The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-04-15


Of opinion--that was my opinion, and It
was the opinion Of at least one other mem.
Der of the committeeman Minnesota was
State, but not u State in the Union thu,
not having complied with every condition Of
the enabling act. she was not in the Union.
But il she had complied with il, if she had
held convention Of the proper number Of
delegates, and formed her constitution, il was
my opinion then, and il is now, that she
would be entitled 10 have her Senators sworn
in without any further act Of admission.
ask Senators why it is that we make fish of
one and flesh Of another. That was the case
OF my State. There was nothing else ever
done for her but to pass All enabling act !;
and that was the first enabling act that was
ever passed. II is the example from which
all the rest come. Ii was in the time OF Mr..
Jefferson. IL was considered by The abksl
statesmen OF this country and their excuse
for the enabling act, their idea OF the tn
aiding act, was, il was an net OF admission
beforehand, to become complete, and the ad.
mission to become perfect. on the perform.
anee OF condition subsequent. When
Ohio performed the condition, held her con.
yenllon, made her constitution, and sent il
here, it was referred TO select committee,
to examine into the question, and the com.
mittee reported that she was a State in the
Union, and that there was nothing more me-.
cessary than TO establish district court
have said that live or six times this sts.
sion but il is vital fact in all this contro-
i.Fl .t..l H..
dentials and took their seats.
II you say that Minnesota is now Terri.
tory, Ohio is Territory too Tor she never
had any act Of admission. The State of
Minnesota has been created by your author.
ity; you defined her limits. She has not
perfectly complied with the conditions on
which you agreed to receive her into the
Union, but she has complied with the condi.
tons on which you agreed she should be II
State; she has formed her State government;
and now the question is, shall we, the Sen
ators from other States, fix the time OF her
election for Senator's We have no power
10 do that We can, by general law. pro.
vide for the time OF election in all the States,
but we never have done it. II belongs to
the Legislature Of the State of Minnesota to
fix the time, place and manner of electing
her Senators and her Representatives, and
to nobody else We, here, in judicial ca.
paeity hereafter may sit on the question Of
the regularity of this question. We have no
power to SIT on il in any Legislative capacity.
The other House may sit in Judgment on the
question OF the election Of II Representative,
in judicial capacity.
NOW shall we go on protracting this an
omalous condition Of things? Here is
State formed by our direction and consent,
State out of the Union, a Stato with her
Legislature in session, passing laws and on
The question OF whether the census was right.
ly taken or wrongly taken, We are 10 pro.
tract the discussion indefinitely. hope We
shall SIMPLY ignore the question Of the NUN.
Der oil representatives; give her some repre-.
sentation In this branch If We cannot in the
other; or leave that as question of privilege
to the other House; strike out the entire
section; let the enabling net stand. That il
the last legislation Of Congress. That pro
vIded that she should have one representa-.
tive. and IA many more az the census should
entItle her 10. If it is d fair census, that
fixes it. II it il an unfair census, let the
House OF Representatives decide that qucs.
ton. bopc the motion OF the Senator from
Illinois, to strike out the whole section. will
now b. carried
Remarks were made by Messrs. COLA
MIR and Do0LIrrLg, when Mr.. IvERsos Of
iered the following as substitute for the
Of Mr.. WILSON, adopted the
day before;
That said State shall be entitled 10 two
Representatives In Congress, until the mex,
of Representatives amongst
the several States
The question being taken upon Mr. IyrR-
Sons amendment by yeas and nays, resulted
yeas 70, nays 81, a. follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Allen, BENJAMIN, Biygs. Biz
Ter Bright. Broderiek, Brown. Clay, Crittenden,
Douglas, Evans, Fitch, Green, Cwin, Ham.
mond, lser.on, Johnson Of Tennessee, Jones,
kennedy, Mallory, Mason, Polk, Pugh, sebas
tan, slidell, Stuart, Thompson, OF New Jersey
Wright and, Yulee--29.
S.fs-Messrs. Bayard, Cameron. Chandler,
'lafk, Collsmer. Dixon D0olttie, Durkee, Fes
sender Foot, Foster, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan.
Houston, King, Pierce, Eimmons, Trumbull,
wade and Wilson.
80 the amendment was agreed TO.
This amendment settled the question u
representation, by giving the State two
Representatives. hn a nOs,csabie fat that
1ry Btaek Republican IN The Snn,e po,ed
agd'ns gip'ng the STATE iwo Representatives,
and every Democrat but ,uo voted in favor
Of the Wopo-ition.-ED
On the FIRST Of April, the Senate took no
action 90 the Minnesota bill, Mr. DouoLAs'
Efforts to get it taken up being unsvailing
On the second, after dissenting from the
CEITTEsDEs amendment, q motion wa.
made that the Senate adjourn. Mr.. Doro-
LAS resisted. and insisted on taking sp and
passing the Minnesota bin.
Upon the motion TO adjourn, the yeas
u -. ,,n,s,.. 800. L..