Tuesday, January 29.
Mississippi Territory.
Mr. Anderson presented the memorial of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Mississippi Territory, praying that the said Territory may be admitted as a State into the Union, upon the footing of the original States, and the memorial was read, and referred to a select committee to consider and report thereon by bill or otherwise; and Messrs. Anderson, Bayard, and Dana, were appointed the committee.
The memorial is as follows:
To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled: The memorial unanimously adopted, of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Mississippi Territory, in General Assembly convened, respectfully states, That by the articles of agreement and cession between the United States and the State of Georgia, an act for the amicable settlement of limits with the State of Georgia, &c., and an act supplemental thereto, the Government of the Mississippi Territory was organized and established, and "all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages, granted to the people of the United States, northwest of the river Ohio, by an ordinance of the 13th day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, were extended to the people of the Mississippi Territory:" And by the said articles of agreement and cession, it is provided "That the Territory thus ceded shall form a State, and be admitted as such into the Union as soon as it shall contain sixty thousand free inhabitants, or at an earlier period, if Congress shall think it expedient."
Your memorialists state, that although they do not pretend to have the number required by the said articles of agreement and cession, and the ordinance to entitle our Territory as a matter of right into the Union, upon the footing of one of the original States; yet, we hope that our numbers (as will appear by the census now taken under a law of the United States) are sufficiently respectable to induce your honorable body to admit the Mississippi Territory into the Union, as a matter of expediency.
Your memorialists conceive it unnecessary to detail the many reasons which might be adduced in support of their petition, but think it sufficient to say, that, as the people of this Territory are able to bear the expenses of a State Government with convenience to themselves, and at the same time will relieve the Government of the United States from the cares and expenses incident to the Territorial form of government; and that whatever views the form of government (under which they have, perhaps, not very patiently lived) for about twelve years, was formed, it is found from experience, to be unfriendly to republicanism; and is such a one as every American in heart is solicitous to be relieved from. We, therefore, pray your honorable body to pass a law authorizing a convention to be called, for the purpose of forming a constitution and State Government in the Mississippi Territory, to be admitted into the Union upon the footing of the original States.
Your memorialists, from a knowledge of your indulgence to the people of the Territories northwest of the river Ohio, when in a situation similar to their own, are sanguine in their expectations, that your honorable body will grant to them the prayer of their petition.
And they will ever pray, &c.
F. L. CLAIBORNE,
Speaker of the House.
ALEX. MONTGOMERY,
President of Legislative Council.
Attest: Wm. C. Winston,
Clerk House of Reps. M. T.