The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-03
Monday, June 30, 1856.
SENATE


The bill authorizing the issue Of an additional
number of arms for use in California has passed.
Mr.. Douglas, from the Committee on Terri
tories, to which was referred various bills rela
tive to affairs in Kansas, made a voluminous
report on the subject.
The report was confined to an elaborate dis
cussion of the bill which the committee report
ed, which provides for the appointment of five
commissioners to be selected from different
actions Of the Union, to represent fairly all
political parties. They shall take a census of
all the legal voters in the Territory and make
fair apportionment of delegates to be elected in
each county, to assemble and make Constitu-
ton and State Government When the appor-
tionment shall have been thus made, the com
missioneTs are to remain In session every day,
excepting Sunday, at places most convenient to
the inhabitants of the Territory, to hear all
complaints, examine witnesses, and correct all
errors in the said list of voters, which shall be
previously printed and circulated throughout the
Territory, and posted in at least three of the
most public places in each voting precinct in
each county.
SO soon as all errors shall have thus been
corrected in said lists, the commissioners are
required to cause lists of the legal voters to be
printed and copies furnished to each Judge OF
election, to be put up at the places Of voting,
and circulated throughout every county in the
Territory before the day of election. No per-
son shall be allowed to vote whose name
does not appear as a legal voter. The
election of delegates to take place On the la
of the Presidential electioa, 'aad the convex
ton tc assemble On the FIRST Monday 10 D4~-.Tn
Der to decde-first, whether it b.. exned;ent for
Kansas to come into the Union at that time,
and, IT so decided, proceed to form Constitution
StAta (tnyorn,popf NH oh obon L.
can In form; AID admitted on an equal footing
vita the original States.
The bill provides that no law shall be of force
or enforced in the Territory infringing the lib
erty OF speech, the liberty Of the press or the
F4ght Of the people to bear arms, &c. Also, for
Furnishing illegal voting, or fraud, or violence
at the election and to use the military force for
that purpose. The.main point is "the present
inhabitants shall decide all points in dispute il
Kansas, at fair election, without fraud or vio-
lence, or any other improper influence" All
male white Inhabitants over the age of twenty
years to be allowed to vote, if residing in the
county and Territory 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"
Mr. Douglas gave notice that he should ask
to have a vote taken on the Kansas bill on
Wednesday next. The bill rejected by the com.
mittee was then taken up and read, and the fur
Their consideration of the subject was postponed
until tomorrow, in order that it might be
printed.
The Presidents recent veto message was then
considered, together with the bill to remove OBJ
structions to the navigation at the mouth of the
Mississippi river
Mr.. Cass wished to speak on the subject but
was not prepared to-day, and the bill was then
postponed until Monday next.
The Senate then proceeded to consider the
Indian appropriation bill, which yas amended
and postponed.
A bill, to extend the charter of the President
and Directors of the Firemen's Insurance Com
pany of Washington and Georgetown, d. c.,
was passed.
After passing one or two private bills, the
aenate found itself without quorum, and ad-
journed.
Mr.. Grow made the closing speech in favor
of the bill for the admission of Kansas INFO the
Union, opposing all the substitutes FOX the meas
ure under consideration.
Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, had moved shat the
bill be recommitted, with instructions to report
a substitute which he had submitted for that
measure.
Mr.. Dunn moved to amend the motion of Mr.,
Stephens by adding section to restore ths Mis-
souri, Compromise. This was agreed to-yeas
100, mayo l9S; when the question was taken,
and Mr.. Stephens's notion as thus amended,
was reiected-only two votes being east in Its
favor;
The House. by vote of yeas l0l, nays 100,
refused to recommit the pending bill to the Com