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
