The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-17
VOLUME %.
4ithmona 1ispatth.
Message from the President 'r" vs.
the Eiu Admitting Coi"ra"" ~ 1"

the Eiu Admitting C"i"ra"" ~
| State.
! To he Senate Of he United 'Sto'c%:
/ rc,pru to the Senate, in which II oriS'-
/ ,o,,d Tho hillwltich has passed both Houses
of Congress-. entitled "An act Tor the adin,S-
,;nr of thc State Of Colorado INTO tue
| Tnion with my objections to its becoming
u law II this time.
First From the best information which
( have been able 10 obtain, do not CON
slider the establishment OF a State govern
mcnt nj present necessary Tor the wci'arc
of the people "f Colorado. Under the cX-
iStjnc territorial government, all the rights,
privileges. and interests of the citizens are
protected and secured. The qualified vo-
tcrs choose their own legislators and their
own local officers, and are represented III
Congress by a delegate of their own Seiec-
ton. They make and execute their own
municipal laws, subject only to revision OF
Congrc>S--an authority not likely TO De
exercised unless in extreme or cXtraordi-
nary cases. The population is small'sohe
estimating il so low rs twenty-five thou-
sand, while advocates OF the blll reckon
the number at from thirty thousand to
forty thousand souls. The people are
principally recent settlers, many OF whom
are understood to be ready for removal to
other mining districts beyond the limits OF
the territory if circumstances shall render
them more inviting. Such population
cannot but find relief from excessive tax
alton if the territorial system, which de-
wolves the expense Of the executive, leglS-
lative, and judicial departments upon the
United States is for the present continued.
They cannot but find the security of per-
son and property increased by their reli-
ancc upon the national executive power
for til" maintenance of law and order
against the disturbances necessarily incl
dent TO all newly organized communities.
Second. 1t is not satisfactorily estab-
liShcd that majority Of the citizens OF
Colorado desire or are prepared for an eX-
change of Territorial for State govern
mcnt. In September, 1864, under the au-
thoritv of Congress, an election was law
/ fully appointed and held for the purpose
/ Of aSccr;aining the views of the people
upon that particular question. six thou
sand one hundred and nincty-two votes
were east and Of this number majority
of 3.lj2 was given against the proposed
change. In September, lSG5, without any
legal authority, the question was again
presented To the people of the Terri
tory with the view OF obtaining Il re-
consideration Of the result of the
election held in compliance with the
act of Congress approved March Il,
lSGi. At thi, second election 5,90j votes
were pollcd, and majority of 10 was
givrn in favor of State organization. 1t
veal ga
ccivc this last St-mcntioncd result, so nrcgu-
larly obtained, rs sufficient to outweigh
The one which had been legally obtained III
the first election. Regularity and con-
tormityto law are essential To the prcNcrNa-
sion OF order and stable government, and
should, as far rs practicable, always be OBJ
served in the formation OF new States.
Third. The admission Of Colorado M this
time as State into the Federal Union
appears to me Ia bc incompatih!c with the
public interests Of the country. hllc II
i desired that territories sufficiently ma
lurct should be organized aS States, yet
the spirit of the Constitution seems to re-
uirr that there should be an approNima-
ton towards equality among the several
States comprising the Union. No State
can have more than two Senators in Con-
urcss: the largest State has apUpulatiom "l
four millions, several OF the States have Il
population exceeding two millions, and
/ many others have population exceeding
one million.
\ population Of one hundred and twenty
seven thousand is the ratio of apporuon-
mrnt of representatives among the several
| States. If this bill should become law,
the people of Colorado, thirty thousand II
number, would have in the House OF Re.
prcsrutativcS one member, while New
York. with Il population of four millions
has but thirty-one. Colorado would have
in the electoral college three votes, while
New York has only thirty-thrcc. Colo.
RADIO would have in the Senate two votes
while New York has no more.
mcuualitics of this character have al
| ready occurred, but it is believed 1ha'
none have happened where the inequailty
was so great When such inequality has
been allowed, Congress is supposed to have
permitted il on the ground OF some high
public necessity, and under circumstances
which promised that it would rapidly dis
/ appear through the growth and develop
! mcut of the newly admitted State. Thus,
! in regard to the several States in what was
formerly called the "NorthweSt Territory,
living east of the Mississippi, their rapid
/ advancement III population rendered II
/ certain that States admitted with only on.
or two representatives in Congress would
in very short period be entitled to
Great increase of representation. so
I when California was admitted on the ground
of commercial and political exigcnclcS, II
! ,,a. ,rnll fnrnSnnp that that State wa.
destined rapidly to become great pros
porous mining and commercial commu
nifty. In the case of Colorado, | am no
aware that any rational eXigcncy, either
of n political or commercial nature, re-
/ ouircs a departure from the law OF cqualty
which has been SO generally adhered to II
our history.
/ If information submitted in connection
with this bill is reliable, Colorado, instead
of increasing, has declined i'll population
I Al an election for members of a Terrltoria
/ Legislature, held in 1861, ten thousand ilv'
hundred and eighty votes were cast. y
the election before mentioned, In 1864, th'
number Of votes cast was six thousand ONT
hundred and nncty-twO; While at the IRE
pular election held in 1868, which is as
|'Sumcd as a basis for legislative action a
! this time, the aggregate OF votes was nv
/ thousand nine hundred and five. Sincerely
anxious for the prosperity and welfare
every Territory and State, as well as Tor th'
prosperity and welfare tthe whole Choh,
regret this apparent decline ofpopulatlon II
Colorado. but it is manifest that II is due
to emigration, which is going out iron
that Territory into other regions within