The Portland daily press., 1867-01-30

cording to some statements, as high as $4,000,
and to none less than $4,000, and was growing
with a rapidly that by the time the ADMISSION
could be consumated would secure popuia-
ton of over hundred thousand. Inese rep
reservations proved to have been wholly falla-
cious. and in addition the people of the Tell
tory nv n deliberate vote, decided that thew
wonld not assume the responsibility of q State
governments By that decision they entirely
exhausted all power that was coferred by the
taken since in relation TO the admission that
has had the slightest sanction of warrant of
law. ..
The proceeding upon which the present
Application is based was in the utter absence
OF all law IN relation to it. There is no evil
dence that the votes on the question of the
iormatlonof State government bear any
relation whatever to the sentiment OF the
territory. The protest of the House of
representatives, previously quoted, is conclu-
sive evidence to the contrary. But if none OF
these reasons existed against this proposed
enactment, the bill itself, besides being uncoh-
stitutiona in its provisions in comforting pow,
er upon person unknown to the laws anu
who may never have a legal existance, Is 50
framed as to render its execution almost I'M
possihle IT is indeed a question whether it is
not in itself a nullity to say lhe lease u ~ oi
exceedingly doubtful proprlety 10 confer the
power proposed in the bill upon the Govenor
elect; for as by its own terms the constitution
Ia
the State he in the meantime has no more
authority than any other private citizen {
But even supposing him to be clothed with
sufficient authority to convene the legislature
what constitutes the State Legislature to which
is to be referred the question of the conditions
imposed by Congress? Is a new body to be
elected and convened by proclamation of the
Governor elect, or is it that body which met
more than year ago under the provisions of
the State constitution; By reference to the
second secuon OF the schedule and to
the eighteenth section of the fourth article
OF the State constitution it will be
seen that the term Of the members of the
House OF Representatives, and that of one half
OF the members of the Senate, expire on the
iirst Monday Of the present month. 1t is clear
that If there were no intrinsic objections to the
bill itself in relation to the purposes to be ac-
complished, this objection would be fatal, as it
is apparent that the provisions of the third sec-
ton of the bill to admit Colorado have refer
ence to period and a state of facts entirely
different from the present.; and affairs as they
now exist, if carried into effect, must lead to
confusion. Even if it were settled that the old
and not the new body were to act, it would be
found impracticable to execute the law, because
a considerable number of the members as am
informed, have ceased to be residents of the
Territory; and in the sixty days within which
the legislature is to be convened after the pas
sage OF the act, there would not be sufficient
time to fill the vacancies by new elections, were
there any authority under which they could be
held. 1t may not be improper to add thst the
proceedings were all regular. and the result to
be obtained were desirable, simple Justice to
the people of the Territory would require a
longer period than sixty days within which to
obtain action on the conditions proposed by the
third section of the bill. There are, as is well
known, large portions pf the Territory with
which theIe is and can be no general commu-
nicaton, there being several Counties which
from November to May can only be reached by
persons travelling on foot, while with other
regions of the Territory, occupied by a large
portion of the population, there is very little
more freedom of access. Thus if the bill should
become a law, it would be impracticable to OBJ
tain any expression Of public sentiment in ref
erence to its provisions with view to enlight-
en- the legislature if the old body were called
together; and of course equally impracticable
to procure the election of a new body. This
defect might haze been remsdied by an extern
sion of the time and submission of the ques-
ton to the people, with full opportunity to
enable them to express their sentiments. Aa
The admission of a new State has generally
been regarded as an epoch in our history; but
after the most careful and onxious inquiry on
the subject, I cannot perceive that the propos-
ed proceeding is in conformity with the policy
which, from the origin of the government, has
uniformly prevailed in The admission of new
States. L therefore return the bill to the SEN
ate without my signature. la le ,i.,5sef
aa -.-7.L 49, adj slqal ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, Jan. %, 1867. ,,ss $500. -ss