Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/395

 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

377

In the following January the matter was up again. An enabling act for the territory of Minnesota had passed the House (31 January, 1857), and Grow, chairman of the Com-

....

mittee on Territories, said, "The Committee have a bill similar to the this, agreed upon authorizing people of form to constitution a State and State Government; Oregon

but as gentlemen seem to be so

much

averse to giving this

authority, which is a mere form, (as the people of the Territory can meet in their Assemblies and form a Constitution, and

send it here, as well without this authority as with it), I will not therefore press this bill now." 7 The bill was, however, called up later in the day, agreed to by the Committee of the

Whole and

reported to the House. Like its predecessor this had not confined the right of voting to citizens of the United States only, and an attempt to insert that restriction bill

to 60) after Lane spoke against Lane, indeed, did not wish any change in the bill, unless should be in the part fixing the eastern boundary line at

was narrowly defeated (61 it.

it

W. Long., whereas, according to the Oregon Delegate, should have been at 118 W. Long. Two amendments were

120 it

adopted; one restricted to citizens of the United States the privilege of voting for delegates to the constitution convention the other eliminated a clause by which delegates to the

convention were to have voted on the question whether the people of the territory desired to form a State government before proceeding with their constitution making. An amendment to require the population to equal the ratio for one repre-

was rejected, and also one to strike out the allowed the proposed State to have ten secwhich provision sentative (93,420)

Letcher (Virginia) tions of public land for public buildings. been had that out appropriating money for Congress pointed

Oregon

buildings

public

unheeding

ears.

In

its

fell on was passed by

for years, but his protest

modified form, the

bill

the House. 7

The

senate

7 Globe,

was more accommodating

XXXVI,

519-23.

in the matter of a