The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-01-26
Nebraskaism in the Legislature.

Our reports of Fridays proceedings, pub
lished on Saturday, showed that the Com
mittee to whom was referred that portion of
the Governors Message which relates to
Slavery and the Kankas-Ncbrasha Act, had
submitted majority and minority report.
We give both place below:
The Committee to which was referred so
much of the Governors Message as relates
to the subject of Slavery, and the passage OF
the Kansas and Nebraska Bill, would res
pectfully report:
That your Committee have examined the
Message of the Governor with much care,
and find that the subject of Slavery is char
acterized therein as one upon which excite
ment ''is perhaps, the most dangerous of all
others - but your Committee can find no
evidence in the Message, that the subject
has as yet created any dangerous excitement
in this Territory; and from the fact that it
was forever put to rest by the wisdom of
those who adopted the Ordinance of 1877,
there can, in the opinion of your Committee,
exist no reason for fear that the people OF
Minnesota will ever be subjected to danger
Gus excitement from any attempted recogni-
ton of Slavery within its limits. Your
Committee are also of opinion that while we
have no voice in the legislation of the Cen
eral Government, we can gain nothing fol
ourselves, or for others, by agitating the
question of Slavery in our midst.
As regards the passage of the Kansas and
Nebraska Act, your Committee are unable
to give complete history. A Bill to organ
ize the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
was introduced into the Senate of the United
States by Judge Douglas, of Illinois; and
after some debate and amendments, the bill
received majority of the votes, and was
passed. In the House of Representatives
the bill was also discussed, and finally pass
ed after which it was laid before the Presi-
dent, who after examination, signed it, and
it became law.
Although your Committee are not able t.
cite all the incidents connected with the
passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it may
not be inappropriate at this time to refer to
some of the provisions which the act con-
tains.
1t is we'll known that under the Organic
Act of this Territory, Acts passed by the
Legislative Assembly must be submitted te
Congress, and that body may amend or re-
BODY we have no vote, is the law-making OF
law Tc'iSiIS po"SI VI SuC AS'tieo'J. -" WIN
Act organizing the Territories of Kansas
and Nebraska, this revisory power was no
reserved by Congress. The people of Kan
sas, and Nebraska, select Representatives
who are, in fact, the lawmakers of their res
pective Territories while the people o
Minnesota can only submit laws to Con
gress, and can never know whether a law i:
or is not valid, until it has been SO submit
ted-generally many months after it ha'
been passed by our Legislature. This, th'
most important feature of the kansas-Neb
raska Act, we most heartily approve. W.
regard the doctrine of Popular Sovereignty
in the Territories, as embodying one of th'
cardinal principles of the Federal Constitu
ton; and the Kansas Nebraska Act, by des
troying all geographical and political barrier
to the free enjoyment of the law making
power by the people of those Territories
exhibits an advance in the system of popula
government, which can only be realized wheI
compared with the organization of the orig
inal Northwest Territory, wherein th'
Governor and Judges, appointed by tn,
President, were constituted the law-makin,
power of the Territory.
Your Committee believe, however, tina
the system of Popular Sovereignty in tn
Territories is yet imperfect. While advan
ceg have been made towards the perfection
Of that system through the several successiv