Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-02-06

take up the Minnesota bill led to an incl
dental discussion upon the Pacific Railroad
bill and Kansas. Mr.. Mason said there
might be circumstances which would render
it necessary for the southern States, in order
to determine where they stand in the Union,
to take up the Minnesota and Kansas ques
tons together-against which Messrs. Will
son and Hale protested. Some excitement
occurred in the House on the presentation,
by MIR PARROT, of resolutions of the Kan
sas Legislature protesting against the Lee
compton Constitution.
Calhoun, Cato, Carr, Henderson, and
several others, arrived at St. Louis on the
3lss, from Kansas. They State that the
Democratic State ticket is elected. Dem
ocrats have one majority, on joint ballot, in
the Legislature.
The banks of Pittsburgh resumed spe.
Gle payments on the LIST.
1t is reported that Mr.. Buchanan con-
templates withdrawing the troops from
Utah. The New York Herald's Washington
correspondence of the lst says MIR. Bernh-
sci, the Mormon delegate, has submitted the
propositions to the Administration indica-
ting the willingness of the Mormons to va
cate Utah and colonise on some of the
islands Of the sea, outside the jurisdiction
of the United States, provided the govern
ment will purchase at fair valuation, the
Salt Lake city improvements. Mr.. B. asked
that commissioners be sent out to arrange
terms and detail.
"A Washington dispatch of the 1st says !:
" Tho Administration confidently expects
that Kansas will be admitted as State with
the Lecompton Constitution and that there
will be less opposition from the Northern
and Western democratic members than gen.
orally supposed Great calculations are
made on the consolidated vote of the South.
1t is understood that the Lecompton Consti
tuition will be referred to the Territorial
Committee in the Senate, and Immediately
reported upon, with the bill for the admis-
sion of Minnesota attached, and that they
will be passed together. Similar arrange
ments have been made in the House. An
exciting time is anticipated in both Houses
to-day"
On the I'd, at Pittsburgh, John Lutz,
recently arrested in St. Louis for the muir
der of O'Leary in the former city was SEN
fenced to be hanged.
CONGRESS 2d.-The Senate passed
the House bill appropriating 100000 for
the support of the national armories. The
Presidents message on Kansas affairs, SUBJ
hitting the Lecompton Constitution for the
acceptance of Congress, was then received
and read. 1t is lengthy document, and,
in the language of Senator Trumbull after
hearing it read, is ga perverted and incor-
rect history from beginning to end on the
difficulties in Kansas" The President takes
the ground that the Topekaites are revolu-
tionists, and that they would long since
have subverted the government had it not
been protected by the United States troops.
He thinks the Lecompton Convention was
legally constituted, and that Kansas should
be at once admitted into the Union under
the Constitution framed by that body. He
iustifies the Convention for submitting only
the slavery question to the people. 6 1t
was" he says, {" of character as para
mount in respect to the condition of Kan.
sas as to rivet the anxious attention of the
people of the whole country upon it alone.
No person thought of any other question:
For my own part, when | instructed Gov.
Walker in general terms in favor of submit
ting the Constitution to the people. had
no object in view except the all-absorbing
one Of slavery. In whatever manner the
people of Kansas might regulate their other
concerns was not the subject which attracted
my attention. 1t was never my opinion
that Independently of this act they would
have been bound to submit any portion Of
the Constitution to popular vote, in order
to give it validity. Had l entertained such
an opinion, this would have been in opposi
ton to many precedents, commencing in the
very best age of our republic" The Presi-
dent reiterates his assertion that slavery ex-
lists in Kansas by virtue of the. Eepltituti on
of the United States, and thai lit sApnot be
prohibited except by Constitutional provis
ion. After the reading of the message Mr..
Bigler moved that it be referred to the Com
mittee on Territories. Mr.. Douglas said
he would not now 60 into an argument rel
alive to the questions raised by the message.
Hw opinions had been clearly expressed on
previous occasions. He thought the better
course would be to refer the message to the
Committee on Territories. Hoping that
course would be adopted, he asked leave to
present remonstrance signed by certain
gentlemen, as the Governor and State Off
GERS of Kansas, against the reception of that
State into the Union under the Lecompton
Constitution, which he moved be referred
to the Committee on Territories and print
ed. Mr.. Toombs expressed his hearty APP
proval of the Presidents policy. Adjourn
ed.
In the House, the Presidents message hav-
ing been read, Mr.. Harris, of ILL.,, offered a
resolution that it and the Lecompton Con-
stitution be referred to a select committee
of thirteen, to be appointed by the Speak
er to inquire into all the facts connected
with the said Constitution, and the laws,
if any, under which the Convention was
held, and if so, whether the provisions of
the laws were complied with; also whether
said Constitution provides for Republican