Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-02-16
THE POSITION OF TIE KANSAS QUESTION

AA-A1 ADoAAANN VI NE KANSAS QDESIlON.
In the House CT Representative, the test question
On Kansas was made on the reference Of the Presi-
dents message. Afr. STEPHENS, Of Georgia, on the
part Of the democrats, moved 10 refer the message
together with the papers accompanying it. TO the
Committee on Territories. On this question, the
vote was, in the affirmative, I18; in the negative,
ia All the Tennessee members voted in the af-
hrmative The motion, it viii be observed, was
lost By one vote only and would have prevailed If
southsrH member, HESRE WIETER DAVIS, Of Mary
land, the know-noIhing Representative Of the city
Of Baltimore, for whom one Of the American Rep
resentatives from this State voted for the Office Of
Speaker, had not voted with the Black Republicans
against it.
Mr.. STEPHENS motion having been thus disposed
of, the amendment Of the Hon. THOMAS L. HARRIS,
Of Illinois, to tie resolution Of Mr.. HUGHES, Of In
diana proposing to refer the message to a select
committee Of thirteen, was then taken up. The
amendment originally introduced by Mr.. HARRIS
was Withdrawn on Friday, the 9Th instant, and the
following, upon which the vote on Monday was taken,
was substituted in its place:
RssoIUsd That the message Of the President. en-
closing the Constitution framed at Lecompton, in
the Territory Of Kansas, by a convention Of dele
EAit1 AAtIEDlr anu Tue papers aGCOulpduyluR the
same be referred 70 select committee Of fifteen, TO
be appointed by the Speaker, and that said com
mitee be instructed 70 enquire into all the facts
nected with the formation Of said Constitution and
the laws under which the same originated, and
into all such facts and proceedings have trans
pired since the formation Of said Constitution having
relation the question Of the propriey Of the admis
sion Of said Territory into the Union under said
Constitution, and whether the same is acceptable
snd satisfactory to majority Of the legal voters Of
Kansas, and that said committee have power TO send
for persons and papers.
This amendment was adopted by a vote Of ia to
III; all the Tennessee members voting in the mega
tive.
JOIN A. GuaER, the noW-nothiug representa-
tive from North Carolina, who appears to have been
present il the Hail. as his name is recorded among
the yeas on Mr.. STEPHENS motion, did not vote upon
the proposition Of Mr.. HARRIS.
HESRY WINTER DAVIS one Of the know-nothing
representatives from Maryland, and Francis P
BLAIR, the black republican representative from
the district in Missouri, which embraces the city
Of St. Louis, we're the only members from slave
States who voted for the amendment Of Mr. HAIR
EIs.
OF the ffty-four democratic representatives from
free States twenty-three voted with the black
republicans for the amendment-twenty-e eight voted
with the South against 1t, and three we're absent
The members absent or not voting, Mr.. ORR, Of
South Carolina, being in the chair W. BEIL-
Lr and P. LEmny, Of Pennsylvania, H. F. CLARK,
Of New York, S. CAEUrHEEs, Sick Of Missouri,
and NJ. L. bosnian, Of South Carolina. Democrats;
J. H. GLMER, Of South Carolina and J. MORRISON
HARRIs Of Maryland, know nothings; and ERAs-
MUS B. MArrEs0S, Of New York, American and
Black Republican.
1t is known that Messrs. CARUTHERs, CLARK, and
BosHAu, would have voted in the negative, increas-
ing that vote to ia; and Mr.. MArTEsoS in the af-
frmative, increasing that vote to rs. Messrs.
REILLY and LEIDDY, Of Pennsylvania, It is said,
would have divided. Nessrs GILNER ami HARRIS,
the remaining Southern know nothings, had they
been present and voted in the negative could have
defeated the resolution.
The select committee, constituted by Speaker
ORR, is in favor Of the admission Of Kansas under
the Lecomptou constitution. But the resolution
under which they were appointed instructs them to
inquire into the facts connected with the formation
Of that constitution, whereas the reference to the
Committee on Territories, involyedn no such invest-
CATION In the delay Of action consists the impor-
lance Of the vote.
In the Senate, the test was a motion by Mr.
DOUGLAS, on the oh, to postpone the army bill in
order to take up his resolution, calling for the
turns Of the Kansas election, &c. The motion was
lost-yeas % nays 81. Mr.. BELL, Of this State,
was the only Senator from the South who voted
aye, with the republicans.
After the above vote was taken the Presidents
Kansas message was referred by the Senate to the
Committee on Territories. On this the Union re-
marks
We may now anticipate early action by the Senate
committee, who will report o bin to that body ad-
hitting the State into the Union, and pass IL, as
soon as it be got through the delays Of debate
Thus it viii 60 TO the House, wholly untrammelei,
where we anticipate It's passage beyond a doubt.
Our readers thus have, in brief, statement ofthe
condition Of the question of the admission Of Kan
-ls under the LecOmpton constitution. A gentleman,
rarely at fault in his predictions 10 letter to us
ir5m Washington, written after the above vote had
neen taken expresses the opinion that oil for the
lmission Of Kansas under the Lecompton c0nstitu-
lion viii promptly pass the Senate, and that the
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