Mr. Adams also expressed the opinion that a constitutional amendment to provide for making- Louisiana a part of the United States would receive unanimous consent. He subsequently offered his services to the administration to support such a measure.
It now became necessary for Congress to provide a form of government for the acquired territory. A motion was made in the Senate, November 28th (Annals of Congress, 1803-1804, p. 1 06), for the appointment of a committee to prepare a form of government. This motion was adopted, December 5th, and Messrs. Breckinridge, Wright, Jackson, Baldwin and Adams were appointed as the committee. A bill was reported from this committee, December 3oth, which, after discussion and amendments, was passed by the Senate, February 18, 1804, by a vote of 20 to 5. When this bill came to the House it gave rise to animated discussion and met with opposition, not only from the Federalists, but from a number of staunch Republicans.
After important amendments, it finally passed March 17th by a vote of 66 to 21. These amendments were rejected by the Senate, and an amendment made by which the act was limited to expire at the end of one year. The House refused, at first, to recede from its amendments, but upon the report of the conference committee of the two houses, it was decided to yield, and the bill was passed March 23d and became a law by the President s approval, which was attached March 26, 1804. (Annals of Congress, 1803-1804, pp. 211, 223, 256, 1229, 1293, 1300.)
The opposition was caused by a sentiment that the act gave almost autocratic powers to the President. The test vote in the House, 51 to 45, shows that this opinion was shared by many Republicans. This power, however, was necessary to organize a territory foreign to American institutions, and to prepare the way for a permanent government, and it expired by its own limitation in one year.
Under the act, approved October 31, 1803, the President had already taken possession of the new acquisition.
