The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-04
THE SPECIAL KANSAS COMMITTEE.
REMARKS OF HON. JOHN LETcHER,
os VIRGINIA;

REMARKS OF HON. JOHN
og VIRGINIA;
,,u., !, ,,,.0,,q,e AZ ne Whoe Wplcday Mi'ch sla
Isha !, djeaoc Of t.e t5Di'aes q fyteen
~ chairman. | do rot propose ii 40 into any gen
,aI discussion Of the merits OF INC Kansas question:
Nv sole object in seeking tho ioof 10 70 reply 70 so
,a,ks made by three gentlemen III the progress Of
J., h, reference 10 the action OF the committee
n 6teep OF which member The its' Gentleman
Who alluded To 1t the genileh'h, iio" >cw iotk
MIR Bssxsrr i the next w@ the gh''eia ''o''' "chi-
nn mr. W,iuupoul-both Of whom were members OF
a. can,n;ttcc and the last was my friend nom North
Carolina mir Gump in the reinsiks submitted ny him
this morning These gentlemen have undertaken 70 say
fiat the majority the conihi''ee "ec s".,sheu VI INC
Go ,h, ,hcs frauds had been committed ia the Territory
- u ,l.t ,,eat wrongs and great outfaycs had been
o,,,tl and that knowing this fact, the committee
determined not 10 execute the order OF the housc but 10
ge die instructions which had been given u the COM
,;,ta. ~ the time of It's appointment SO far rs am
i,,ned there Is nothing in my action connected with
s,at committee which consider requires any defence.
either before my constituents or before the country
nurs,ed that course which my own convictions oi duty
non,el out as the proper one. and which under similar
circumstances, with all tue lights w" oeo'o NV "o"
pursue again.
II Is NV purpose to show that the majority ct the com
nittee of fccl. DISCHARGED their dnty faithfully MS that
r,v WINS cnoned upon them by the order OF the House
IL ;,I r.. ,,,d that on the second day of February
the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. HARRIS, whose illness
greatly regret introduced into this House resolution
which contained specifications IN the nature OF in
s,ructions to the committee which he proposed to aise
will now call attention 10 each OF these instrc
,;ons because, desire to have them impressed upon the
minds OF such present ami such as may read my
remarks in order that the resolution as then presented
may o contrastod with the resolution IL finally
adptcd On reference to the Journal it will be found
Tint the resolution originally proposed instructed the
committee that lac then designed to raise Ia the FIRST
place
inquire all the facts connected with ihc formation Of said
,In J.vy updar ,yI,lrl
and whahcr such laws have been complied with sns fol
wsc,rr ,ai constitution provides republican form Of gov
sru,c included within the proposed
ar, M Kan.a. population
in hs House upon The basis liked by law and whether said Gun
accabc and satisfactory oa majority Of the legal voters
ofKansasp
Carolina PR GlLAEn] to-day charged the committee
of fifteen with having lodged their duty in not ascertain
ing whether there sufficient population IN that Ter
lory To cntitie them to member according to the ratio
of representation fixed by the act Of Congress ninety
odd thousand We had such instructions before us
The instructions then presented were subsequently
Withdrawn by tho mover, and charged, therefore,
with inquiry of that sort and if we had been, would
like to know Of my friend from North Carolina how the
committee Of fifteen were to execute that requirement
We clothed with power to take OF the
people Of the Territory to ascertain the fact were
provided with of getting at it unless under
took to call upon Ton Dick and Harry for the purpose
of getting their Impressions IN regard ~ the population in
each of the counties which constitute the Territory of
Kansas We could have got nothing moreif had been
required to execute such order than the prcudiced
partisan opinions Of individuals Of information
which were accessible to every member of this House
ns to the members Of the committee
The resolution goes on
Also the number If any and when Favor
and tho ut each place voting aud each
county in the Territory.
fcrcn counties and election districts OF said Territory and the
registration under which the made and whether the
iu.ta A mir riux utfnurp vuin fnur
The thu delegates u sai covcion and the number
candidate delegate, ihc places
and whether said constitution received the 0. majority OF
delegates said
Territory The 2ls, Of December
last for such constitution, and for and against any
features ,hrrco and the number each voting
The nnn,be Territory the dry
nary @ os and ass sa constitution" and for and against any
voting in said Territory
FIR any state and legislative officers thereof and the number
for each candidate for such Offices and the places where cast
p any Of tho votes 80 east at any Of The times and places
aforesaid, fraudulent or Illegal
Whct'cr ,ruoa, aud, what portion, v the people Of
Kansas are In rebellion against the laws Of HE county
Now SIR as this resolution was introduced there were
ten specifications. specifically directing what that com
ntce were To TX. required to do when they assembled
in the discharge of the duties imposed upon them by the
resolutions Those specifications distinct, clear and
explicit that there be mistake or doubt In
gerd to either or all OF them
Well now, what followed We find no further action
taken until the 9TH Of February when the gentle
from Illinois Mr. IhRRsl proposed to strike out all
the specifications thus clearly set out in his resolution
introduced the "a of February and to substitute the
following
Resolved That message concerning
futon framed At ieonron N the Territory Of kansas by commit
Ire OF delegates therein aud The papers the same be
That said be inquire al
conn viii, The formation Of said constitution aud tho laws Under
which the proceedings
a. have TRANSFERRED the formation VI said constitution having
aoo 10 ihr question propey Of the admission Of aad Territory