SENATE.] President's Protest.—Memorial from Boston. [MAY 8, 1 So the resolutions were agreed to, in the following form: the pious, to refresh the weary, and to attest to the whole world the respect which American Senators bear to it. The greatest mistake, said Mr. B., which a politician Resolved, That the protest communicated to the Senate can make, is to underrate the intelligence of the body of on the 17th instant, by the President of the United States, the people. It is also the most common and reiterated asserts powers as belonging to the President, which are mistake into which they fall. It was particularly the mis- inconsistent with the just authority of the two Houses of take of the present day, and of the present Senate. The Congress, and inconsistent with the constitution of the public intelligence had been manifestly and grossly un- United States. derrated in the great experiment which had been made Resolved, That while the Senate is, and ever will be, upon it. The credulity and the ignorance of the people ready to receive from the President all such messages is not what such an experiment presumes. Few among and communications as the constitution and laws, and the them who will not see, eventually see, and that with shame usual course of business authorize him to transmit to it, and resentment, the theatrical efforts made on this floor yet it cannot recognise any right in him to make a formal to alarm and agitate them. The time is at hand when protest against votes and proceedings of the Senate, dethis long list of "gorgon's heads and chimeras dire". claring such votes and proceedings to be illegal and unrevolution, bloodshed, seizure of the Treasury, union of constitutional, and requesting the Senate to enter such the purse and sword, invasion of privileges, overthrow of protest on its Journals. the Senate, war upon the bank, alarming doctrines of the Resolved, That the aforesaid protest is a breach of the protest-which have been conjured up, by the madness privileges of the Senate, and that it be not entered on of ambition, to deceive and distract the public mind, will the Journal. be viewed by the people at a distance with the same con- Resolved, That the President of the United States has tempt and indifference with which they are now witness-no right to send a protest to the Senate against any of ed here. At a distance, our theatrical exhibitions have its proceedings. been formidable; to those present, they were nothing but Mr. POINDEXTER gave notice that he should, on Fria grand farce, amusing some, flattering the hopes of day, call up the report of the Committee on the Rhode others; but deceiving nobody! not even the little misses Island Election. who came here with their matron mothers, and bearded sires, to witness the performances of the American Senate. But enough, said Mr. B., enough of this mortifying! retrospect. I close the debate on the protest message, and the deposite question, with announcing to the Senate the judgment of the age, and of posterity, which will consign to the most inglorious page of American history, the whole subject which has occupied our deliberations for the last four months. When Mr. BENTON had concluded— The Senate then adjourned. THURSDAY, MAY 8. PRESIDENT'S PROTEST. After the Journal had been read Mr. KANE rose and said, he had been unexpectedly absent when the vote was taken yesterday on the resolu tions submitted by the Senators from Mississippi and Kentucky, with the amendment of the Senator from South Carolina. He asked to be permitted to record his Mr. POINDEXTER said he had desired to deliver his vote on these resolutions; and at the same time remarksentiments on the subject, but that his desire to proceed ed, that, whenever a similar indulgence should be reto the legislative business was such that he should for-quested by any Senator, provided the question should rebear. He was willing to rest his vote on the arguments main unchanged, he, for one, would cheerfully accede which had been already offered, and on none with more to it. confidence than on the argument the Senate had to-day Mr. CLAYTON observed, that he should have no obheard from the gentleman from Massachusetts, for which jection to indulging the Senator from Illinois, were it not he accorded that gentleman his sincere thanks. He for the violation of an established rule. When the bill should therefore show his desire to expedite the legisla- commonly called the Force Bill was passed, two or three tive business of the Senate, by refraining from any obser- gentlemen were absent, who, the next morning, asked leave to record their votes in opposition to it. He sug vations. tions. The yeas and nays were then ordered on the resolu-gested these reasons for not according to the gentleman's request, though he did not believe it to be a matter of importance, as the vote could not vary the result. Mr. FORSYTH asked for a division of the question, and expressed a desire to make some remarks. Mr. BROWN moved that the Senate now adjourn. ordered. The