The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-06
THlRTY-fIFTH CONGRESS-,
FIRST SESSION.
Wednesday, april %, 1858.
CnHr. ,rx,

- AeSSHton'otS 70 0TItsh NdoQ ODtcerS.-Mr.
Mason, from the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tlens, to which was referred the correspondence
in relation to the condition of the United States
ship Susquehanna, at Port Royal, Jamaica
with the yellow fever on board, and of the re.
ception and assistance extended by the British
naval authorities at that island, submitted
report, accompanied by q Joint resolution !;
which was passed unanimously.
This joint resolution authorizes suitable &C.
knowledgments to be made on the part of this
Government 70 Admiral Sir Houston Stewart
and the officers under his command, for their
prompt and efficient aid and generous hospital
lty extended to the United States ship Susoue
hanna, on her late arrival at Port Royal, with
the yellow fever on board.
1t also provides for q gold medal, with suita-
Bile devices, to be presented to Assistant Sur.
Reon Frederick A. Rose, and also suitable ties.
timonials to be presented to the medical officers
IN the British service in attendance at the hos
pital, with appropriate rewards to the nurses
and other assistants.
The report of the Kansas conference com.
mittee was taken up.
Mr.. Stuart, in an elaborate argument. on.
posed the bill presented by the committee. The
Senate had insisted on taking the Constitution
as 1t is; the House had insisted on Submitting
the Constitution to a vote of the people. The
difference between them had relation only to
the character of the instrument framed at lie.
compton, and the committee, in seeking to
transfer the disagreement 10 another subject,
had rather raised new question than fairly
met or composed the outstanding dissensions.
And what was this new question On its face
1t purported to be a proposition to secure q
vote on the acceptance or rejection Of certain
land grants which vote, however, is to decide
the acceptance or rejection of the Lecompton
Constitution. The land grants are the bait, the
LecomPton Constitution is the trap in which it
is hoped to catch the people of Kansas by this
arrangement. .s...
The terms of the proposition, moreover are
30 constructed as to serve the purpose of poit-
cal juggling-affording to the North the pre-
tence OF virtually submitting the Constitution,
and atiording to the South pretenee for deny.
ing that it is submitted. That the proposition
would be rejected by the people of Kansas, II
required no spirit of prophecy to predict for
ii, On the 4.h of January last, they rejected the
Lecompton Constitution with an ordinance sf
frming land grants to the amount of thlrty
millions OF dollars, how much ;aose would thew
reject the Lecompton Constitution with an or.
dinance affirming land grants to the amount of
less than FIVE millions of dollars?
MIR. Pugh defended the substitute of the COM
mittee, as fair compromise of the differences
between the two Houses. This bill proposed
nothing more than to inquire whether the peo.
pie OF Kansas desire TO be admitted into the
Union nOW.
Mr.. Pugh then proceeded to analyze the pro-
visions of the Constitution lately framed at
Leavenworth, with the view of showing that il
established negro suffrage,
Mr.. Dcolittle replied to the snimadyersions
OF Mr. Pusa On the Leavenworth Constitution,
Vhiea, having no pertinency TO the present con.
troVersy, wss, he thought brought into the de-
pate merely for the purpose of raising a false
issue. Analysing the alternative propositions
OF the committees bill, he compared il 10 the
conduct of stern fatheY who should offer 10
his daughter liberal dowry in case she would
Ies me adPss Win Al ekR9es hat anG g
attained her majority. Would this be leaving
her perfectly free" to manage her domes:ic
affairs in her own way?
In his Judgment, the board appointed to con-
duct the election was the most important fea.
luxe OF the arrangement. In the face of the |
glaring frauds which had been committed by |
the Pro.Slavery party of Kansas, or in their
interest, he could have no faith in any award
of the ballot box, when placed ia the hands of
these same partisaRs, as was done by the sub
ssitate of the committee.
At this stage Of the discussion, the Senate, |
on motion Of Mr.. Wilson, adjourned.
HOUSE.
The admission Of Kansas.-The Speaker |
at one o'clock announced that the consideration |
of the report of the caIaaitiss of conference, in
relation to the bill for the admission of Kan.
$50, was the business now in order.
Mr.. Howard, of Michigan, said 1t might be |
said that, as the Constitution was not submit. |
ted, the principle contended for by extreme |
Southern men was maintained, but if the PEG.
pie voted down the land grant, By the terms of |
th.a substitute Leconpton was dead, and who |
killed it II the proceedings of the Lecomp.
ton Convention were binding and conclusive |
upon the people, and if Congress had 40 power
to interfere, how and by Whai process would
Lecompton have hecome dead? 1t reminded
him of tas story of the man who asked pardon
OF the King for having knocked off his fellow
SUBJECTS hat, and, the pardon being readily
granted, then informed his Majesty that ths !
fellows head was in it, and that was knocked
off too. So Congress would submit the ordi-
nance, and, if that va voted down, it was pro-
vided that Lecompton should be considered as
voted down too, and they would have done BY |
indirection what it was maintained that neither |
Congress nor the people of Kansas had any |
power to do, directly er Indirectly,
But the Youth must speak for itself, and he |
would proceed to consider how it affected the |
North. 1t was offensive the North, in that it |
implied degradation in the conditions attach |
ed to admission. This degradation, in his iuds- |
ment, would never be submitted To- His con.
stituents, at least, would saaapd it as an insult,
even copoedipg that they had the best of it |
oyer the South az TO the yielding of principle.
If the South yielded the most in principle, the |
North were to be the most cheated and insult |
ed. 1t would therefore be far from peace !
measure. The bill provided for one set Of con.
ditions for admission under thia Lecompton
Constitution, and another act under all other |
Constitutions. The constituencies of Northern |
members who supported it would want to know
why, if the population of Kansas was sufficient
for her admission under q Constitution which
shs loathes, II would not also be sufficient un-
der Constitution which she. approves.
One suspicious feature, in view of the hia. /
tory of Kansas, was the provision in th!s bill |
increasing the board to control the elections to
Eve, three of whom were Ia he the direct ap.
pointees Ct the Administration. Again, why
was 1t that the qualifications of electors were
fixed "a they were last October, under the
border rufisn CODE" instead Of as they are
under the present laws of Kansas? The At. |
torney General of the Territory, who vas To be !
fifth man in the board 70 oaAtfel the election,
had declared :sAt under that code no man had |
right to vote unless he had paid a tag, Why
this change in the boarde Why this change
in the lawf If the4s wss fair election In
Kansas, the proposition would be voted down
four to one, and at least a dozen Cincinnati
directories would be needed to prevent that
result.
But if the proposition was carried by means
Of fraud BY this board, spi by going back to
the old resciIasd election laws, it would pro
duce Q strife and agitation from ONE end Of