The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-17
me frIeestdsnr,s veto lIes,ssnlge Of NE

1 ing is the Presidents message vetotng
the Colorado Admission Billi
Tothe Senate of the United States:
i return to the Senate, in which House
| it originated, the bill which has passed
both Houses of Congress, entitled an
act for the Admission of the State OF
Colorado into the Union, with my oh.
jectfons to its becoming a law at this
time.
LIST. From the best information which
1 have been able to obtain, I do not con-
slider theestablishment of a State Gov
eminent at present necessary for the
welfare of the people in Colorado. Un-
der the existing Territorial Govern
lnent all the rights, privileges and in.
terests of the citizens are protected and
secured. The qualified voters choose
their own Legislature and their own
local officers, and are represented in
Congress by delegate of their own Sc
lection. They make and execute their
own municipal laws, subject only to
revision by Congress, an authority not
likely to be exercised unless in
extreme or extraordinary cases.
The population is small, some eStt-
mating it as low as 700; while the adj
vocates of the bill reckon the number
at from q, OO0 to 10000. The people are
principally recent settlers, many or
them are understood to be ready for
removal to other mining districts be-
Yond the limits of the territory, II cir
CumstanceS shall render them more
inviting Such a population cannot
but ind relief from the excessive taxa
ton of the territorial system which de-
wolves the expenses of the Executive,
Legislative and Judicial departments
upon the United States, is for the pres
ent continued. They cannot but find
the security of person and property in
creased by their reliance upon the Ma
tional Executive power for the mainte-
nance oflaw and order against the dis
turbance necessarily incident to all
newly organized communities.
I'd. It is not satisfactorily established
that majority of the citizens of Colo
RADIO desire or are prepared for an eN-
exchange of Territorial for State
government. In September, 1864, under
the authority OF Congress, an election
was lawfully appointed and held, for
the purpose of ascertaintng the views OF
the people upon this particular ques-
ton; 1872 votes were cast, and OF this
number a majority of 1852 was given
against the proposed change. In Sep
TENDER, 1865, without legal authority,
the question was again presented to
the people of the Territory, with a view
of obtaining a reconsideration of the
result of the election held in compli-
ance with the act of Congress, approved
March 2Ist, 1884. At this second cleo
ton 5,9O5 votes were polled and u small
majority of 1856 was given in favor of IL
State organization. 1t does not seem
to me entirely safe to permit this last
mentioned result, SO irregularly obtain
ed, to outweigh the one which had been
legally obtained in the first election.
Regularity and conformity to law are
essential to tho preservation OF order
and stable government, and should, as
far rs practicable, always be observed
in the formation of new States.
Sd. The admission of Colorado at
this time as a State into the Union ap-
pears to me to be incompatible with the
public interests of the country, whileit
is desirable that Territories, when
sufficiently matured, should be
organized as States. Yet the
spirit of the Constitution seems to re-
quire that there should be an approx
InaLion towards equality among the
several States comprising the Union.
No State can have less nor more than
two Senators in Congress. Tie largest
State has population of four millions,
several other States have Il population
exceeding two millions, and many 9th
ers have a population exceeding one
million, If this bill should become
law, the people of Colorado, thirty
thousand in number, would have in
the House of Representatives one menu
Der, while New York, with a popula-
ton OF four million, has but thirty-one.
Colorado would have in the electoral
college three votes, while New York has
have in the Senate two votes while
New York has no more. inequalities
of this character have already occurred,
but 1t is believed none have hap
pened where the inequality WAS
so great. When such inequality
have been allowed. Congress is sup
posed to have permitted 1t on the
grounds of some high public necessity
and under circumstances which prom
ised that it would rapidly disappear,
through the growth and development OF
newly admitted States, was In regard
to the several States in what was FORM
erly called Northwest territory lying
east of the Mississippi river. Their rap
i'd advance in population rendered it
certain that States admitted with only
one or two representatives in Congress
would in very short period be enti-
tied to n great increase in repre-
sentation. So when California was
admitted on the ground of COM
mercial and political exigencies it
was well foreseen that that State was
destined rapidly to become a great,
prosperous and important mining and
commercial community. In the case of
Colorado am not aware that any ma
tional exigency, either of a political or
commercial nature, requires a depar-
ture from the law ofequality which, has
been SO generally adhered to in our his
tory. If the Information submitted in
connection with this bill is reliable,
Colorado, instead of increasing has de-
clined in population. AT an election
for members of territorial legislature
held in 1861, 1850 votes We're cast; at
the election before mentioned in 1854,
the number was Il, 1872, while at the reg
ular election held in 1855, which is as
sumed as basis Of Legislative action at
this time, the aggregate mum Der of votes
was 5,905. Since really anxious for the
welfare and prosperity of every Terri
tory and State, as we'll as for the pros
perity and welfare OF the whole Union,
I regret this apparent decline of popu-
lation in Colorado; but it is manifest
that It Is due to emigration which is
going on from that Territory into other
REGIONS within the United States which
are richer, or in fact are believed by
the inha bitants of Colorado to be richer,
In mineral wealth and agricultural re-
sources. If, however, Colorado has not
really declined i'll population, another
authority of Congress, would place the
question beyond doubt, and causes but
little delay in the ultimate reception of
the Territory as State if desired by
the people. The tenor of these obtec-
tions, first furnishes the reply which
may be expected to an argument in ia
vors of the measure derived from the
enabling act which was passed by Con-
gress on the 2lst day of March, 1864,
although Congress then supposed that
the condition of the Territory was such
as to warrant its admission as State.
The result of two years experience
shows that every reason which existed
for the institution of Territorial in
stead of State Government in Color
4. 1faHlf