question was then taken, on the motion to adjourn, and decided in the negative-Yeas 12, nays 27. Mr. FORSYTH then spoke at length, in reply to Mr. WEBSTER. Mr. WEBSTER briefly replied. Mr. MOORE said, he remembered that he was one of those Senators who, having been accidentally absent when the vote was taken on the Force Bill, were anxious to record their votes against it, and were refused the privilege of doing so. He was, however, not particular about the matter, though he thought the request ought not to be granted, as it would be a violation of an estab lished rule. If the Senate adopted the motion of the Senator from Illinois, he should make a similar motion to record his vote on a question taken when he was unex The question was then taken on the resolutions separately, when they were decided in the affirmative, as fol-pectedly absent. lows, the vote being the same on each of the four resolutions: YEAS.-Messrs. Bell, Bibb, Black, Calhoun, Clay, Clayton, Ewing, Frelinghuysen, Kent, Knight, Leigh, Moore, Naudain, Porter, Poindexter, Prentiss, Preston, Robbins, Silsbee, Smith, Southard, Sprague, Swift, Tomlinson, Tyler, Waggaman, Webster.-27. NAYS. Messrs. Benton, Brown, Forsyth, Grundy, Hendricks, Hill, King of Alabama, King of Georgia, Linn, McKean, Shepley, Tallmadge, Tipton, White, Wilkins, Wright.-16. The motion of Mr. KANE was then rejected without a division. MEMORIAL FROM BOSTON. Mr. BENTON presented a memorial from the city of Boston against re-chartering the Bank of the United States, and against the restoration of the deposites, and expressing the opinion that the affairs of the bank might be wound up without necessarily producing general embarrassment, or any evils the apprehension of which should prevent the National Legislature from discharging a great debt to the preslent age, and to posterity, by permitting that institution to MAY 8, 1834.] Memorial from Boston. [SENATE. expire upon the limitation of its charter. He said that the April. These importations for that brief period amountmemorial was very numerously signed, the letter which ac-ed to near eight millions of dollars. Upon this point, he companied it stating the number at upwards of three (Mr. B.) had the satisfaction to speak with certainty and thousand, and from his information and belief, comprised precision; for the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Taney, a mass of intelligence and respectability which entitled with a view to ascertain the specie resources of the counthe opinions expressed to the highest regard. Mr. B. try, had given orders for the weekly returns of specie said that he fully concurred in all the sentiments expressed imported and exported since the first of December last. by the memorialists, but that he would only avail himself These returns presented the gratifying result of about of the present occasion to present some considerations in seven millions eight hundred thousand dollars imported, favor of the concluding sentiment expressed by them. and less than a quarter of a million, to wit, $229,918 exThat sentiment was the expression of a belief that the ported. Here, then, was the void filled at once, or rathaffairs of the bank might be wound up, upon the expira- er provided for, before it occurred; and long before the tion of its charter, without necessarily producing any expiration of the charter, the importations of specie, and general embarrassment to the community. The belief, the product of our own gold mines, now estimated at thus expressed, by a body of citizens so numerous, so in- two millions per annum, will make up the deficiency, telligent, so respectable, inhabiting a great city, and pos- not once, but three or four times over. Mr. B. said that sessing ample means to judge of the subject, and solemn- a brief measure of legislation from Congress, if Congress ly addressed to the National Legislature, was itself an ar- could only find time to legislate, would supply the coungument, and a very strong one, in favor of the truth of try with an adequate currency of gold and silver; he their position. It was, however, susceptible of being alluded to the palpable object of raising the standard of sustained by extrinsic arguments; and of these, he would gold, and making foreign coins current at their fair present one or two to the consideration of the Senate. money value. These measures, the work of a few days' The winding up of the affairs of the bank, Mr. B. said,|legislation—if we could only spare a few days to the would affect the community at two points, namely: the business of the people-would fill the country with collection of debts due the bank, and the retirement of gold and with silver. They would increase the imits notes from circulation. He spoke first of the collec-portations, great as the importations now were, and tion of these debts, and said, that in addition to the two would retain in the country a great part of what was years allowed by the charter for the bank to use its cor- imported; they would also