The Washington union., 1858-03-02
THE WASHINGTON UNION.


them simply To lie bona fis Inhabitants and including
citizens and aliens But under the registration law they
were required to be ctsens of the United States and to
have been residents from the March precedng Thus u
Is evident first that whatever wrong has been done re-
suited from the misconduct of the opposition and sec
ondly that that wrong has been greatly magnifed
There were three counties Clay Dickinson, and Wash
ingtonhat had not single inhabtant, and never have
had up TO this hour 80,
MI q went on TO show that the vote CT the 4th
of January on the adoption of the constitution an
illegal vote the constitution had been perfected
before The senator Illinois had argued that the
vote of the gath OF December was an Illegal vote De
cause the legislature the l7th passed law against IT.
But he replied to that that convention of delegates
was equal to the people, and it the if the
people themselves acting The covention acted not
In its own name but the agents Of the people. The
people could not be interered with could the
ple agents be interfered with by the Legislature The
people delegated authority to the convention and no
sutseauent action could annu it, until it was exhausted
In its exercise 1t had also been objected that the con
ycnton had no right pass any laws but he held that
convention of the people, If legal body at ALL WAS
clothed with power to perfect all the purposes for when
it was called into being Every convention that had
ever met in this Union had passed laws; and oil would
remember the of the law passed by the Min
nesota convention declaring that all the former acts
should remain in force until further legislation
The objection had also been urged with great peril
nacy that the Lecompton constitution did not lmbod
the will of the people He believed that the popular viii
was ALWAYS to be through the forms of law and
he knew popular will except that through
the channels of law. Then 1t comes with commanding
influence but the wild cry Of nurated mob does not
deserve to be regarded the peoples voice. and never
should be taken express the people will There were
G975 votes the constitution whether there were
than that against it or not had not been SHOWN IA
any legal manner 1t was evident however, that the
vote of ten thousand against the constitution ON the 4th
of january spurious for the opponents OF the cons
tuition had not that number in the Territory The peo-
ples will had been made known this constitution so
| Euoy il legally the people
| constitution and mbodics their Will
Mr. G. remarked that he had hereofore spoken ON the
question of the power to amend the constitution lie
had not single doubt IN his mind but that the people
that power but they exercise it in legal
manner The right of the people to change the const
tuition older than the constitution itself and cannot DC
convey away by the constitution springs from the
right of selfgoyernment which Is inherent IN the peo-
| ple but while he should always recognise the right Of
the people change amend the constitution IN an or
derby and legal way he could not recognise the right OF
| mob to assemble and change the government withou,
going through the forms OF law Any provision IN tha
constitution which may be deemed obnoxious may be le
galy amended by the people at any time as well prior te
| 1854 as after that time. Mr.. g. closed by remarkine
that it unnecessary to say more now, but ne shoud
reserve the right to reply to whatever objections might bt
urged against positions assumed in the report OF the
| committee.
Mr. CoILAMER wished to correct one statement that
had been made by the chairman OF the committee wht
Ind said that he (Mr C had made the assertion thai
| nineteen counties in Kansas were unrepresented III
| had made such statement
Mr. GREEN turned to the report and read the extract
to which he had alluded but upon further examination
he announced that this In the report OF Mr. DOUGLAS
| and not in that of Mr. CoLLAMER.
| Mr. COLLAMER said that he had only stated in hi
report that the registration nperfecy done in al
most one half of the counties in Kansas, and some
them were popuous. That the statement, and thai
was true He went to audc to the tiresomc nature
of the Kansas discussions and hoped the Senate would
be guided in their disposition Of the matter by thu
same motives that influenced the unjust judge spoken
in the Bible who avenged the poor widow lest by he
| continual coming she should weary him. 1t was said O
him that he neither feared God regarded man. ane
he not therefore, an example worthy OF limitation
Mr. c. proceeded to advert to the early history OF the
try and the discussions which out of the acqus
ton of territory, to the question of slavery Ht
held that the repeal of the Missouri Compromise was
unfortunate measure, and had tended in great degre
| to ALLEVIATE the members of common confederacy
who should be governed by feelings similar TO thos
which animated the patriarch of old when he said Il
Lot .Go thou to the right hand and will go to thu
left go thou to the left hand and will to the right
let there be strife between my hcrdmen and thy herd
men, for brethren" He also argued that it wa
well settled principle that the power to regulate mpe
the power to prohibit and cited instances where thi
power regulate had been exercised in regard to slavery
He defended the emigration societies, urging that thei
purposes legal and peaceful and that the ordinar
| laws of emigration would make Kansas free State
But in her past history there had been presented nothing
but continued protraced outrage, which had neve
| been examined into corrected
| Mr.. FOOT interuptng) remarked that his colleagu
had been sick recently and had not recovered hi
strength and in his present condition he unable
go on with the argument without injury to his health
He would therefore, with his consent, that tn
Senate adjourn.
The motion was modified at the request of Mr.. Ma
SON to proceed the consideration of executive bisi
ness and after protractcd session, at quarter bcfor
six o'clock,
| The Senate adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.