The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-03-11

sions Of personal violence, refrained
and desisted from presenting any
protest To the Governor in relation
thereto; and he, then uniformed in
relation thereto, issued certificates 10
the members who appeared by said
formal returns to have been elected.
In relation to those districts which
the Governor 80 set aside, orders
were by him issued for new elections.
In one Of these districts the same
proceedings were repeated by men
from Missouri, and in others not, and
certificates were issued to the persons
elected.
This Legislative Assembly, 40
elected, assembled at Pawnec on the
ID day Of July, 1855, that being the
time and place for holding said meet
ing, a. fixed by the Governor by au-
thority Of law. On assembling, the
said Houses proceeded 10 set aside
and reject those members so elected
on said second election. except in the
district where the men from Missouri
had, at said election, chosen the same
persons they had elected at said first
election and they admitted all OF tho
said first elected members.
A Legislative Assembly, 50 crca-
ted by military force, by foreign
invasion, in violation Of the organic
law, was but usurpatlon No act
- ef it, oWn, na act or neglect OF the
Governor, could lcgalize or sanctify
il. Its own decisions as 10 its own
legality are, like it's laws, but tho
fruits Of its own usurpation, which
no Governor could legitimate. That
Territorial Legislature passed the
following law:
"SEc. IL. If any person. print,
write, introduce into, publish Or cir
culatc, or cause to be brought into,
printed, written, published or circn-
lated, or shall knowingly aid or assist
in bringing into, printing, publishing
or circulating within this Territory,
any book, pepper pamphlet, magazine,
handbill or circular, containing any
statements, arguments, opinions, sen
tinonts, doctrines, advice or innucndo,
calculated to promote IA disordcrly,
dangerous or rcbclious disaflcction
among the slaves IN this Territory,
or to induce such slaves 10 escape
from the service of their masters or
to resist their authority. he shall be
guilty Of felony, and be- punished by
Imprisonment and hard labor for a
term not less than five years
"SFo. IL ifanyir person, by speak
ing, or by writing assert or maintain
that persons have not the right to hold
Slaves ia this Territory. or shall in
troduco into this Territory, print,
publish, write, circulate. or cause to
be introduced into this Territory,
written, printed, published or circu-
lated in this Territory, any book,
paper, magazine, pamphlet or c'rcu'
lar, containing any denial OF tho
right Of persons to hold slaves IN
this Territory, such persons shall be
deemed guilty of felony, and pun
ishcd by Imprisonment at hard labor
for u term of not less than two
years
And further providing, that no per-
son "conscientlously opposed to
holding slaves shall sit IA juror
in the trial of any cause founded on
breach of the foregoing law. They
further provided, that all officers and
attorneys should be sworn not only
to support the Constitution of the
United States, but also to support
and sustain the organic law OF the
Territory. aud the Fugitive Slave
laws and that any person Offering
Ia vote shall be presumed Ia be cnti'
tied Ia vote until the contrary IN
shown. aud if any one, when rcqui-
red, shall refuse to take oath to
sustain the Fugitive Slave law. he
shall not be permitted t. vote. Al
though they passed a law that none
but an inhabitant, who had paid a
tax, should vote, yet they required no
tine Of resldeRo, necessary, and provi-
dcd for the immediate payment Of
poll.tax; 80 providing, in effect, that
on the eve of an election the people
of a ucighboring State could come
in, in unlimited numbers, and, by
taking up residence of a day or an
hour, pay poll-tax. and thus become
legal voters, and then, after voting,
return to their own State. They thus
in practical effect, provided for the
people of Missouri TO control cleo.
tons at their pleasure, aud permit
ted such only of the real inhabitants
of the Territory Ia vote as are friend.
ly to the holding of slaves
They permitted no election of any