detain for circulation the porate faculties in collecting its debts, and closing its af-mass of our native gold, the whole of which was now fairs, the institution might take as much more time as it exported. Mr. B. therefore held that the memorialists pleased, by having recourse to the ordinary and well-from Boston were well justified in expressing the opinknown alternative of all corporations on the eve of disso-ion, that the dissolution of the bank, and the winding lution, that of creating trustees, and putting its affairs up of its affairs, would not, necessarily, produce any into their hands. All corporations acted in this way, that general embarrassment to the people of the United States. choose to do so. The first Bank of the United States After a few more remarks to show that the Bank of the had done so, and had not finished the collection of its United States had diminished the quantity of circulating notes in a dozen years after its dissolution. The present medium, especially in the South and West, by collecting bank might act in the same manner, and was certainly and carrying off more specie than she furnished notes, bound to do so after the extraordinary manner in which Mr. B. concluded by the usual motion to read, print, and that institution had increased its loans after it began refer the memorial. to have reason to believe that its charter might not be re Mr. EWING did not concur with the Senator from newed. There could, therefore, be no necessity for Missouri, in regard to the exportation and importation of oppressing the debtors to the bank by forcing them to specie. He had made the charge that the whole exportpay up their loans at the expiration of the charter. The ation of specie had been made by the bank; but the speavailable means of the bank would enable it to pay up its cie had not been exported without something returning deposites, and redeem its circulation, and the debts would in its place, and specie itself was an article of commerce. chiefly be used for the reimbursement of capital to the stockholders; and as these debts, when secured, would be bringing an interest to the stockholders, they would have no other inducement than other creditors have, to proceed harshly and rigorously against its debtors. As to regulating this commerce in specie, by law, Mr. E. thought that no laws could prevent it. They might cause the importation of silver to be greater than that of gold, or vice versa; but they could not prevent exportation; it had been attempted in other countries, On the next point, the withdrawal of the notes of the and wherever it had been attempted, it had failed. The bank from circulation, he, Mr. B., believed that the exportation of specie would have taken place, if the If there was community need not fear any necessary embarrassment Bank of the United States had not existed. from that measure. The amount withdrawn would prob-no bank, the merchants would export specie to pay their ably be much less than was generally imagined, and the debts. Now, the bank gave drafts on Europe to pay vaud, if any, might be filled-ought to be filled-and those debts, and had exerted an equalizing power; but probably would be filled, with something very prefera- the amount of gold and silver exported in a long series ble to any description of bank notes whatsoever. The of years would be exactly the same, whether or not the bank had about seventeen millions of notes in circulation; bank existed. The bank, however, had collected and and it had about eleven millions specie in its vaults. The exported cheaper, and on better terms, than would be difference was about six millions; so that a diminution of done by private merchants. Did the gentleman suppose, six millions was all that the community had to apprehend, if the bank did not exist, that specie would have remainas the eleven millions of specie now in the bank would all ed and circulated in a greater degree in the Western be paid out, either in refunding deposites, taking up notes, country. How was it before the Bank of the United or returning the capital to the stockholders. A diminu- States existed? Why, the specie was carried up the countion of six millions is all then that will have to be provi- try from New Orleans on pack-horses. It found its way ded for; and we have the facts in hand, said Mr. B., which eastward, and would do so again. The only difference authorize us to affirm that this diminution will be far more between the period to which he had referred and the than provided for by importations of foreign specie. present, was, that now it reached the East by a cheaper These importations, in the last five months-he might mode of transportation. It went there, and would consay four months, for some of the custom-house returns, tinue to go there, But the Bank of the United States especially that of New Orleans, were only to the first of had not exported all the specie. The State banks had VOL. X.-108 SENATE.] Memorial from Boston.-President's Protest.