This motion elicited considerable discussion, many contending that it infringed upon the principles of non-intervention by Congress.
Mr. Clayton, of Delaware, attached the following provision:
“Provided That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States.”
Mr. Chase then proposed to strike out the second section and insert a provision for dividing the territory into election precincts, appointing places of election, etc., so that the people conld choose their own Governor and Legislators. But the motion was defeated by 30 nays to 10 yeas.
The bill on coming from the Committee of the Whole was concurred in[1] by the Senate.
In the House Mr. Richardson, of Illinois, Chairman of the Committee on Territories, reported a bill,[2] for organizing Nebraska and Kansas Territories, similar to that reported in the Senate by Mr. Douglas.
This bill was referred to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, which was regarded as equivalent to its rejection. No further action was taken upon it until the 8th of May, when other bills on the calendar were laid aside and it taken up; whereupon Mr. Richardson offered the Senate bill as a substitute. An effort was made on the 11th to have the debate upon the subject close on the following day at 12 o'clock M., which occasioned a violent and protracted session of thirty-six hours. It was afterwards fixed that the debate should close on the 20th of May. During the discussion which followed, various attempts were made to insert a clause in the bill giving to the people of the territory the right to prohibit slavery therein through their appropriate representatives if they saw fit. On the 22nd of May, Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, made a skillful parliamentary movement
