Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-09-30

The next proceeding of the HOUSE on the Le-
compton bill was the introduction and vote on
the Crittendea- Montgomery amendment, and
now quote from the Globe, page l436, the IN
portant provision Of that amendment.
Mr.. MONTGOMERY. j move to amend the
bill by striking out all after the enactmg clause,
and insert the following: -,
admitted into the Union on an equal footlng
with the original States in all respects whatever;
bu,. inasmuch As it is greatly disputed whether
tbe constitution framed at Lecompton OH the 9TH
day of November last, and now pending before
Congress-. was fairly made, or expressed the Will
of tie people of Kansas this admission of her
into the Union as a State Is here declared 10 be
upon this fundamental condition precedent,
namely: that the said constitutional instrument
shall he first submitted TO a vote Of the people
of Kansas, and assented TO by them, or ma
urity of the voters at an election TO be held ior
the purpose; and rs soon as such assent shall be
giren,and duly made known, by a majority of the
commissioners herein appointed, TO the President
of the United States he shall announce the same
by proclamation; and thereafter. and without
any further proceeding ON the part of Congress,
the admission of said State of Kansas into the
Union upon equal footing with the original
States, in all respects whatever, shall be COM
plete and absolute. At the same election the
voting shall be by ballot. as each voter may
please, "fortke Constellation, or 'dgdinst the con-
siitution." Should the said constitution be re-
iected at the said election by majority OF votes
being east against it, then. and IN that event,
the inhabitants of said Territory are hereby au-
thorized and empowered 10 form Tor themselves
a constitution and State government by the
name of the State of Kansas. according 10 the
Federal Constitution, and to that end may elect
delegates to a convention as hereinafter provid-
ed. -s &
The question recarred on Mr.. MoSrGoMERY's S
substitute.
The question was taken, and it was decided
in the affirmatiYe-yeas 120 nays ll2, as fol-
lows:
NATS-Messrs. Ali, Anderson. Arnold, At
kins, Avery, Barksdalc, Bishop, Boeock, Boz
ham, Bowie. Boyce. Branch Bryan, Burnett,
BURNS, dc.
How could a Popular Sovereignty" man, a
man favor of "letting the people OF the Terri
tories regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way" have been been better suited
than by provisions of this amendment? defy
the mind of man to conceive of any proposition
more Just and reasonable in itself, or more accept
able to the people of Kansas and all sections of
the country.
1t simply provided, that, as it was greatly dis
puted whether the Lecompton Constitution was
the will of the people of Kansas. it should be
referred back to them to decide whether it was
their will or not. This they were to do at an
election, by voting either for or against the Con-
stitu.ion. If majority should be in favor ol
it, they were to come into the Union under 1t;
ifa majority should vote to reject it, then they
were authorized TO go ahead and form another
Constitution-and after 1t should be dppro,cd 6J'
the people, they were to be admitted into the
Union under it.
1t will be seen from the above extract from the
Congressional Globe, that Gen. Burns voted
against this the fairest of all the measures pro-
posed in relation to Kansas.
The vote on this amendment stood 100 for, 10
ll2 against, and the bill, as amended, passed the
House. and was sent to the Senate for their con-
currence. The Senate refused to concur in the
amendment of the House.
A motion was made that the House adhere TO
the Montgomery amendment and on this motion
Gen. Burns voted NAY, with the extreme
Southern men of the Democratic party. (See
Con. Globe, page 1545.)
The motion to adhere prevailed; but subse-
qeuntly. (See Globe, pages 1889, 90) Mr.. En-
gllsh, OF Indiana, moved that 4 committee of
conference, to consist of three persons. be ap-
pointed TO confer with like committee of the
Senate in regard to the disagreeing votes of the
two Houses. Again Gen. Burns voted with the
Lecomptonites for the committee. This motion
prevailed, the committee was appointed and at
length Mr.. English reported to the House, rs the
result, that infamous measure usually known as
the English swindle.
l now quote from the Congressional Globe the
most important provisions of this most remark
able of all bills. and ask every candid man. eve
cry lover oftruth and justice, to compare the bill
of MIR. English, which Gen. Burns voted for, with
the bill of MIR. Montgomery which Gen. Burns
voted against.
"Whereas, the people of the territory of Kan
SIS did by Il convention of delegates assembled
at Lecompton, on the 7th day of November, 857,
for that purpose, form for themselves conotitu-
ton and State government, which constitution
is republican,; and whereas, at the same time
and place, said convention did adopt an ordi-
nance, which said ordinance asserts that Kansas,
when admitted as a State, will have an I'M
doubted right to tax her lands within her limits
belonging TO the United States, and proposes TO
relinquish said asserted right if certain condi-
tions set forth in said ordinance be accepted
and agreed to by the Congress of the U. States;
whereas, the said constitution and ordinance and
have been presented TO Congress by order ofsaid
convention and admission of said Territory into
the Union thereon. rs 4 State, requested; and
whereas, said ordinance is not acceptable to
Congress, and it is desirable to ascertain whcth-
er the people of Kansas concur in the changes
in said ordinance hereinafter stated, and desire
admission into the Union as a State as herein
Therefore,
Bc 1t enacted 6y the Senate and House of Repre-
scntatires OF tho United States of America in Con-
gresS assembled, That the State Kansas be and is
hereby, admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States in all respects
whatever. but upon this fundamental condition
hot 6
mission with the following proposition in lieu
of the ordinance framed at Lecompton be sub
mitted to a vote of the people of Kansas. and as
sented to by them or majority of the voters vo-
ting at an election to be held for that purpose
namely: That the following propositions be-
and the same are hereby, offered 70 the people
of Kausas for acceptance or rejection, which, if
accepted shall be obligatory the United
States, and upon the said Stale of Kansas.
Here follows the proposition offering a
large amount of lands and money to Kansas
which Is too lengthy for insertion here.
cat the said election the voting shall be by
ballot, and by indorsing on his ballot, as each
voter may please, proposition accepted" or
proposition rejected" Should a majority Ct
the votes cast be for proposition accepted. the
President of the United States, as soon as the
fact is duly made known to him, shall announce
the same by proclamation, and thereafter and
without further proceedings On the part of Con-
gross, the admission ofthe State of Kausas into
the Union rpon an equal footing with the orig
lnal States IN all respects whatever, shall be
complete and absolute, and said State shall be
entitled to one member in the House of Repre-
in the Congress of the United States.
until the next census be taken by the Federal
Government. But should majority of the votes
east be forpropositon rejected. it shall be DEEM
ed and held that the people of Kansas do not desire
into the Union with said consii tuition
under the conditions set forth in said PROPOSE
tion,and in thatevent the people of sadIerriiory
are hereby authorized and empowered to form for
themselves constitution and State government