—Cumberland Road. [MAY 8, 1834. had their share in this matter. He did not know how it Mr. BENTON. He complained of the bank dealing in was at present, but last summer the State banks had car-coin, first, because it was a breach of the charter; secondried off the specie by wagon loads. The fact was, that ly, because it was a positive injury to the country, conwe exported articles from New Orleans which brought verting the bank into a great shaving shop for specie, and specie to that place, and imported articles at the Atlantic enabling it, by its capital and organization, to monopolize cities which required to be paid for in specie. Specie that article, to raise its price, to convert it into a comwould therefore always find its way from New Orleans modity of merchandise, and to export it from the counto the Atlantic cities. Take away the facilities afforded try. This was what the bank had done. Up to 1832 it by the bank, and the merchant would have to pay both had collected above forty millions of specie from the for the time and cost of transporting that heavy article, States where she had branches, and sold or exported a specie. The censure passed by the honorable Senator large portion of it. It had collected the greatest part of from Missouri was not just; he (Mr. E.) felt satisfied that this sum from the South and West, say twenty-three milthe honorable Senator had misunderstood the operations lions up to May, 1832, and several millions since. In of the bank. place of this specie carried off from the South and West, Mr. E. said that the Senator from Missouri had replied the bank had issued small notes and checks, chiefly five to statements which he (Mr. E.) had never made. He and ten dollar notes, and these had fallen into the current (Mr. E.) had stated distinctly that it was in the power of trade, and flowed to the northeast; so that the South of the people of this country to have either a gold or and West lost both their specie and their paper by the silver currency; but that they could not prevent the ex-operations of this bank. It may have issued fifteen portation of one or the other of these articles. He had or twenty millions of paper in the South and West, of said nothing to convey the idea that this country could not which very little now remained in those sections of the have a metallic currency. He had long known that the Union, perhaps not more than three or four millions, low price of gold was the cause which deprived us of it. while the specie taken away certainly amounted to twenThe honorable Senator from Missouri seemed to think ty-three millions two years ago, and probably amounted that he (Mr. E.) contradicted the fact, that a large to thirty millions now. Certain it was, that near a million amount of specie had been taken from the West. He had of specie was taken from New Orleans last winter, which not done so; he had admitted the fact, but had said that certainly depressed the money market there, and conif the bank had not taken the specie, it would have been tributed to that depression in the price of flour and bacon thdown in the ordinary way of commerce. which the Senator from Ohio [Mr. EwING] mentioned a The Senator from Missouri had also stated that the few days ago. Mr. B. did not complain of the specie amount of specie taken from the Western country was which went from New Orleans and the West in the course in addition to the amount carried away through the me- of trade; what was incident to commerce must be borne dium of commercial transactions. Where was the evi- with, and is not to be counteracted by law; but he comdence of this? Such a procedure was againt the nature plained of the Bank of the United States for adding its of things; was a violation of commercial principle, and vast operations to those of commerce, and carrying off required proof. He asked if the bank had never sold twelve or fifteen millions from New Orleans, which that bills payable in the Eastern cities; if the bank had not city ought itself to use and distribute through the chansaved merchants the expense of exporting specie. How nels of its own trade. These twelve or fifteen millions, was it? In the case of a simple mercantile transaction, thus taken off by the bank, diminished the ability of the the merchant bought drafts at the bank, with which he city of New Orleans to purchase Western produce, and paid his bills in New York or Philadelphia. Otherwise was thus an injury to the whole West. It also diminished he would have to carry the money by wagon, or by pack- the supply of specie at that place, from which place the horse, as the amount might require. The bank having Western country received those metals. Mr. B. repeat The memorial was referred and ordered to be printed. PRESIDENT'S PROTEST. sold its drafts to the amount of ten thousand dollars, sends ed, it was not of the operations of commerce that he comthe money through New Orleans, by steamboat, to Phila-plained, but of the operations of the bank, which had delphia. The country lost nothing by this, and he did