The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-03-06

Fstoing the act rezaosiag tie Seat Of Go'

/ Gov. Dszvsr's Message.
Fstoing the act resaoviag tie Seat Of Gos-
efSssae1at.
To the House of Representatives Of the
Legislative Assembly Of the Territory Of
Kansas.
I GENTLEMEN: Herewith return with.
/ out approval, a bill entitled An Aet t.
.remove and permanently locate the seal
Iof Government.
The 31ss sectian Of the Organic Act
declares, That the Seat of Government
ipf said Territory IS hereby locstsd tenn
lporsrily st Fort Leavenvorsh; and that
such portions of the public buildings as
may not be actually used and needed for
military purposes. may be occupied and
used, under the direction OF the Governor
and Legislative Assembly, for such pub
lie purposes As may bereqniFed under the
provisions of this act.n Notwithstanding
THAT Governor Reeder thought proper to
convene the Legislative Assembly at the
town Of Pawnee, under that clause of the
lo2d section of the same act, which de-
clares that The persons thus elected to
the Legislative Assembly shall meet at
Pawnee on Monday the I'd day of July,
1855, as required By the Governors pro-
clamatioh, they adjourned and held the
balance of the session at the Shawnee
Manuel Labor School. This action was
had on the 9th, and they were to meet
again at the place appointed Gas they did)
on the 18th day Of July, 1855 During
| that session the Legislative Assembly
passed an act locating the permanent Seat
of Government at the Town of Lecomp-
ton.
On the Sd March, 1856, Congress APP
propriated twenty-five thousand dollars
for the erection of public buildings in
Kansas" !" ProuSdad, said money, or any
part thereof, or any portion of the money
heretofore appropriated for this purpose,
shall not be expended until the Leg
islaturs of said Territory shall have
fixed by law the permanent Seat of Gov
eminent" This was done by the act
before referred to, fixing it at the town
of Lecompton, and thereupon the money
thus appropriated was applied to the
erection of public buildings for the use
lof the Legislature of the Territory of
Kansas" The same Legislature also
passed an act fixing the second Monday
in January, 1857, as the time, and "t the
Seat of Government as tbs place for the
meeting of the Legislative Assembly, and
an explanatory act designating the first
Monday in January of each year after
1857, as the time of meeting.
Down to the beginning of the present
1 IL, III ~.
ever had on this subject, and it viii be
seen that the act of Congress of March 8,
1856, is the only one giving to the Legis-
lature of this Territory any authority to
act in the premises. That act assumes
the character of contract, in which Con-
gress agreed to make certain expenditures
on condition that the Territorial Legisia-
ture should first do certain thing. The
conditions were complied with by both
parties, and consequently the Legislature
of the Territory did, at that time, exhaust
all the power ever given them over the
subject Until further authority is given
them, therefore, by act of Congress, the
matter is entirely beyond your control
In the preamble to the bill before me,
it is asserted that, "A body ofmen assnm-
ing to be the representatives of the peo-
pie have located said Seat of Government
at the town of Lecompton, a place i'll
suited to the wants aud conveniences Of
the people, and the natural location there
of being such as to condemn it as accep-
table to the people for the permanent
Capital of the Territory" and further that
"the people of the Territory, through
their duly elected representatives, by vir-
tue of the organic act, have the undoubted
right and power to remove, at any time,
the Seat of Government thereof, to such
point or place as shall be deemed for the
best interest aud convenience of the whole
| people," therefore it is for these reasons,
proposed to remove the Seat Of Govern
ment from the town of Lecompton to the
/ town of Minneola, and all the officers are
required to remove their offie$ to that
place before the LIST day of April next.
The terms permanent capital of the Ter
ritory,v and "Seat of Government" are
here used as Synonymous.
The members of the present Legisla-
ture convened, for the present session at
Lecompton, and the only act you there
carried out, of a legislative character, was
to adopt the following preamble and joint
resolutions by unanimous vote of the
Council, and by vote Of % to 2 in the
House of Representatives
Whereas the Legislature of the Ter
ritory of Kansas Is required by the statutes
=, TO meet at the Capital of said Territory to
hold their several sessions; and, whereas,
the halls provided for the holding of the
annual session of said Legislature are In
convenient in point of distance from each
other, as we'll as uncomfortable and un-
suitable, they being open and cold, and
destitute of committee and other neees-
sary rooms for the transaction of the iegit-
innate business Of the Legislature, and,
whereas, there is a general lack ofsaitable
accommodations for members and officers
of said Legislature; and, whereas, suitable
accommodations can readily be obtained
in other points in the Territory; therefor.
Be it resolved by the Governor and
Legislative Assembly of the Territory Of
Kansas, That we do adjourn at II o'clock
this evening, to meet in Lawrence, K I
on Friday, January 8, 1853, at II O'Clock
a., to hold the remainder of the present
session, and that the Secretary of ths Ter
ritory be requested to procure suitable
rooms for the accommodation of said Leg
lislatiye Assembly in said city of Law
renee,
/ Having approved that resolution, and
| thereby fully recognized the validity of
the laws under which we have been act
ing, / am not now prepared to take it back,
and solemnfy declare that what ] then as
solemnly asserted to be true is uasrue.-
The location of the Seat of Government
at the town of Lecompton has been ac-
knowledged by the General Government
| by the expenditure Of money for the erec-
| ton of public buildings: it was acknowl-
| edged by me when ] Kept the Executive
Office there; il was acknowledged by you
when you convened there; it was ac-
knowledged BY Us conjointly when We
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