The Washington union., 1858-02-05


self, proposed to end this disturbing difficulty by bring
ing Kansas into the Union in 1856, the bill which passed
this body read thus
Tia. the following be- and the hereby Of
eertanee Or rejection which, accepted by The shall
Kansas !"
We passed enabling act, and went to declare
that convention should be called to make consttu
ton and we proposed to that convention to accept
certain terms and conditions We did not require that
they should submit the constitution formed by them to
the people This the true intent and meaning of the
act thus interpreted by its friends two years after its
passage interpreted by the Senate by majority of
three to Interpretation adopted by every of
its friends in the House Of Representatives and by many
gentlemen from other political organizations, who affirm
ed this to be the true intent and meaning of the act
that submission OF the constitution not requirement
of the Kansas Nebraska act This authoritative
exposition made by the original friends of that measure
and by other gentlemen who then members of Con-
gress and would have been the law of the land but for
the republican majority in the other house, who defeated
it by substituting for it proposition to admit Kansas
with the Topeka constitution.
/ have not only shown that the Interpretation have
put the Kansas Nebraska act the just interpretation
according to the pathological construction of the sentence
according to sense, according to all legal rules
of interpretation but have shown legislative interpre
tion by all its friends when they attempted to carry it
out hope, therefore that there is end to the ques
ton to the true intent and meaning of the KansasNe
braska act on this point 1t did not require popular
sanction for the constitution before admitting the State
ton if required by the convention
shall only advert to other point. We are told
that the Lecompton constitution is fraud that there
was cheating at the polls that there cheating
crossing, and cheating at Leayenworth and that
there bogus votes have heard this cry from the
enemies of the territorial government from the day
passed the original act until this day. and expect to
hear it until Kansas shall be admitted into the Union
do intend to deny affirm the truth of these aega
tions. Think there very few communities
very few excited communities where voting is done by
ballot anywhere in the United States where there is not
large amount of cheating We have heard of such
things in the State of California it has been alleged that
in the city of San Francisco coruptions of this kind
carried to great extent. In the old vrtuous, civil
lied city of New York. the commercial metropolis of the
Union, it is alleged every day and sometimes proven
One branch of Congress is exercised wholesale
fraud alleged to have taken place the city of Baltimore
do not know how that is; am passing no Judgment
on it.
have one answer, which think is a complete one, to
all these allegations Ii there be frauds at elections in
all welconsttuted governments tribunals made to
try them and correct them and there let them 60 The
Baltimore election of members of Congress is to be passed
by the other house II there be allegations affecting
the election of senator of the United States the ques
ton is to be settled here If there has been fraud in the
election OF members OF the senate or house OF representa-
tives of the legislature Of Kansas, the matter be
passed upon by those bodies respectively when the State
shall have been admitted into the Union That is the
tribunal up by law for the decision of such questions
There and there alone, they be decided This body
trust, will undertake whether not there have
been frauds in the elections Of Kansas. If the proceed
ing legal priaa dce If pyia ace it is fair duty
ends When the member from the new State, elected by
its people, takes his seat in the other house that body
may Investigate the circumstances of his election When
the senators elected by the legislature of the State
come here, this body determine the legality of their
election
Every legislative body is the proper tribunal decide
questions affecting the elections of its members is the
only tribunal which the experience of twenty centuries
has shown be safely ntrused with any such power
The abest of English ursts the abest paramenarans
have always held and find it deeply imbedded in the
privileges of the British Parliament in the privileges
crred each house of Congress by constitution in
the privileges of every State Legislature aud inherent
every town meengtha sa.ive body is to Judge for
itself of the election returns and qualifications of its
members Without this principle, representative bodies
could not live hour. IL yon have of fraud in the
election of members of the Legislature take the question
there for decision If you have such in regard to
the election of representative in Congress- take it to the
other house If have such the election of
member Of this body bring it here If be true that these
bodies corrupt that they will not decide the questions
properly proves that incapable of government
and for one shall not admit that forany purpose what
They the judges of such questions the abso
Lutte and sole judges Every member here holds his
by this principle If you admit wrongully it cannot
be controverted anywhere but the presumption is that
your decision is right Society could not live instant
if unjust judgments were not executed as well as just
Does the supreme tribunal of any State country in the
world always decide rightly Nobody prctends that But
there must be inaty there must be tribunal to decide
there is government at all and therefore bad udg
ments must be enforced well good long as
they stand until altered according to the forms of law
My reply to the allegation Of fraud is that this const
tuition from regularly legal govern
mont. The convention called for by vote of the
people, the question being submitted by their lcgsla
ture Delegates elected by the people, and the
vention met and framed constitution They submitted
that portion of it which they thought proper to the pco
pie for approval and it has received their approval 1t
stands every form of legality The law the peace of
the country the right, demand that the policy of the
President shall be serny upheld by the representatives of
the States and of the people.
The New ENGLISH LAW RELATING 10 MARRIED WOMEN.
From the 3ls umo the act passed in the late session
of Parliament to enable married to dispose of
versonary interests in personal estates took effect 1t is
declared that after the 3lst of December it shall be lawful
for every married woman by deed to dispose of every u