervIt. .a.
exist to any considerable extent, Congress ~ -,'g,
or particular laws for that territory that cv;'f
had prohibited it from time to time. nll thc" -. ...
but in the territories where slavery exisGg tr
gress without doing anything which would iEa..y
in saying that it rspudated the exercise pow 10.
the premse5) suffered il 10 remain there, rrgarI.
the fact that it had been introduced by h. I..r.-
who had gone there as fair indication OF The aca"r
edness Of the territory 10 the institution.
Congress, he said, in many eases did cAnrc-- Ig'
or over slavery; and from TINT he concut'I l.~,-
had this power. This conclusion bas-D' np. . '.,.
contenporaneous construction oi their own a.is
Whatever new views OF the constitution might 30:
up now, and however plausible they might b.. ~ B..
they had the effect go 10 construc the powers ~ GA
gress the territories 10 derive the power ;r'
any such source rs TO evscerate il, those Views
new. and consequently unouudrd, being Iur"fs i ..
with contenpofaneous construction.
He also defended the emigraut aid s"vie:,a . p !!
read from Charleston, 3 c., papers to show ;fi ':'
South had adopted similar measures. lie r,ga:a.t
this competition a. perfectly proper.
Mr.. Colamer did not conclude his remarks. E..nl
somewhat indisp0sed, he gave way 10 m"'.a' 'n
postpone the subject until Tomorrow. Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Various reports vi general interest, from .thu
ing committees were presented
The amendments of The Senate TO the Pension b'.l
were cOncurred in, and several 10 the Wet ro.rt
Academy bin were rejected.
The House in committee OF the whole on 'hc H'-."
of the Union, discussed the Sruates anendnoHi. 90.
the deficiency appropriation Till, but cal2s 10 II" Goa.
clusiOn thereon.
Several gentlemen introduced bills which wsT: AZ
propriately referred.
The House then adjourned.