engaged in the specie trade in violation of its charter, not see how that abstraction by the bank was over and and by its capital and organization, had deprived the above the regular mercantile abstraction. For this spe- South and West of, probably, thirty millions of specie, cie the Western country must have received an equiva-substituting a large issue of small notes and checks in lent. What was it? Why, the paper of the Bank of the place of that specie; these notes and checks had chiefly United States, which paper sold in his part of the coun- gone off to the Northeast; and thus the South and West, try at a premium for specie. But the honorable Senator by the operations of the bank, had suffered an actual had said that the bank had violated its charter by selling diminution of more than twenty millions of their circulaspecie. He was not disposed to discuss that subject now. ting medium. The question was, whether the country was injured by the transactions of the bank. The gentleman had asked whether he (Mr. E.) sustained the Bank of the United States in withdrawing specic from New Orleans. No, be Mr. CLAYTON, who voted with the majority on the rehad been complaining, all the winter, of the Executive jection of the motion of Mr. KANE, to allow him to record act which had compelled the bank to do so. his vote on the resolutions of yesterday, moved a recontleman had made a small mistake in his estimate of the also withdrawing his opposition to it; and after a slight The gen-sideration of the vote taken on that motion-Mr. MOORE settling of the affairs of the bank; he had forgotten eight discussion between Messrs. CLAYTON, MOORE, EWmillions of stock, which was held by parties in the West. That would be withdrawn; and it would be a long time ING, PRESTON, and CALHOUN, the Senate refused ere confidence would be restored in the monetary system. It would be restored in time-the wound would heal itself. Mr. E. understood the gentleman to blame the On motion of Mr. HENDRICKS, the Senate proceedbank for taking away specie, not in the course of trade, ed to the consideration of the bill for the continuation of and then taking its notes in the course of trade. The the Cumberland road-Yeas 15, nays 10. whole subject of complaint was, that the bank became the carrier of money from one part of the country to another, instead of another and a more expensive agent being employed. to reconsider the vote. CUMBERLAND ROAD. Mr. HENDRICKS moved to amend the bill by striking out the sum of $662,400 and inserting $652,130. After a discussion by Messrs. HENDRICKS, FORSYTH, PRESTON, WHITE, and SOUTHARD, MAY 9, 1834.] Cumberland Road.-Memorial from Rhode Island. [SENATE. Mr. SWIFT submitted as an amendment to the amend- and the just hopes and expectations of the memorialists ment, "that, as soon as the sums appropriated by this shall be realized, and they shall not only know, but feel, act shall be expended, the road shall be surrendered to their country's respect and gratitude. the States through which it passes, and that the United I will not detain the Senate with a recapitulation of the States shall not be subjected thereafter to any further statements of the memorialists, but will notice one fact expense on its account." only. They state that 50,000 cotton-spindles were stopThis amendment was then carried without a division, ped at the time of subscribing the memorial: at this time and the question being taken on the amendment as amend- a greater number are in that condition-100,000 have ed, it was carried; whereupon the bill was ordered to be tried the experiment, and now are standing still. The engrossed-yeas 21, nays 13, as follows: memorialists tell their own story, and have made several YEAS.-Messrs. Benton, Ewing, Frelinghuysen, statistical statements of great interest, which I move may Grundy, Hendricks, Kane, Kent, Linn, McKean, Poin-be read, and the memorial printed, and referred to the dexter, Porter, Prentiss, Robbins, Silsbee, Smith, South-Committee on Finance. ard, Swift, Tallmadge, Tipton, Tomlinson, Webster.-21. After some remarks by Mr. ROBBINS, the memorial NAYS.-Messrs. Black, Brown, Forsyth, Hill, King was read, referred, and ordered to be printed. of Alabama, King of Georgia, Leigh, Moore, Naudain, Mr. WEBSTER, from the Committee on Finance, rePreston, Shepley, Tyler, White.