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Show 35?, 'l'IIE AGlTATION I~ 1847-50. the following resoln1 ion R, Fmhmit Lr.d by Mt·. Dickinson on the 14th ultimo, came up: "ll<'solt f'd, 'l'hnt true policy r<'q uireR the government of the Uuite<l Stn.t s to streng'Lh<'n itH politi •al n.ud commercial rclat ions n pon this ('Oil t i ncn t, by tIt annexation of snch contiguous territory us nta.y COll(lllee to that eiHl, n.nd cnn be jnHLiy olJinin <1; and Lhnt. neith r in such ncquisiLion not· in tho t<'rrit.orin.l organizaLion thrrcof can any co ndi LiortH he consLitut.ionn.lly imposed, or im;t,it.uLion. be prov ided for or estublishe<l, inconsistent with Llte right of the people thereof to form o. free sovereign Late, with the powers nod privileges of the original members of the confo<l racy. '' ReRol C'd, 'rhat, in organizing n. territorinl government for Lerritorie: lJelonging to the Unitecl ..,LatcH, the principles of self-gov •rnmcnL upon which our ~·d crat ive 1-;ystcm re. ts will be best promotcll, the true Hpirit nnd m •nni11g of the Constitntion be observed, n.nd the ·on fed racy strengthened, by Je.n. vj n g nll q ~~ 'Sti ons concerning the <1 omestic pol icy tllorcm to thr Jcgtsla.tures chm.;cn by the people thereo f." Mr. Dickinson said :-rrhe sceond re elution declares that the principle or self-govemment upon which tho fedemtiv system n'H(S will be bcHL promot ed, the true spirit and meaning of the Constitution he oh:-;ervcd, and the confederacy strengthened, by len vi ng all q ucstions conccruin()' the domestic rcgulaLion of' territory Lo the 1 cgisl:tturc~ chosen by the people thereof. It must be conceded by all, that Congress bas no inherent power over this subject, and 110 more right to legislate concerning it than the British Pa.rJinmcn l, mtless such authority is delegated by the Con~Litution. The only clause of the Constitution which is supposed to confer upon Congress the rigltL to 1 gi~;ln.Le for the people of u territory, is as fo11ows : " Tllc Congress shall have power to dispose of, and make TJII~ AOFrA'rTOl'\ IN 18 !7-50. 353 all necdfnl rules anll regulations respecting the t rrilory or other propcl't.y belonging to the Unitecl Lutes," &c. In providing legisln.tion for tho Distriet of Columbia, o.nd fOl' plaCCH OCCII pieu by the n·ovet'lllllCll t of tho U ui ted SLates for fortificn.tious nncl other erections rccptircd by U1e public service, tho Constitution tllus confers the powor upon ongress : "To exercise exclusive legi:-;luLion in n.ll cases whu.Lover , iu snch diHtrict (not oxe 'eding Len mil 'H H(pmro) as mo.y, by the cession of particular tu.tcs, and the acceptance of Congress, become the sen.t of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over u.ll places pureha. ed, by the consent of the lcgiHlnture of Lho Slate in which the same :.;hall lJe, for the erection of forts, maga~ines, ar:cna.ls, <lock-ynnlH, and 0t her needful buildings." By the clo.u 'e of the ConsLiluLion fir:-;t o.bovo citccl, it is cvitleuL that territory is mentionetl in its mnteriul, nml not in its political sense, for it iH classed with "other properLy," anu Congress iH authorized to dispose of a ncl make all needful mlcs ntHl regulations respecling IJolh. !11 tho ollwr section they arc SC )Htr:tLcd, and Congress is uuthorized to legislate over all pln.c·cs occupied. for puiJlic Lructurcs, but no such a.ulhorit.y is extend ·cl to territory. 'J'hc l:.tng-uago of tho CousLitntion is that of great precision-free from repelition-rwJ every word was well weighed in its positive and relative sense. A ntl if i Ls framers had sn pposc<l the phrase "neecHul rules a11d re()"ulalions" au Lhorizccl l c gi~lation over places Lelonging to the United States, rwd usod for public Rcrvice, they '"·ouhl scare 'ly hn.ve authorized legislation over such places in express la.ngua.ge in another section. Again, in proviuing legislation for the Di t.ricL of Columl>in., ongress is authorized to "exercise exclusive lcgisluliou" over iL. Now, if the wor<.l~ " needful rules o.ud rcgnln.Lion ~" were deemed proper and n.pt la11guagc to confer legislative authority over tlt0 internal u.lfo.irs of a terri- 23 .. |