Erection of Louisiana into two Territories.
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill erecting Louisiana into two Territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof; and on motion to strike out of the fourth section, from the word “annually,” line fourth, to the words “United States,” line seventh, the words, “by the Governor, from among those holding real estate therein, and who shall have resided one year, at least, in the said Territory, and hold no office of profit under the Territory or the United States,” for the purpose of inserting the words following:
“The Governor shall lay off and divide the territory aforesaid into twenty-four convenient districts, from each of which districts there shall be chosen, annually, by the housekeepers resident therein, two of the most fit and discreet persons, who shall also be residents therein and landholders, and holding no office of profit under the territorial government, or that of the United States, and make a return of their names to the Governor, out of which number the Governor shall select twenty-four, to wit, one from each district. But if any of the districts should refuse or neglect to make such appointment for one month after the time appointed by the Governor for making the said elections, he shall then have the power of selecting from each district, so refusing or neglecting, one fit person for the purposes aforesaid.”
On this, a division on the question was called for, and that it be taken on striking out.
Whereupon, the yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the Senators present, on striking out, it passed in the negative—yeas 15, nays 14, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Adams, Anderson, Breckenridge, Cocke, Condit, Hillhouse, Logan, Maclay, Plumer, John Smith, Stone, Tracy, Venable, and Worthington.
Nays.—Messrs. Armstrong, Baldwin, Bradley, Brown, Dayton, Ellery, Franklin, Jackson, Nicholas, Olcott, Pickering, Potter, Israel Smith, and Samuel Smith.
Thursday, January 26.
Erection of Louisiana into two Territories.
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill erecting Louisiana into two Territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof; and a motion was made to amend the bill, by inserting the following as section eighth: