Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-28

Mr.. ZoLIIcoFFER obtained tho floor.
Mr.. LANE. With the permission of Il
gentleman will make one more remark
have not a particle OF doubt that the pop
; G@laton OF Oregon IS fully up 10 the preseI
ratio OF congressional representation II 81
is kept out now, when she again has an o,
portunity to come in she will be here wit
only one Representative, vet with a popul;
ton OF three hundred thousand Can vo
now, upon any principle Of justice, refuse he
admission? She has the right now to claim I
come IN as State. / satisfied that tn
good sense of this Honse will do her justice
and allow her, under the laws, the privilege
She is entitled to-
Mr.. CURTIS. Does the gentleman conside
that Oregon has the population necessary
under the English bill, for admission into III,
Union?
DIR. LANE. | do. If | were not satiefrC
thai Oregon stands here with sufficient pop
ulation. might. perhaps, say that that bash
ought to be varied. As general rule how.
ever, think that in the admission of new
States we ought, in TIE future, pretty faith.
fully to observe the ratio Of reprcsen tation
AIR. ZoLLIcoFFER. Mr.. Speaker, do not
propose to occupy The time Of the House but
for few moments AS a member IF the
committee On Territories. it became my duty
to give thist1uestOn a careful examination.
did so; aud III a minority report presented
to this House, gave the reasons for the con-
ciusion to which | had arrivcd-ihat Oregon
onght not to be admitted at this time az a
state, into the Union. IL was my purpose to
examine the question free from all Marty
blas and am sure | was free from all dis
position to put up or to put down any politi-
Cal party OF the country. 10y the course
might pursue. examined it with a strict
regard to great principles involved which
are, In my judgment, OF vast consequence 10
inc permanent wcll-bciug Of this country
Ihat report having treated concisely the more
important considerations in this question [
neg leave to append il to the report of nv
remarks; and shall endeavor, as far as prac-
tlcc5le, TO avoid touching upon the points
therein discussed.
As to the question Of population I con-
sldered 1t with reference to the most reliable
data before the committee. What were these
most reliable and authoritative facts? We
had before us the latest official census taken
IN oregon, and the official statements made
before the committee by the Senators and
Representatives elect, who are directly in
trrested III favor OF bringing Oregon into the
Union. What do these authorities show |
The last census. taken in 1855 SO. shows that |
the population was then but fortv-threo thon- |
sand four hundred and seventy-two Though |
IN re mas been no census since taken vet there |
are other important facts in this connection
al ihe Tune the census was taken showing a |
population Of but little over forty-three tbou
Congress, and also vote upon the question
or adopting a constitution in the first of
winch ten thousand one hundred and twenty
one votes were polled, and in the last nine
thousand two hundred and sixtv-one. Two
years after, in 1857, another vote was taken
Ior Delegate and upon the convention qnes-
>uon, and the total vote was nine Thousand
one hundred aud thirtv-three in the first and
niue thousand two hundred and nfnctv-sjx in
the last. Thus we find that there was no
Increase OF the popular vote from 1855 to
1857. ~
Again, another vote was taken last year
lSoS-and what does il disclose? The total !
V'te at the State election, IN June last was ]
between alevcn and twelve thousand Have
these FACTS no Significance? From the cleo {
tlons OF lSJ5-56. when the whole population I
was but forty-hrec thousand four hundred $
and seveniy-two. To the election Of last Junr
there was but very slight Increase in the t
total popular vote. Does not sucb a fact a
stand ont III bold relief. and does il not s.
argue powerfully against the conclusion that ! I,
there rs now population equal 10 the ratio a
OF representation! But I now turn IN tbo o
written statements filed before the committee 81
by the members elect, interested in th. adj Il
mission OF Oregon. One of the Senators and d
the Representative elect made To IA n written al
statement: and do they there assert thai b
Oregon has population equal to the ratio ri
OF representation? They do not. They make II
n vague statement that the population must | M
be between eighty and hundred Thousand in
Inere Is very vide margin there, and il l. IN
very iar rom a statement that there is in nj
! c' hIhety-thrce thousand four hundred and tn
twenty. These gentlemen are honorable men. fo
md II they felt satisfied that Oregon had a ",
population equal 70 the ratio of r.Dresant, 81,
lion, thay would have said so. en-
we had another official statement beCore tb
is-that OF the honorable gentleman who Tc
low sits mere as the Delegate from Oregon. 81
nd who, If Oregon comes ia, will take g, seot sci
n the Senate. (And allow me 10 Sat bora III,
u parenthesis, that for that gentleman nor IN
onalIy Gave the highest consideration and eli
should De personally gratiiicd to see him in To
nc senate OF the United Stttes) But what Law
oes ne siateE He thinks the population of to
,regoh rs very nearly equal to 10 the ratio to
representation. very nearly c2u1l" H. the
conscientious gentleman. III. was NO, MIA
ming To make IA statement oniciuuv h.f,r, ! sni
le committee which he did not feel sati.ficd y
as correct. What we want is the evidence oer
lat the population is in fact fully canal n the
lat of Congressional district. CHI
1 nave acted on such data as this I bavo nd,
1I gone into round about calculations. based 10
pom the taxable property of the Trrr,tor, \
come to conclusion as to what its NOM. der
ton H. l am, therefore, convinced tbnt for,
ere Is not particle of proof before the que
or The House which ought for , sho
ohent' To make AN impression on its mind yot
Al Tue population of Oregon is. in truth
Iuai " tue ratl" ct represen alton. II that n E,
%, WY ousn' we not To observe and fol- ton
W the general usageS of the country ,,i,L N
spect to the admission Of new States mat
iSht we not To respect the fact that. of The WIFI
ieteea states heretofore admitted into the ORE
liou' "ot Que OF them, with the solitary ex- as
P' i o' ft"rlda' and that having the re- viii,
SlT P"Puiauoh NJ The time Of application. laid
: "I ,. WIN population OF less than be a
,,;.'in, % tppresehttlon at the time OF p"pl
- 0'' any gentleman conlrovert was
Mr.. LANE. Had Illinois, when she was al Of I
tted. population equal e. the ratio of re sens,
sen'auoh! California had very much a Stt
p it mi
NJ; LoLLdCoFFER Illinois had the rcquisite TO III
'".auJn, 80 had California The gentle have
. Is mistaken. Two years ago had ne- eign,
ION To investigate the question ana p,5, her.
'PVIt Whlch now turn to, aud which /. cons
eu on oiile'al papers found among the ar ers "
yes 81 government. hold myself ready 20 ha
'F9 nv ron o'heal documents. that, at the Of c,
.,;i''o'c wa admitted into the Union - Up
ratio of representation then h In, h,, natn,
ty-hve thousand-she had a nopulntlon aT State
ty-nVe thousand two hundred and ,i.ycn Fe,ir
'.S'"S 70 tue United States census Of lS2O Il mn
10 nor prove mat la the satisfaction o. have,
gentleman, viii yield tae whole cas-, that
49,, !, =" "''"''''" "neh TIE ratio of re- pend
0u'H,'on WIS seventy Thousand. She to eu
had population OF nincty-two tho,,s- this C
hve hundred and nincty-scvcn. that ,
r. McouEEN. BY the permission of In, ment
lemen from Tennessee, / will say: | know, is Iba
que VI ,le grounds on which the admis- whetl
{ VI S"lhorhIa Was opposed was that who
!. y tne constitution oi Califaruia, ftumet with |
'ne military coavennon, was Referred pol,u,
10 TIE people. there were but thirteen nies
sand votes cast fer It's ratification. who h
ZOIIIfaIt-4p I a. ]