The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-08
THIRTY-FiFTH CONGRESS-.
FIRST SESSION.
Wednesday, March 81, 1853.
SENATE.

FIRST SESSION.
Wednesday, March 81, 1853.
II SENATE.
Memorials, Petitions, 6c.-Mr Douglas pre-
q sented a letter from Joseph Lane, delegate from
! the Territory of Oregon, enclosing copy o
, the Constitution of Oregon, and asking its pre-
sentation, and the adoption of such measure
, as will admit that Territory into the Union a
State, on an equal footing with the erigina
States. Also, two petitions of citizens of tht
I Territory of Dacotah, praying the enactment
OF law organizing Territorial Government
in that Territory which were referred to the
Committee on Territories.
Admission of Minnesota The Senate re
sumed the consideration of the bill for the ad
mission of the State of Minnesota into the
Union-the pending question being on the mo
/ ton OF Mr.. Polk to amend the second section
OF the bill. Mr.. P. obtained leave to modify
his amendment, 80 that it would make the sec
ond section read as follows:
And be 1t further enacted, That said State
shall be entitled to three Representatives in the
.. Congress of the United States"
Thequestion being taken, the amendment was
not agreed to-yeas IA, nays 34-as follows:
Reas-Messrs. Bigler, Bright Evans, Fitch
Green, Gwin, Hammond, Iverson, Jones, Polk
Pugh, Sebastian, Slidell, and Stuart-l4.
Nays Messrs. Allen, Bayard, Benjamin
Biggs, Broderick, Brown, Cameron, Chandler
Clark, Clay, Collamer, Crittenden, Dixon, Doc
little, Durkee, Fessenden, Fitzpatrick, Foot
Foster, Hsmlin, Harlan, Henderson, Houston
johnson of Arkansas, johnson of Tennessee
Kennedy, King, Mason, Pearce, Trumbull, Wade,
Wilson, Wright, and Yulee-34.
Absent or Not Voting--Messrs. Bates, Bell,
Davis, Douglas, Hale, Hunter, Mallory, Reid,
| Nam ard r. z
lucky, Thomson of New Jersey, and Toombs-l4.
Several motions were made to secure the
new State her three Representatives, but they
all failed.
The question then REQUIRED on the motion
of Mr.. Dongas, to strike out the whole of the
second section.
Mr.. Douglas withdrew the motion.
Mr.. Iversou moved to strike ont all the Sec
ond section after the enacting clause, and in
sert That said State shall be entitled to two
Representatives in Congress until the next ap.
portionment of Representatives among the sew.
eral States"
The motion was not agreed to-yeas %,
nays 26.
Mr.. Pugh renewed the motion just withdrawn
| by Mr.. Douglas, to strike out the second Sec
ton of the bill entirely.
Mr.. Benjamin moved to reconsider the vote
| by which the amendment of Mr.. Iverson had
been rejected. He was willing to allow Min.
nesota two Representatives. Tie motion was
agreed to-yeas n, nays ~.
The ausslj9S theRt rfGqrfssa D so the adoption
agreed to-yeas 20, nays 2l-as follows:
Yeas-Messrs Allen, BENJAMIN, Biggs. Big
Ter, Bright, Broderick, Brown, Clay, Crittenden,
Douglas, Evans, Fitch, Green, Gwin, Hammond
Iverson, johnson of Tennessee, Jones, Kennedy
Mallory; Mason, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian, Sidei
Stuart, Thomson of New Jersey, Wright, and
Yulee-29,
Nays--Messrs. Bayard, Cameron, Chandler,
Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doolittle, Durkee, Fes.
sender, Foot, Foster, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan,
Houston, King, Pearce, Simmors, Trumbun.
Wade, and Wilson-2l.
Absent Q. Not Voting-Messrs. Bates. Bell.
Davis, Fitzpatrick, Henderson, Hunter, johnson
of Arkansas, Reid, Seward, Sumner, Thompson
of Kentucky, and Toombs-l2,
MIR. Pugh Withdrew the amendment, to strike
, oct the whole OF the second section.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration
OF Executive business, and after some time
adjourned.
On motion of Mr.. Letcher, of Virginia, the
House went in the Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union, Mr.. Roooek, of Vir-
GINA, In the chair aud rospmed the considera.
ton of the deficiency bill.
Mr, Stsvsuson, of Kentucky, said, though he
had listened to all the speeches which had been
made, he had yet to hear or read that speech
which could satisfy any rational mind that the
Lecompton Constitution, in its legally pre-.
scribed, organized form, did not express the
will of the people when il was adopted on the
| 2lst of December.
Mr.. Gilmer, of North Carolina, opposed the
I'D roto Of ~ L. Al 4 ]
stitution. He deprecated the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, and at the Hps OF it's repeal
he did not believe tha. the South was to gain
anything ny Il. de believed the only reward
she would receive would be her injury, her
ruin. dis vote should be cast without reference
70 section or party; and if no other plan could
be taken, and he should feel himself copstr.in.
ed to vote for the measure, it vogla not be one
that his sound Judgment could approve. He
would .eaYa. II he should vote with the friends
OF the bill, the whole responsibility with them;
Tor be believed, if his Democratic friends would
relax little, it might be put unca . roofing
entirely satisfactory to all pssiies, with no prin-
ciple compromised whatever. He hoped there
had heaa NO frauds in Kansas but when be
saw chivalrous gentlemen from bis own country
an investigation, hs took it for granted that
there was more In it than be anticipated. In
hia opinion, Kansas should be admitted, like
Kentucky, without Constitution, aud be per-
mitted to settle her affairs for herself.
Mr.. Miles, of South Carolina, advocated the
admission of Kansas. 1t wac act oaly a cues
tioa of expediency, but question of principle.
Th 1t was what made the South overlook minor
pc nta and technical Arguments 1t was prin-
citJe upon which che believed the existence Of
tia Government depends. She honestly be-
liz led that the question involved in the admis-
sea Of Kansas is simply, shall another slave
State come into this Confederacy?
pr. Burlingame, Of Massachusetts, said it
haa been shown, ia the great debate they had,
thai the people Of Kansas never authorized the
eapmpton Constitution; that they never made
it, never ratified it, and that It did not reflect
tdt II will, II had been shown that both Lepis
LEI ares were frauds that test oaths and pae.lav
wee put upon the people, 90 that thew Could
Ne vote; and when they could not vote. tn
W. held responsible for the crime. az ,hoss
v did vote. 1aey attempted % ioroe that
y ,.ut'on upon. tas people. and, worse than
Il ,they bad declared, through the Inns of Their
b iest and ablsst Senator, that it involved the
g. IT question of union or disunion. For his
part be ives ready 70 meet that Issue now. BE
accepted the Issue, and, a. Representative
nom Massachusetts, he would not shrink from his
duty In the preeeues If snsA threat. He was
ready TO saAsain the substitute of Mr.. Critten- |
den, because he knew it would make Kansas q |
free State. 81
Mr.. ZsllicoAer, of Tennessee, was compelled |
with regret on this question 70 separate himself
from some of his poat high respected political
fnepds, and, a. great diversity of views had
heeh expressed by its friends as well as its
opponents, he felt that it might be we'll Cor him
To atata thu considerations that had The 80, |