Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-07-10
To Col. BUrURD
CONVERSATIONAL.

Congressional
WASHINGTON, July 8.
The Senate to-dayaadopted resolutions Gaining
on the President for information relative to the
proclamation of martial law and the arrest OF the
Judge of the district court of Washington Terrific
ry by Governor Stephens
Mr.. Colamer, from the Committee on Terrific
ries, submitted the minority report of the Kansas
question, which was read and ordered to print
ed
Mr.. Thompson, of Kentucky, spoke somewhat
in favor of the bill reported by Judge Douglas,
Yesterday. The following is the substance of the
bill.
1t provides for the appointment of five commits
sioners, to be selected from different sections of
the Union, to represent fairly oil political parties.
They shall take census of all the legal votes in
the Territory, and make fair apportionment OF
delegates to be elected in each county to assemble
and make constitution and State government.
When the appordonment shall have been thus
made the commissioners are to remain in session
every day. excepting Sunday, at places most con-
venent to the inhabitants ofthe Territory to hear
all complaints, examine Witnesses and correct all
errors in the said list Of voters which shall be pre-
yiously printed and circulated through the Ter
ritory, and posted in at least three of the most
public places in each voting precinct in each coun-
ty.
So soon as all errors shall have thus been cor
rected in said lists, the commissioners are requir-
ed to cause lists of the legal voters to be printed
and copies furnished to each Judge of election, to
be put up ut the places of voting, and circulated
through out every county in the territory before
the day of election. No person shall be allowed
to vote whose name does not appear ms legal vo-
ter. The election for delegates to take place on
the day Of the Presidential election, and the con-
ycntion to assemble on the first Mondayin Deccm-
ber. to decide, first, whether it be expcdient for
Kansas to come into the Union at that time, and,
if so decided, proceed to form q constitution and
State government, which shall be republican in
form, and admitted on On equal footing with the
original States.
The bill provides that no law shall be Of force
or enforced in the Territory, infringing the liberty
of Speech or the liberty of the press, or the right
of the people to bear arms, &c. Also, for punish
ing illegal voting or fraud violence at the elec
ton, and to use the military force for that pur,
pose. The main point is, 'the present inhabitants
shall decide all points in dispute in Kansas, at a
fair election, without fraud or violence, or any
other improper influence" All male white inhabi'
tants over the age of twenty-one years to be al'
lowed to vote if residing in the country and Ter,
ritory three months previous to the day of election
and no other test is to be required; no oath to
support the fugitive slave law or any other law,
nor any other condition whatsoever.
Messrs. Bigler and Hale opposed it.
Mr.. Adams moved to amend the bill by striking
out that part which gives suffrage to oil persons
who shall have filed declaration of their nten'
ton to become citizens of the United States in
compliance with the naturalization laws.
Mr.. Crittenden> favored the amendment. Mr.
Wilson moved to strike out all after the enactiDe
clause and insert the declaration that all the laws
of the Legislature of Kansas were null and void
A long debate then ensued, which was continu,
ed until late hour when the bill as amended by
Mr.. Adams, was passed by vote of % to II.
In the House of Representatives Mr.. Barclay
moved reconsideration Of the vote Of yesterday,
LAYING the bill for the admission of Kansas upon
the table.
Mr. Houston moved to lay the motion upon the
table. Business, however, was then suspended
to hear the reading of the report of the Kansas
Committee.
The report shows that as soon as the bill to OF,
ganize the Territory of Kansas was passed, large
number of the citizens of Missouri went into the
Territory and held squatter meetings, passed res
olutions denouncing abolitionism, and declaring
that slavery existed therein.
In the autumn of 1854, secret political socie.
ty, called the Blue Lodge, was formed-the plan
Of operations, oaths, ETC., of which are given by
the report. The Lodge controlled the subsequent
movements and invasions on the part Of the Mis-,
sourians.
At the election on November Goth, 1854, for o
delegate to Congress, there was no fraud except in
the sparsely settled and remote districts, where
citizens of Missouri appeared and voted. Details
in relation to these facts are given in the report
which saws it is reduced to mathematical precision
that seventeen hundred illegal and nonresident
votes were cast by citizens of Missouri, and that
the remainder were eleven hundred legal votes.-
Whitfield receveda plurality, and would have been
elected without the aid of his Missouri friends.
During the winter, very great excitement exist,
ed on account of the INVASION public meetings were
held, and much bitter feeling was manifested. In
February 1866. q census was taken, and the num-
Der of legal voters was ascertained to be 29O5.-
It was also discovered that OH the 3Oth March,
1855, several days before the election, active pre-
parations went on in Missouri, where complete
organization was affected.
Post-OMce Mysteries.
John C. Rives once said that when Amos Ken
dali was postmaster general, he took tour to the
south and west partly to get the film off his offi-
cial optics and see how postal matters were con-
Quoted. Of course he did not make himself known
on every occasion, but he always looked on Of
every turn in the post route and learned something
At one place in Mississippi he stopped, while