Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-12
THE KANSAS QUESTION IN CONGRESS.

%~A<SAASA' ~~~'~~~~~-
The Hons, on Monday, was broughtsto
Idirect vote on the question-of admitting X an
Esas to the Union under the Topeka Free State
Constitution. by a union of the Fillmore
KNOWN othings with the Border-Isuffan De
mocracy, the bill was defeated by one majority.
The shareholders and dough-faces. exulted over
their victory, feeling sure that the last chance
of making Kansas Free State had been lost.
Next morning, however, Mr., Barclay (Dem. J,
of Pa, who had voted with the majority, NOV
ed reconsideration of the vote, declaring his
intention to vote for the bill. Houston, OF
Alabama, on behalf of the Shareholders, ap-
piled the plantation whip to the back of Mr.
Barclay, but did not succeed in frightening
him.
| On Thursday, Mr. Barclays motion to re-
consider the vote by which the bill to admit
Kansas into the Union with the Topeka Con-
stitution was rejected, was called up and adop-
ted, and the bill passed, by 80 yeas to 81 nays.
The bill was then passed finally, and motion
to reconsider voted down.
Senator Douglas, alarmed by the storm ga
therng at the North now proposes to aban-
don his bill, introduced in March last, provid-
| ing for the admission of Kansas to the Union
after her population shall amount to 90, 2,343.
He has presented new bill, by which, in ut
ter defiance of the doctrine of popular sover-
eighty" he proposes to override the Territorial
Legislature that a new census of the legal
voters of the Territory shall be taken by five
Commissioners, to be appointed by Congress,
selected from the different sections of the I'm
ion and representing fairly all political parties;
that the Commissioners make fair apportiOn-
ment of delegates to be elected by each Coun-
ty to form Constitution and institute State
Government. When the apportionment shall
be made, the Commissioners are to remain in
session every day, except Sunday, at, the place
Territory, to hear all complaints, examine wit
nosses, and correct all errors in said list of ve-
tiers, which list shall be previously printed and
generally circulated through the Territory and
|
places of each election district and so soon
as all the errors have been thus corrected in
| said lists, the Commissioners are requested to
cause corrected list 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 in every. county in the Terrific
ry before the day of election-no person to be
allowed to vote whose name does not appear
on the list as a legal voter the election for
delegates to take place on the day of the Pre-
sidenta election, and the Convention to as
semble on the first Monday in December, to
decide, first, whether it be expedent for Kan
sas to come into the Union at that time, and
if so decided, to proceed to form a Constitu-
tion and State Government, which shall be of
republican form. Kansas then to be admitted
under such Constitution on an equal footing
with the original States The bill provides
further, that no law shall be enforced in the
Territory infringing the liberty of speech, or
of the Press, or the right Of the people to bear
arms, &c. 1t also provides punishment for
illegal voting, or fraud and violence at cleo
tions, and authorizes the use of the military for
that purpose. The main point is, that the per-
sons designated by the census as the present
inhabitants of the Territory, shall decide all
points in dispute at a fair election, without
fraud or violence, or any other improper inAu-
ences. All the white male inhabitants over
81 years of age are to be allowed to vote, if
they have resided in the Territory three months
previous to the day of election, and no other
test shall be required no oath to support the
Fugitive Slave law or any other law, nor any
other condition whatever
There is all appearance of fairness in this,
but it is outrageously unjust, because large
proportion of the Free-State settlers have been
driven out of the Territory by persecution and
violence. Douglas and his slaveholding mas
ters no doubt feel sure that they can make
Kansas a slave State under this arrangement
BaS~ The trial of Preston S. Brooks, for the