The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-13

currences coming within the scope Of his ex-
perience to show that our credit abroad de-
pended up on the honesty and business ca
pacity oftlle people. The question was not
How many to WIN lots and broad acres have
you ? but, DOES he (the applicant for credit
pay his debts? They looked upon a mans
business integrity. He looked upon the
Homestead act as: calculated, not to weaker
public confidence in our honesty, but the
c0ntr airy.
After further discussion the committee
rose, and the Hou'e adjourned. -.-.
From Washington.
Eaito'sa1 oorrssponde~es efaas Pioneer d Democrat
WASHINGTON, JAM. %.
In the Senate, on Tuesday, the 26th, Mr.
Douglas from the Committee on Territor les
submitted report on the subject of the q. I
mission Of Minnesota into the Union, accom-
panied by the following bill:
BILL for the admission of the State Of Minnesota
into the Union.
Whereas, An act of Congress was passed
February twenty six, eigh teen hundred and
fifty-se ven, entitled Gan act to authorize the
people; of the Territory of Minnesota to form
q constitution and State government prepar-
atory to their admission into the Union on an
equal footing with the original States;" and
whereas the people Of said Territory did, on
the twenty-ninth day of August eighteen
hun dred and hfty-seven, by delegates elected
Tor that purpose, form for themselves con-
stltution and State government, which is re-
publican in form, and was "a tilted and adop-
ted by the people, at an election held on the
thirteenth day of October, eighteen hundred
and fifty seven, for that purpose, in pursu-
ance of said act of Congress; therefore, g.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the Unite d States of Amer-
lea in Congress assembled, That the State of
Minnesota shall be one, and is hereby declar-
ed to be one of the United States of Ameri-
ca, and admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States in all respects
whatever.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That
said State shall be entitled to one represen-
tative, and such additional representatives, in
Congress, as the population of said State &C
cording to the census authorized by the
act approve d February twenty-six, eighteen
hundred and fifty-seven, shall show it to be
entitled tn, according to the present ratio of
representation and no more"
The Senator stated he would call up the
bill, for action, at an early day-prcbably as
soon as the report was printed. I was only
able to- secure copy of the bill and report
this evening. They will be laid before the
members tomorrow, but when acted upon,
the Lord president Calhoun only knows.
The report of the Committee on Terrific.
ries is a lengthy document, embodying the
views of the committee on the subject Of the
regularity of the double-headed Convention;
letters from Gov. Medary, and Messrs Rice,
Shields, Becker, Cavanaugh, Phelps and
Kingsbury, and two copies of our State Con-
stitution, one signed by Mr.. Sibley as Presi-
dent OF the Convention, and the other by
Saint Balcome. The most important para
graph in the reporti the following:
The constitution thus formed and signed
was submitted to the people of Minnesota
tor their free acceptance or rejection, in COM
pllance with its own requirements as we'll as
OF the act of Congress, at a general election
held on the 18th day of October, and was then
and there ratified and adopted by almost
unanimous vote.
"Being satisfied that the constitution pre-
sented is republican in form, and is the act
and deed of the people of Minnesota, and q
fair embodiment of their will, and that the
boundaries established therein are the same
as those prescribed in the enabling act of
last session, the committee have prepared
and submit bill for an act to admit Min
nesota into the Union on an equal footing
with the original States. The fourth section
of the enabling act provides for census to
be taken by the United States Marshal of
the Territory, with the view of ascertainng
the number OF representatives to which Min
nesota may be entitled in the Congress of the
United States and declares that said States
shall be entitled to one representative, and
such additional representatives as the popu-
lation of the States shall, according to the
census, show it would be entitled to accord
ing to the present ratio of representation. ,
1t will be seen by exhibit marked E, that
the returns of the census have been received
from all the counties except eight, and partial
returns from ono other county, showing, as
far as heard from population of l36,464,
with seven entire counties and part of anoth.
erto be heard from. Although an approx
mate estimate of the entire population of
Minnesota might be made by taking these re-
turns as far as they go, and computing them
with the vote on the adoption of the consti-
tuition in the counties not returned, which
vote will be found in the exhibit, your COM
mittee have thought it better to leave the
question of representation as it stands fixed
in the enabling act, and hence have provided,
in the second section of the bill, that said
State shall be entitled to one representative,
and such additional representatives as the
population of the State shall ,according to the
the census authorized by the enabling act,
show it would be entitled to according to the
present ratio of representation, and no more,
leaving the House of Representatives to as
certain the number when full returns of the
census shall be received, presuming that the
residue of the returns will be received by the
time that the act for the admission of Mime
sofa shall have become law"
Following this is letter from Mr. Kings
bury relating the circumstances of the d.
vision among the members of the Convention,
and also the following statement, signe by
our Senators and Representatives
WASHINGTON, Jan. ID.
"SIR: In answer to the questions pro.
pounded in your note of yesterday, we beg
leave to reply
LIST. At the time of our departure from
Minnesota the census had not been complet-
ed, therefore, the best data we can give you
is the vote within the limits of the State, pol
led on the 18th of October last for members
of Congress, which was 1924. Allowing
six persons for each voter, would give us q
population at that time of 235, AGA, which we
believe to be very nearly correct.
End. By the Enabling Act, passed at the
last session of Congress, one hundred and
eight t"delegates were authorized to con-
stititute the convention to form constitu-
ton"
Sd. The election was ordered in conformi-
ty to the Enabling Act, consequently but
108 delegates could have been legally elected.
We deem it proper, however, to state that
several seats were id contest between the two