The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-04-15

!. -Hssssss s. IL fsessrt=ttses. we ought 10
consider that the largest proportion Of the
actual residents Of Minnesota are cmigrants
from the old States that they are no longer
any portion Of the political communities TO
whom representation is assigned, and that
many States are having disproportionate
Representation In the other House by reason
Of this very emigration.
There was little controversy, not an no
pleasant one, but little discussion between
the Senator from Virginia, not now 10 his
seat, and the Senator from Missouri, Mr.
Polk, the other day, in reference 70 the
character Of the population Of Minnesota
and il disclosed the differences between the
residences OF those two Senators. The Sen.
at0r from Virginia is from an old settled
community. My friend, the Senator from
! Missouri, Is from new country and he IN
| derstood much better than the Senator from
! Virginia what was the character Of this pop.
ulation. The great bulk Of the settlers Of
Minnesota mean the agricultural portion
Of them--haye gone there for the purpose
of clearing their farms and building the
cabins. They have not yet taken their
wives and their children, because ii Is not
the habit Of the agricultural population, Mt
least in the northern and middle States, when
they migrate, 10 take their families with
them until they have provided homes for
them. The residence Of these people IL in
Minnesota they intend that their families
shall be there and it is only because they
have not yet fully prepared their homes that
| their families arc not now in them. Yet
this census has been taken Ia such way a.
TO exclude u large portion Of that which
will be the population OF Minnesota. The
senator from Virginia thought that most Of
the settlers were young men and unmarried
Probably in the towns this may be true TO
! IA great extent but the character Of the
agricultural population which migrates to
the West is not that. A young farmer mar
rics his wife, and then he goes out to the
| West 10 locate his farm.
Ii seems TO me, therefore, that we have no
constitutional obligation, as the Senator
from Virginia seems to think, at all on the
subject, except that we shall not give an
undue representation to any State, new or
old. We art pursuing the policy which has
always been pursued with the new States,
looking upon them AZ rapidly increasing in
population, taking notice Of the fact that Of
the families, Of the women and children,
who will nhabit the State, very few OF them
are there at present. Congress has always
dealt literally by them; and IL Congress
does not deal literally by Minnesota, she
will make an exception.
But II Is suggested In addition, that there
will be very great injury to the southern
section Of the Union by giving more than one
representative to Minnesota would not
alude 10 this, for believe am as little in
the habit VI alludng 10 sectional arguments
IA almost any Senator on the floor, but in.
aslnuch ~ several gentlemen from the South
have alluded TO il, feel ut liberty to speak
on that point. Now, sir, the Senate has
passed bill for the admission Of X ansas
into the Union. do not suppose that any
one seriously pretcnds that there are more
than fifty thousand people in Kansas.
doubt # there are. There are certainly not
ninety thousand; ] think It will not be pre-
tended by any one that there are eighty
thousand; yet we give her one representative
in the other House. When we come TO the
case Of Minnesota, we find that she has an
actual population according to this census,
of one hundred and fifty thousand, and &C.
cor,ling TO the best evidence We can get
showing the insunccncy OF this census, and
referring therefore, TO other sources Of inior.
nation her population is brought up to
nearly or quite two hundred thousand PEG.
pie can gentlemen complain Of uniairness
OF allowing her three members What
would be more unfair than that Kansas, il
she is To he slaycholding State, (uud do
not care whether she is such or not. il her
people wish her 10 be so,l should be repre-
Scnted H. the other House by one representa-,
tive, aud The great empire Of Minnesota be
represented only by one am no enemy
to the extension of the institution of either
section OF the Union | wan, them to 20
wherever the people wish TO have them; bu,
| object to the rrocrustean system, that he
cause one ot them is not developed quite a
fast as the other, that other shall have this
absolute aud arbitrary rule applied to her
Minnesota has three times, tour times, five
times. the population of Kansas. and she
ought to have her hll representation. and
she ought not to be reduced down. Myo
conclusion is from the information derived
from the Committee on Territories, and trou
other sources. that this census which wa,
ordered to he taken 10y the enabling act Of
Congrss was never perfectly taken.
Mr.. CollanlCr. Gh,rc was no information
whatever before the Committee, except Ga,
census,
Mr.. Pugh. | understood the Senator
from Missouri, MIR, opeul the other day
To stats that he had tctters ani papers II
his drawer showing the facts have stated
Mr.. tolamer. do not know what b,
has got The committee had no inlormatior
on the subject except the census.
Mr.. rugh, The Senator from Missouri
was satisfied and the senator from lllinoi,
was satisfied, as 10 the real number oi ia,
population, and the imperIoction OF the cen
sus. | take IL, their means OF information
are grnter than mine They correspond
with All that | have ever hear, as to ID,
population Of this new state
This enabling act has double aspcct,--