Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-01-27
The Senate Oregon Bill.

"a lNcSuaE, lhc DeHdlc blIi IoI tlt H'ihiiN
sion of Greg III being reported to tn" Hons"
from the Committee on Territories, Mr.. Grow
made the following minority report:
F'icrs If Ninoruy If he CommiHcr on Ter
ritorics, on Mc oPplicaijon of Lts Pcoplr #
Oregon for admission iatoihe Jnion
BY section Sd. article 4th Of the Constitution
it is provided that " Ner Staics mgv be admt-
I'd by Congress INTO The Uaion.' The time
mode and manner Of admission are therefore left
by the Constitution wholly to the discretion Of
Congress In the exercise thereof States have
been admitted, some with, some without apre
viOus act of Congress authorizing the people Of
the Territory TO form a CONSTITUTIONS aud Statr
Government The Territories of the Union
have thus been transformed into States without
uniformity in the mode and manner Of nrcce
dure, and without any uniform rule "a TO the
number of populatiom-the whole subject Of
the propricty of admission having been left to
the discretion of Congress at the time of the
applications of the proposed State
The two Houses of Congress. however, at
their last session, declared in their action Oh the
application for the admission of Kansas, as a
State, that us then existing population was
sufficient for its immediate admission into the
Union as a SLire Safe but, fits people were
unwilling 10 come Into the Union with such a
Constitution, then they were aur hOriz ID TO elect
delegates to form Constitution and State
Government preparatory to their application
for admission, whenever, and nat hf0re it is
sscertained by a census dny and legally taken,
that the population of said Territory equals or
exceeds the ratio of representation required
e. nf bo ,c
OF the Congress OF the United States That
restriction upon the action of the people of
Kansas received the approval of the President,
and is law upon the statute-boak to-day
The President not satisfied with his official
approval Of the act at the time Of its passage,
takes occasion, in discussing the Kansas uueS-
tion in his ANIMAL Message, at the opening of
the present session of Congress, to say relative
TO the admission Of Kansas as a State. that
surely IL IS nal HRre ISonqbic 10 require Me
peope Of hansas 10 1cau. bef0rs mqking 4 Hira
attempt, until tie nHmJer cf their iah ,bitants
shIH amount 10 nlaety-fhrce M0HSand four hun
6rcd and tIcenig"
Had the reaSonabencss of this requirement
suggested itself to the President in his Message
transmitting the LecOmpton Constitution 10
Congress, much valuable time in the legislation
OF the country might have been saved aud a
dangerous sectional agitation avoided
The President in the same annual Message
further declares that any attempt by the peo-
pie of Kansas to form State Constitution
before the number Of their population reaches
the required amonnt, wOuid be Gin express
oxidation ofHe prOrisj0nS ot an act If Congress-"
and in the Judgment of the President therefore
could not lawfully be made Should it be at
tempted Judging the future by the past con
duct of the Executive towards the people of
Kansas, the President would declare it a case
of rebellion or treason, and the army of the re-
public would again be employed under the plea
of preserving :" law and order" to suppress
constitutional liberty in Kansas.
This is the first instance in the history Of the
Government, where Congress has declared that
the same population. which is recognized as
sufficient for Siats State, was not sufficient for
FIRE. State and the Chief Magistrate of the
republic not only sanctions such diScrimina-
tion, but aVoNS his readiness TO insist on it in
execution Of the laws so far as they effect the
people Of Kansas.
With this law on the Statute-book, and with
these official declarations of the President it is
proposed TO admit Oregon into the Union with
population less than the number required by
this law, and from the best sources of infor-
nation within the reach of your Committee not
exceeding if equal, to that of the Territory of
Kansas
The undersigned minority Of your Committee
are unable to appreciate the fairness or Justice
Of this kind OF legislation towards the people
OF different Territories, ana are unwilling to
give their sanction IN any way to a discrimina-
zion as to the amount Of population required
for Free or Slave State, and much less as to
the controlling political character of the pro
posed State. The applications for both Kan
sas and Oregon to he admitted into the Union
were presented at last session of Congress-
Neither had been authorized by a previous act
Of Congress to form a Constitution So that
in that respect they were both alike
As nearly as could be aScertained-noc census
having been taken in either since l855-there
was little or no difference as to the number of
their population. Each had elected ga State
Legislature and other oficcrs," and so far they
were alike prepared to enter the Union. The
only real difference that existed in the two cases
prior to the application for either was, that
Oregon had Territorial Government not M
satisfactory to her people, and Legislature
chosen by her own citizens, while the Territorial
organization of Kansas was usnrpaton by
fraud and force, and its political powers were
welded by usurpers and deSpots.
Without expressing any opinion as to the
propriety of restriction on new States as to
population, if general in its character, or as to
the necessity for any previous act of Congress
authorizing the formation Of State Govern
men, and without nquiring whether the Con.
stituton submitted by the people Of Oregon is
republican in form and consistent in its proyis,
ions with the guarantees of the Constitution OF
the United States, while the restriction on the
action of the people Of Kansas remains on the
statute-book, unless made of universal applica-
ton to al the Territories, the undersigned feel
~ ln:r ~ IL, -