Page:Journal of the Sixth Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan.djvu/46

34 humbly conceive is established in the 5th article of the ordinance of 1787, and that it cannot be altered except by common consent.

The western and northern boundary line, as claimed on the part of Michigan, runs through the middle of lake Michigan, to the northern extremity of that lake; thence due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada, and by that line through lake Superior, the river St. Mary and lake Huron. The claim is founded upon the act of Congress, of January 11, 1805, establishing this Territory; which defined the boundaries and guaranteed to the inhabitants then living, or who might thereafter Eve within them, the rights, privileges and advantages granted and secured to the people of the territory of the United States north-west of the river Ohio, by the ordinance of 1787. The inhabitants of that part of the territory which is situated to the north of lakes Michigan and Huron have, at several sessions of Congress, presented their petitions praying that the fraction of the territory inhabited by them might not be made a part of the state of Michigan. The wishes and interests of the people of that district being fully admitted, we beg leave to submit to your honorable body the question, whether the boundaries established by the act of 1805 can be changed in compliance with the prayer of those petitioners.

The act of Congress of 1818 provides: That all that part of the territory of the United States lying north of the states of Indiana and Illinois shall be "attached to, and made a part of the Michigan Territory, and the inhabitants therein shall be entitled to the same privileges and immunities, and subject to the same rules and regulations, in all respects, with the other citizens of the Michigan Territory." Thus the western line was changed from the middle of lake Michigan to the Mississippi river, the old line became merged, and the rights of the citizens, whether political or civil, were declared to be equal, upon either side of lake Michigan. It would appear to be as competent for the inhabitants west of the lake to protest against a division of the Territory of Michigan, as enlarged and established in the year 1818, and claim their right to be admitted as a part of the State of Michigan, as it is for those east of the lake to revive the old line, or to comprehend so much territory as they may conceive to be most advantageous for their interests.

The bill which was first reported by the committee on territories, to establish the territorial government of Huron, so divided the territory as to leave the peninsula alone subject to the territorial government of Michigan.

The ordinance of 1787 granted to the states, whose boundaries were therein defined, the right to admission, whenever any of them contained sixty thousand free inhabitants. If the act of 1805 had,