The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-02
THE CONFERENCE BILL
FOR THE
ADMISSION or KANSAS.

or VIRGINIA,
hl Ike Ssnats on Tuesday, Apd II, 1883

h lSe Ssnats on 7peday, Aprl ~, 1858
Mr. HUNTER said
Mn President: As think the senator from Kentucky
me CRIrrEspEs has entirely misconceived the PROPOSE
ton presented by the committee of conference must
beg the indulgence of the Senate for a few moments
whilst present 1t in what deem to be its true shape
The proposition of the committee of conference is the
substitution entirely bill In place OF that which
passed the Senate and place of the amendment which
wus proposed by the House Of Representatives This
proposition ams that the people Of KANSAS elected
convention of delegates who assembled ut Lecompton
and that through that convention these people formed
for themselves government II anirms that this
sttu0n having been examined, Is found to be rcpubl
in it, character II thus acknowledges not only the
authority of the Lecompton convention, but 1t acknow
edges the validity Of their action it receives the cons
tuition presented by them the constitution OF the peo
pie of Kansas and it admits that the application which
they have made for admission nto the Union is the ap
pcation of the people of Kansas speaking through their
convention.
But this proposition in it's preamble goes little fur
Their 1t refers to the fact that the people Of Kansas
through their convention have presented an ordinance
in which they proposed to concde their tight to tax the
property of the United States upon condition that
certain grants Of land should he made to them 1t ams
that this ordinance not acceptable to Congress- but that
Congress willing 10 make them the same grant that
made to Minnesota which Is the same that pro-
posed by the amendment of the senator from Kentucky
and is willing to give them that much condition that
they will surrender conoede the taxing power the
property Of the United States and that II they will
the people, majority Of those voting to determine the
question and when they shall say that they will agree
to this contract thus modified, them upon that VOTE
they to be admitted by proclamation Of the Presi
dent.
Accordingly this bill proposes to enact that Kansas
shall be received into the unien with the Lecompton
stuton upon equal terms with the other States upon
the fundamental condition, however that she shall sig
Nifty by vote Of her people, their acceptance OF this
modification of the contract which Congress proposes 1t
then proceeds to offer alternative proposition in the
event that majority of the people of Kansas should de-
ternc not to accept this modified contract and not to
be admitted into the Union under it. 1t then provides
that there shall be conventions that they shall
not offer themselves for admission until they have popu
lation enough to entite them to one member OF the
House of Representatives according to the existing ratio
Now maintain that both Of these propositions
trely right in themselves and perfectly consistent with
the previous action of the Senate.
The bill passed by the senate recognised the authority
of the convention Mt ecomptOn and the validity of their
action and 1t proposed to admit Kansas with the con-
suton framed by them, but admitted her upon the
fundamental condition that she should concede her right
to tax the property Of the United States There it stop
ped 1t did not proceed to provide for the event that
the people might not choose thus to modify this contract
and to enter into the Union these terms The propo
stion of the comkee of conference and the bill passed
by the Senate ALIKE in these respects both acknowl
edge the authority of Nhe Lccompton convention both
admit the validity of Me constitution framed by that
convention both act uRon the principle that Congress
has right require that constitution to be submitted
to the people both recognise that principle fully and
entirely both admit the State nationally that is to
say upon the condition that they Mail cede away the
right to tax the public lands of the Ubted States.
But the proposition Of the committee OF conference
goes further than the bill of the Senate The bill of the
Senate stopped there and did not seek to provide for the
contingency that majority of the people Of Kansas
might not accept this modification of the contract which
we propose to them The bill passed by the Senate took
the risk that the people in that troubled region might
assemble in convention and declare that they would not
a. 49,. Al.
Union The bill passed by the Senate provided for
of these contingencies but acted upon the superstition
has been done sometimes before that the people OF Kan
would concur in all these things. and risked the
chances of meeting these difficulties The scheme of the
conference committee goes further 1t provides espe
cally for the difficulty have just suggested 1t says,
before we admit you you must say whether you will
concede away the taxing power for this modification Of
the grant which have given you If you willing to
concede away the taxing for the consideration
offer you then you shall be admitted upon proclamation by
the President In doing this the bill under considera-
ton has proceeded in precise conformity with principle
What was the of Iowa. She offered herself for adj
mission with constitution republican in FORM and with
certain boundaries which Congress changed. Congress
admitted her upon condition that her people would con-
sent to that modification OF boundary Congress said the
assent was to be sgnied by vote Of the people, and
thus the precedent is precisely parallel with the PROPOSE
ton that made and Congress declared that they
did assent by vote of the majority of the people then
the State should be admitted into the Union equal
ident How was it~vth regard to Michigan The same
thing occurred. The same condition imposed, ex-
cep that Congress said should be referred to conven
ton of the people that to be called to consider this
one question only
In regard to an ordinance claiming lands / know Of
but two in which changes made One WINS in
Arkansas and the other in California In Arkansas the
State admitted upon the ppress condition that she
should cede the taxing power the property OF the
United States and change made in the quantity Of
lands which she proposed take in consideration OF that
of June and the 23d of the month supplement
tai act passed submitting to the legislature Of Arkan
whether they would accept certain propositions
there five Of them, beleve-in consideration of
this concession Of the right to Tux the property of the
United States Congress referred 1t to the legislature
determine because they said in the act, the power
had been given them by the convention which formed
the constitution thus showing that in the opinion of
Congress, the right to eedc away the power to
tax any portion of the property lands within
its domain was q right which belonged to sovereign
ty, right to be given by the power which
made constitutions, and which created conventions. 1t
is obvious that it, in regard to boundary, il required
act of the sovereign people either through their
vote, through conventions, through legislatures
that had been specifically endowed with this power by
the convention TO ccde away the jurisdiction certain
territory certainly would require 1t in order to cedc
particular portion Of that jurisdiction that is to say the
right to tax.
IL this practice fortified and supported by reason
Is not this conditional submission Of the orinanceand
nothing else is submitted this submission Of change
the terms of contract in regard to land proper in itself
Suppose there had been controversy in regard to the
constitution offered by Kansas; suppose it admitted
all hands that the convention which assembled at L.
compton properly authorized; that its proceedings