The Washington union., 1858-03-11
THE KANSAS QUESTION,
IMPORTANT REPORT
HON A H s-EpaEns or eBo.
SELECT COMMITTEE OF FIFTEEN.

presented Wednesday Much 10 ls5s, the following
rprt
The lact c9mItea d ifieeu aiisinted under the
lHtiun ~ the HDa-e sf the sih af February b whom
referred the Esaaar ~ tine President Of the Ened
strcs Of the "a u F-hruuty ''uouoedBing the constitu
ton framed al LeumPtan, iR the Territory q ktnsss
by q convention If Delegates thereof and the psPcrs
accompanying the sHulr. with InrtTactons ''ta ia
gure into all the fets connected with the formation
4f sad goustitutoh and the laws under which the
originated and into all such iacts and pro
caelins have transIred since the formation o said
constitution having relation the guest3on nr,Pr
etv of the admission o said Territory unto tbe Onion
under sad constitution: aud whether tbe k
eptihc and sasfafry u, the majority Of lesal voters
oi Kansas have bad al the matters committed to
them under consideration and present the foiloW
iHg report
The lending a5ect a the resolution under which the
committee raised have born the ascertain
ment u all the essential hS beuring upon the qaestla
or pfSJieiy of the State under
the I4compten constitution in accordance with the
omendaiiaa of the President This oljcct has been tbs
controlling principle o the committed action ia thctT
iuTessi,a The scope of their duties erlsse In
q,y iaIl relating - the legality and regularity
u the proceedings resulting the orrnAiDn of that con
stuticr b0th anieceent and saresuent thcfto show
ing whether not il I've the imhodneut Of the legally
and lry-cxpresscd viii 81 the bosd nd ctzens u Kan
sas With this understanding Of the eid u abor before
them, the committee directed their attention
LIST To u law passed by the territorial legislature pro-
Y
election IN is56 upon the expedisney Of calling
tion 10 form a State constitution.
I'd The law q the Territory paced the 18th of Feb
rry 1887 IN pursuance 81 the popular will expressed
under the previous act providing tor election 70 h
hell on the 18th ganc, is5T, a delegates 70 snch
I convention
ID THE official uesistry of voters and the appnrtion
mont made by the acting tSantml Of delegates
- the convention called in accordance with the pFoyis
ions OF said
4th The assembling of the convention az Iacamtton
the ffst Mondny a September lS5T under the act
last aforesaid aud The journal tber proceedings.
9TH The constitution f0rrned ~ tlir convention so az
sembIed, alluded 10 in the message Of the President
stil The action oi the people the questions submit
ted - them by one o the clauses Of the schedule la the
constitution.
These Iws l.uls and proceedings constitute in the
Judgment the cnmitee al matters having any ma
tiial bearing tho nain questions embraced in the
recommendation Iesidcnt and covered b The rs
uti9n o the House But they permitted t. be fled and
report to the House without deeIning them relevant
material
9Th The net Of fhe tcrri;sria Legislature IL Kansas a
lis called session in December last providing fr vte 60
be t,kea the 4th Of Jlsiaay iisa Tasscd far and
agaisst a.ad constitution.
I sth. The official announonmert u 6iI foe-
Aud ase, az cur alatise tifotlfsh not material -
nth. The letter a Mr. Calhoun, pTrsideat of the Ie-
COMPTON convention, te te chairman u tia Committee
on Territories ia the Ssnste.
All these papers Appended IL full 80 this report
except part Of the journ which has not yet been re-
with the fest and marked as cxilats In regular or
der The committee deem it unnecessary 20 20 into
\ elaborate exposition ei them by detail A gea-
cra reference of the material parts for the
purpose o( Illustrating the ccnulusons t. le drawn
4 from them, win hp quito sufficient Those which
they Dean material All documentary altoHt which
there I've BeEssf,sa- 44es show ft and eeinpicie
history ot the pFut,u.s resulting ia the formation
the Isepm7in constitution from their beginning their
end First The law for tstiug the III tho people
upon the rrr,rriY ef applying ior admission Nexf this
law authorizing tc ell ~ FuTstigine ~ AIR roruar
will Next tine registry gctvrS aad ais,rsfftft ~
Delegates Next the assembling ii the convention with
their proceedings Then the constitution so termed and
lastly the ratification of the mode and lnuInn mo
vided by the convention The legality aud regularity 81
4 the whole markell throughout Every stgp in its
pForcss taken stIict crmortnity to law But lit
tie a;1rs fs faoe vi tho record even ir comment
The question for the consideration pf tile oRse s ourt
To te admitted u State tnsl,r ta constitution
Y - presented
B, the consolidation ct the Unit,d states new states
may be admitted y Congress into t'is UfiiaH f,I by
the sane Instrument il is provided That tic United
Iotrn form h government Under the first If ,iaeSe
causea cteen tfes have trn admitted since the
Union formed aad twp, besides Kansas. az,
pIrng for admission The uB,sI questions af irquir5
upon The applications of SiaIte1 bave been
tt Ia rotation 10 tia rita fe1 af THE populstinf
"a The regularity % THE proceedings under whirh this
application has been made
81 Whether the constitution presented be republican
ID form.
Ia THE csse tue attention of the committee has mo-
bean directed ~ thc question population Tim. poin
seems to be coneeie8 ali sides. Upon fhs point d
ltyfy and regularity question cln mriSe No staii
ever bsiaFs applying exhibited grser regularity In no
proceedings ou this point there can be no Doubt Tn
ouy either one % the republican form ci the as,st;
tuition tat boo, seems to he equally clear and btysnl
esvf or dispute
What then, the oilerticns 10 the recognition q
the ranastuti1n and the admission E the State uner
These it IS true arise mostly matters outside Of til,
record But The committee propose briefly notice then
IN canDexiun with seemingly founded the face a
the Feoord itselL
The first af the latter class is Chat urEed l Governor
Walker. The mnin ground ol his opposition s the fac
that the entire consstEtiot has hen submitted fu
rltitcptsn popular vote This objection rests upor
sir assumption that the validity of constitution
formed for the government uf ay people depends uyar
its having received such a sanction His argument II
has wasds rests upon the principle that savuregut,
il vested exeiusvey in the people c each state and tina
il IrrfHlns IT. rst and highest frnrtiun in forming
State guFenu,rt and State constitution. This hibcs
act OF s'vrregHty in my Judgment only le per,rmot
by the pes,lc iBcmHelvfs sud cannot he delegated I,
conventions other intermediate bodies =
That s0vcfricBty vested exclusively m the people Z,
each State asd tlat performs first hut not highet,
fincfin IN forming state government and State corsti
tUtion nay bc granted But this first not of orar
eighty IN mHsia- ao,nstItiflhn only be perorrne,
hy the pcofe themselves and fhat the power perform
IL cannot be delegated Uonvrutipn8 intermediate
botiies iS moi granted such doctrine is not only
hut utterly ut with all past history In supper
ai II tov. Walker cites authority lnTt hiS own II,
ANNOUNCES i as the conviction o is individual Judgment
and the nny authority he to 30 sustain il b TINT
Ireyiaus speeches made by himself in which he had ez
Il "a L