Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-04
Hon. E. p. Walton, of the House, writes
to the Waterman on the Oregon vote as fol-
lows;


THURSDAY, feb. II, 1903
Oregon admitted as a State.
Saturday last was field-day in the House
voting, voting, voting, upon proposition
after proposition touching the admission of
Oregon as a State. There were. however,
but three votes of much significance al.
though several propositions that were i'm
portant, were not voted uporl--the Speaker
having ruled them out Of order. Among
these, was the amendment Of Mr.. Grow Of
Pa, which repealed the section of the En-
glish Kansas bill requiring n population
equal to Congressional district before Kan
sas can be admitted as a free State. Kansas
as free Republican State, cannot come in
without a condition as to population, while
the Democratic State Of Oregon is released
from the condition. The three important
were these : first, on the motion to lay the
bill on the tablc--aycs "a, noes 124. Twelve
Democrats voted against this motion, who
subsequently, voted against the bill. Second,
on adopting the preamble, which declares
that the Constitution ofOregon IL "Repubi
cam" ard in conformity TO the Constitu-
ton of the United States ten Republicans
voted no. who subsequently voted for the
bill The ayes, were ia, noes l03-so, if
the ten Republicans, who voted against the
preamble had voted against bill. it would
have been defeated by nine majority. Third
on the final passage, fifteen Republicans vot-
ed aye, and the bill passed by eleven majority.
The fate of the bill was decided by these
fifteen Republicans. They are responsible to
their own constituents, rather than to their
party and do not choose to judge in
matter where they ought to be the best
Judges. The vote against tho preamble,
which embraced nearly every Republican in
the House, shows the ground on which the
Republican party in the House acted. IL is,
that the Constitution of Oregon is incousls-
tent with the Federal Constitution, and
therefore ought not to be tolerated by Con-
gress While the Federal Constitution gives
to Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the
migration and naturalization OF persons born
in foreign lands. the Constitution of Oregon,
on the one hand, forbids the migration OF
Cinnamon and negroes, and, on the other,
permits alien suffrage. While. also, the
Federal Constitution provides that "the citi-
zens of each State shall be entitled to all the
privileges and immunities of citizens in the
several States;' and yet the Constitution of
| Oregon provides that no negro (although he
| may be a free citizen of another Statc) shall
come to- or be in, Oregon-or hold property,
| OR MAINTAIN ANY SUIT THEREIN-and the Leg
| islaturc Of Oregon is required to enforce
| these provisions ny pains ana penalties, anu
to drive every negro out, and to punish every
white man who harbors them In word,
the very worst features of the bred Scott de-
cision and the fugitive slave trade are COM
bined in this Oregon Constitution, and APP
Piled TO FREE MEN OF COLOR. There
| is not Slave State in the Union so tyran-
meal as this-so utterly inhuman. But
Congress has endorsed this Constitution, and
the only redeemng features in the case are,
that Oregon many possibly be shamed into
decency by the airing which its Constitution
received in the debate. or that the Courts
will hold that its Constitution, so far as it
is inconsistent with the Federal Constitu-
ton, Is a nullity. On this last ground |
suppose those Republicans who voted for the
bill place their defence.