The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-01
THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS,
FIRST SESSION.
Tuesday, March %, 1858.

resumed
Mr.. Green, of Missouri, reviewed at length
the arguments made against the majority re
port Of the Committee on Territories, and de
Tended the admission of Kansas under the LIE
compton Constitution. He did hot doub. thai
Messrs. Douglas, Stuart, Broderick, and Crit
tenden, were uniDfuenced by the consideration
of Slavery in their present opposition to the
admission of Kansas but they we've aiding to
build up the Republican party, which took ior
It's motto, +" no more slave States. Inc oecis-
ion of this question would decide whether the
South would hereafter be permitted to expand,
and also whether the Democratic party should
survive in its strength, or sink into dissolution
and decay.
Mr.. Green closed his speech with an elabo-
rate argument in favor Of the proposition that
the people may legally change their Constitu.
tiop at will, without respect to the limitations
prescribed in its body.
Mr.. Crittendeu briefly recited his several rea.
sons for believing in the existence of great
frauds in Kansas. So thinking, he could not
be false TO his convictions. He was insensible
to all appeals made in the name of party, and
was not in the pending case acting Nth Re-
publicsns nor acting against Democrats, but
seeking simply and honestly to discharge his
duty as Senator of the United States from
brave old Kentucky, who had always taught
him to speak out what he thought true and
right. In the doubt resting over the question,
he thought it best to remand the whole subject
to the people of Kansas, to the end that Con-
gress might be assured of the public will in re-
gard to the acceptability of the Lecompton
Constitution.
Mr.. Green withdrew the amendment of which
he had formerly given notice, in regard to ad.
r,;tt;n, M;Dpaaota apd Kansas tnoothar NJ
G. then moved to strike out the preamble, and
insert the following
Whereas the people of the Territory OF
Kansas did, by Convention of delegates called
and assembled at Lecompton on the 4th day OF
December, 1857, for that purpose, form to
themselves Constitution and State Govern.
ment, which said Constitution is republican,
aud the said Convention having asked the ad.
mission of said Territory into the Union as q
State on an equal footing with the original
States"
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Green then moved to amend the bill by
adding after section two, line nine, the follow.
ing:
"And that nothing in this act shall be con.
strued to abridge or infringe any right Of the
people asserted in the Constitution of Kansas
at all times to alter, reform, or abolish, their
form of Government, in such manner as they
may think proper-Congress hereby disclaim
ing any authority to intervene or declare the
construction of the Constitution of any State,
not in conflict with the Constitution of the Uni.
ted States"
The motion was agreed to-yeas 81, nays
23-as follows:
Keas-Messrs. Allen, Bayard, Benjamin,
Biggs, Bigler, Bright Brown, Clay, Evans,
Fitch Fitzpatrick, Green, Gwin, Hammond,
Houston, Hunter, johnson of Arkansas, John.
son of Tennessee, Jones, Kennedy, Mallory,
Mason, Pearee, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian, Slidell,
Thomson of New Jersey, Toombs, Wright, and
Yulee-3l.
Nays essrs. Bell, Broderick, Chandler,
Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doolittle, Douglas,
Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Hale, Ham,
lin, Harlan, King, Seward, Simmons, Stuart,
Sumner, Trumbull. Wade, and Wilson-23.
Absent or Not Voting-Messrs. Bates, Cam
eron, Crittenden, Davis, Henderson, Iverson,
Reid, and Thompson of Kentucky-8.
Mr.. Cameron said that he had paired off with
Mr. Davis.
Mr.. G. also moved to strike out the word
"off" in the eleventh line of the second Sec
ton, and to insert in lieu thereof the words
" annexed to-" so that it will read, nothing
Congress to all or to any of the propositions or
claims contained in the ordinance annexed
to the said Constitution" The motion was
agreed TO.
Mr. Pugh withdrew the amendment of which
he had previously given notice, and moved to
add the following to the bill as a new section
"SEc. A. And be ii further enacted, That
from and after the admission of the State of
Kansas, as hereinbefore provided, all the laws
Of the United States which are not locally in
applicable shall have the same force and effect
within that State as in other States of the
u nion; and the said State is hereby constituted
a judicial district Of the United States, within
which a district court, with the like powers and
Jurisdiction as the district court of the United
States for the district Of Iowa, shall be estab-
lshed the Judge, attorney, and marshal, of the
United States for the said district of Kansas
shall reside within the same, and shall be en-
titled to the same compensation as the judge,
attorney, and marshal of the district of Iowa"
The motion was agreed to--yeas 81, nays
LAS follows:
Ysas-Messrs. Allen, Bayard, Bell, Benia.
min, Biggs, Bigler, Bright, Broderick, Brown,
Clay, Crittenden, Evans, Fitch, Fitzpatrick,
Green, Gwin, Hammond, Henderson, Houston,
Hunter, Iverson, johnson of Arkansas, John.
Z
Mason, Pearce, Polk, Pugh, Sebastian Slidell,
Thompson of Kentucky, Thomson of New Jer-
sey, Toombs, Wright, and Yulee-37.
Nays-Messrs. Chandler, Clark, Dixon, Doc
little, Douglas, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Eos.
ter, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan, King, Seward
Simmons, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, and Will
son-l9.
Absent or Not Voting-Messrs Bates, Cam
eron, Collamer, Davis, Reid, and Stuart-6.
Mr.. Crittenden submitted substitute for. tht
entire bill, which provides for the admission o
Kansas on an equal footing with the origina
States, upon the condition that this Constitu
ton shall be fret referred back to a vote of the
people in a manner prescribed by the bill, anc
if approved by them, Kansas shall be consider
ed State in the Union without any further
legislation whatever. If not approved, the PEG
pie are to be authorized to form Constitution
TO suit themselves, through the agency of &
Convention to be called for that purpose. Mr.
c. explained the various provisions of the bill
but after some discussion it was reiected-yea
"a, nays 34-as follows:
Peas-Messrs. Bell, Broderick, Chandler
Clark, Collamer, Crittenden, Dixon, Doolittle
Douglas, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Hale, Ham
lin, Har an, Kennedy, King, Seward, Simmons
Stuart, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, and Wilson
&.
Ndys-Messrs. Allen, Bsyard, Benjamin
Biggs, Bigler, Bright, Brown, Clay, Durkee
Evans, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Green, Gwin, Ham
mond, Henderson, Houston, Hunter, Iverson
Johnson of Arkansas, johnson of Tennessee
Jones, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Polk, Pugh
Sebastian, Slidell, Thompson of Kentucky
Thomson of New Jersey, Toombs, Wright, ant
Yulee-34. -
Absent or Not poting-Messrs. Bates, Cam
eron, Davis, and Reid.
Mr.. Stuart moved to insert after the wore
grants in the second section the words SO j