--13. ported the bill from the House of Representatives making On motion of Mr. POINDEXTER, the Senate took up appropriations for the army for the year 1834, with two the bill authorizing the relinquishment of the 16th sec-amendments; and moved that the Senate proceed to its tions of public lands granted for the use of schools, and consideration; which was agreed to. the location of other lands in lieu thereof: the bill being on its third reading, it having been laid on the table on motion of Mr. POINDEXTER. The amendments were an appropriation of $2,000 to certain Michigan militia, to compensate for the expenses of the late war with Black Hawk. Also, $700 to Captain McGeorge's company of Indiana militia, for services in the same war. The bill being considered as in Committee of the Whole, these amendments were agreed to. Mr. BENTON then offered an amendment, appropria ting $968 79 for arrearages of pay and subsistence to Col. A. R. Woolley. • Mr. WEBSTER had no objection to the item; but he thought it a case of claim, and preferred that it should be made the subject of a private bill. Mr. TIPTON was not opposed to the allowance, but he was unwilling to embarrass the military appropriation bill with a claim. It was Mr. BENTON explained the nature of the case. not properly a claim, but arrearages of pay, to supply an Military Committee, in accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary of War, to incorporate it in the general appropriation bill. The amendment was disagreed to, on a division: yeas 11, nays 16. Mr. KNIGHT said: Mr. President: I have been request-outstanding deficiency; and it had been submitted by the ed to present to the Senate the memorial of 2,238 mechanics and artisans of the State of Rhode Island, who feel the pressure of the times, perhaps, with as great if not greater severity than any other class of the community. The daily bread of many of them depends on their industry and employment. It is true that many of these memorialists have The rules being suspended, and the bill having been a habitation and a home-a shelter for themselves and fam-ordered to be engrossed, it was read a third time and ilies-but their chief means of support is derived from the passed. sweat of their face. It is also true that many of them are The bill for the preservation and repair of the Cumbernow unemployed, except to a small extent, compared land road was then read a third time and passed. with former years, and when employed, their wages are greatly reduced, and, consequently, their means of living more uncertain. On motion of Mr. HENDRICKS, the title was amended, by inserting the word "repairs," and striking out the words, "Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois," so as to leave the title "A bill for the making and repairs of the Cumberland road." Sir, these memorialists are among the most useful classes of society; their business, collectively, embraces almost all the useful arts of civilized life. Whatever is Mr. CLAYTON reported a bill, the object of which necessary or convenient, or adds to the comfort and hap- was, to reform the treatment and discipline of criminals piness of man, is the work of their hands. Among these sentenced by the United States courts, and confined in memorialists are inventors and projectors of many useful the jails and penitentiaries of the States. machines, now in use in the various manufactories of the Mr. WILKINS said there could be no objection to the country, and others are men who carry out the designs of bill. There was now a want of harmony between the the great geniuses of the age in which they live. With-treatment of prisoners sentenced by the United States out such men the inventions of an Arkwright, of a Watts, courts and those who were sentenced by the States. The and Fulton, would have been useless and almost unknown; criminals sentenced by the United States courts were now but by their skill and ingenuity the inventions of those allowed to go about the prison idle, and it was desirable great men have been improved and established, and are that they should be kept to labor, and treated in all renow the wonder and delight of the age in which we live. spects in the same manner as the other prisoners. It is deeply to be regretted that so much skill, ingenuity, and capital, should be paralyzed by the hand that should to be engrossed for its third reading. have fostered and protected them. Although suffer they The Senate then took up the resolution to meet at 11 have, and suffer they must, I hope and trust they will sur-o'clock for the remainder of the session. vive this wreck of matter, and that their ingenuity, skill, Mr. GRUNDY objected to the adoption of the resolu and industry, will not be lost to their country, nor to them- tion. The Post Office Committee, of which he was chairselves, but that the time will come when they will revive, Iman, were engaged in a most laborious and extensive in The bill was read a first and second time, and ordered SENATE.] Territory of Michigan. [MAY 9, 183 vestigation, and the time now afforded them was scarcely descent of property, and holds out inducements to young, sufficient for the purpose, and if they were compelled to men to emigrate to the West. Article 5 provides that the meet in session at eleven, it would be impossible for Northwest Territory shall be divided into not less than them to do what was necessary or expected of them by the Senate. Mr. TIPTON'S object was to facilitate business, and he thought most of the business now to be acted on was in the form of bills, but he had no objection that the resolushould be laid on the table. On motion of Mr. EWING, the resolution was laid on the table. The resolution setting apart Fridays and Saturdays, during the remainder of the session, for the consideration of private bills exclusively, was taken up for consideration, and after some conversation between Mr. WEBSTER and Mr. HENDRICKS, it was adopted. TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN. The Senate then proceeded to consider the bill authorizing the people of Michigan Territory to form a separate State Government. Mr. EWING moved to lay the bill on the table, as the Senate was thin, and the subject was important. Mr. TIPTON urged its consideration without delay, and asked the yeas and nays on the motion; which were ordered, and are as follows, to wit: YEAS.