The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-11
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


The Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. CAVANAUGH of Minnesota, presented memo
rial of citizens of Minnesota in relation To steamboat
igation Red River North, &C.. and moved that it be
referred TO the Committee the Post Office and Post
Poats and printed
MI. JONES, of Tennessee moved that the memorial
be laid on the table which motion not agreed to-
The question recurring on the melton OF Mr. CAtA-
sAuGH--
Mr.. HOUSTON, of Alabama, called for a division of
the question which acquesced in.
The memorial being referred, the motion that it be
printed withdrawn
Mr. ENGLISH of Indiana, gave notice that he should
embrace the earliest opportunity to introduce the general
postr bill In the mean time it was in his desk
open to the inspection of members.
NEBRASKA CONTESTED ELECTION.
The regular order of b,i-Iness being called for the
House resumed the consideration of the report of the
Committee of Elections in the contested election
from the Territory of Nebraska the question being on
the adoption of the following resolution
Resolved Chapm,n the legally elected delegate Is
the hirtya Congress The Territory u Nebraska
titled 10 his scat as such deicEase,
For which Mr. BoYCE of South Carolina offered the
following q substitute
Roe Ferguson legally elected delegate nom
the Territory of Nebraska.
Mr.. STANTON of Ohio moved that the substitute be
amended by inserting the word aot' after the word
'is -
the action of the majority of The committee in reporting
in favor of Mr. CuAra the contestant contendng that
the extension of time accorded at the last session Of Con-
gress had been granted in order to enable the sitting
member, if there had been any unainess in the proceed
ngs against him. TO show it, This had not been shown
the contrary the evidence only strengthened the claims
OF Mr. CHAPMAN aud weakened those of Mr.. FERGUSON
Mr.. DAVIS OF Mississippi, called the previous question
Mr.. WILSON, of Indiana, then closed the debate do
nyng that the under consideration was similar
the Ohio conestedeecon case, which had been decided
the last session, and citing facts show that Mr.
WAsnBuRY, of Maine based his argument in favor of the
sitting member upon "a iayfe evidence. He would deter
mine no mans case upon hearsay evidence The polls
should have been closed at o'clock ard the fact that
they kept open three ors after that time and that
votes then received, ytated the entire election
The question recurring upon the demand for the pre-
vious question
MI JNo. CocHRANE, Of New York moved thct the
whole subject be laid the table which motion pre-
vailed yeas 90 nays GA
TnE ADMISSION OF oREooN
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia, ho,A The Committee on
Territories Reported back Senate bill for the admission Of
Oregon INTO the Union, without amendment He stated
that the committee had made written report but de-
sired to direct attention 30 the following main points
That the proceedings by which the constitution was made
and adopted gu,at tRe constitution itself repub
can ia form, and the population sufficient Upon the
ast point there was difference of opinion the part
OF members Of the committee and perhaps of the House
There had been taken in that Territory since
1865, when the population ascertaned to be al l72
which showed an increase OF than for per cent IN
i've years II the population had INCREASED III The same
fatio nom 1898 e TIE present tnie the population
mast be about 10000. Whether or not it had 80
increased he did not undertake to say but that there
had been very large annual increase there could
90 no d9iot His opinion that it had increased
~ nearly that ratio. There other elements from
which they authorized infer the probable popula
ton For instance. he had before him the report OF the
territorial officers giving the aoht OF taxable property
in 1897 Exclusive of Jefferson county at SIS 220 O0O be
iudrI aI.l..
vious year lie had another statement showing that the
taxable PERSONAL property is twenty two millions of
dollars. IT they adopted that basis Oregon must
beve population of two hundred thousand and one of
two things very clear either the people OF Oregon
were very wealthy and have increased very rapidly and
are in good condition to the functions of State
government, or they must have population of 50, 900
Mr.. HOWARD, of Michigan. inquired whether he hnd
report OF the number of votes cast at the last election
Mr.. STEPHENS replied that he had not
Mr. GROW of Pennsylvania, state the largest number
cast TO have been TO- 1871
Mr.. STEPHENS thought it was very probable the peo-
pie did not take the interest in voting there they did
elsewhere laughter having confidence in theirloprc
tatvcs in Congress IL they worth two hundred dol
lars head there certainly population OF 10 900
Mr.. STANTON of Ohio, inquired whether they did not
value the description of property there at ten times
its value in Ohio.
MI. STEPHENS. Perhaps IL is worth ten times ms
much Flo held that there no question OF the sniff.
cheney of population TO require Congress under existing
laws, TO admit that State into the Union Oregon ly
the terms of the bill organizing territorial government
in S4S became entitled to the benefits conferred by the
ordinance of 81 and therefore her claims could not lie
disregarded He ready to give her welcome as nm
equal in the conedcracy.
Mr. GROW, of Pennsylvania obtained the floor
Mr. DAVIS, of Indiana, asked leave to present n sub
stitute recommtting the bill TO the Committee on Ter
ntores with instructions to insert clause repeating SO
much of the act for the admission OF Kansas as prohibits
the people of Kansas from forming constitution and
asking admission into the Union until il shall bc ascer
tanned that the population equal the ratio re-
quired for a member of the House.
Mr. GROW declined to yield the floor on the ground
that If he did 80 1t would cut of his amendment
Mr. MAYNARD, Of Tennessee, desired 10 offer an
amendment providing that the should not take effect
until 1t shall be asccrtaned by that the popa
ton equal exceed the ratio of representation required for
member OF Congress, and submitting to the people the
question of citizen suffrage or " alien suffrage
Should majority be for I" citizen suffrage, &C. and
there be the requisite population the Presi-
dent is informed of these facts he shall announce the
same by proclamation and without further proceedings
the admission Of Oregon shall be complete.
Mr.. GROW declined TO yield for that purpose NJ this
time He then proceeded 10 reply to the remarks of Mr.
SrrpuESs. II was certainly mode of taking cen
sus to bring in the taxable list of property and attempt
to Judge from that Of the number OF votes If they took
The taxable property list Of his friend from New York