-Messrs. Brown, Calhoun, Clayton, Ewing, Frelinghuysen, Knight, Naudain, Porter, Prentiss, Robbins, Silsbee, Smith, Southard, Sprague.-14. NAYS.-Messrs. Bell, Benton, Black, Grundy, Hendricks, Hill, Kane, Kent, King of Georgia, Linn, McKean, Shepley, Swift, Tallmadge, Tipton, Tomlinson, Webster, White, Wilkins, Wright.-20. So the motion was decided in the negative; and the bill, and also an amendment submitted as a substitute for the whole bill, were then considered. three, nor more than five States, as Congress might deem Tennessee, 1796 45,365 1800 1803 20,845 1810 1812 1616 adm't that y'r. 1810 Mr. TIPTON said he would not disguise the fact, that he felt more than an ordinary solicitude for the passage of the bills admitting the people of Michigan and Arkan- Ohio, sas Territory to form constitutions, and for their admission Louisiana, into the Union of the States. His anxiety was increased Indiana, about 50,000 by having had charge of their applications from an early Mississippi, 40,352 1818 day in the session. It would be recollected by the Senate Kentucky, Alabama, Maine, and Missouri, when adthat he introduced bills for their admission some months mitted, had less than Michigan and Arkansas. Five Terago. These bills were referred to a select committee, of ritories were admitted on less population than these which he had the honor to be chairman. The committee Territories have, and four had a greater population. was divided in opinion, and the subject was suspended by Arkansas had 41,000 one year ago, and Miller county circumstances beyond his control, for months, and finally not included. a majority of the committee instructed him to report an amendment to strike out the bill from the enacting clause, an insert an amendment authorizing the taking of the cenThe census thus taken, is to be laid before Congress at its next session. sus. It is not a matter of surprise that the people of the Territories should be anxious to form State Governments. This is always the case. The Federal officers in the Territories depend upon the President and Congress for office and for emolument, and not on the real sovereigns, the This amendment, if adopted, would be dilatory in its ef- people; and, in his opinion, the people acted wisely in subfects, and would postpone the decision to one year. Tomitting to the burden of State Government, for the dearthis he hoped the Senate would not give its sanction. He est right of freemen, that of choosing their rulers. The had prepared an amendment authorizing the taking of the people of that Territory made application to the last Concensus by the United States marshals for each Territory, gress, but it was not acted on. Their Legislative Council and if there are 47,700 inhabitants, federal numbers, in sent us a memorial, and Mr. T. hoped the Senate would both or either Territory, the Governor is to lay off dis- not longer neglect to do these people justice. The tide tricts and order an election of delegates to form a consti- of population, like the tide of our Mississippi, he said, was tution. What could be said in favor of one of these continually rolling westward-nothing could prevent it. Territories might as truly be said of the other, and his We might retard the growth of the West, by refusing amendment, if adopted, placed the admission of both on them the protection of our laws, but it would progress equal grounds, depending on the contingency of each westward to and beyond the Rocky mountains. A large Territory having 47,700 inhabitants, the same population proportion of the emigrants of this day were graduates that entitles a like number to a representative in Congress from your colleges in the Eastern States, and nothing was from the other States. He was at a loss to see how the so animating to a young adventurer, as to know that as Senate could reject a proposition, in itself so just. The soon as he locates in a Western Territory, it will be admitordinance of July, 1787, for the government of the Terri- ted into the Union, and that he will be eligible to the tory northwest of the Ohio river, may be called the foun- highest office in the State. dation of good government in that country. This ordinance provides the means of education, regulates the Mr. T. said we might as well undertake to stay the hand of time as to prevent the growth and power of the free |