Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/146

110 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS in a message that, for thoroughness of investiga tion, breadth of thought, clearness and cogency of argument, far excels any of the state papers to which he has put his name. The conflict between the friends and opponents of slavery was also a prominent feature of Presi dent Folk s administration, and was being con stantly waged on the floor of congress. During the second session of the 39th congress the house attached the Wilmot proviso to a bill appropriat ing $3,000,000 for the purchase of territory from Mexico, as it had been appended to one appropriat ing $2,000,000 for the same purpose at the previous session. The senate passed the bill without the amendment, and the house was compelled to con cur. A bill to organize the territory of Oregon, with the proviso attached, passed by the latter body, was not acted upon by the senate. A motion made in the house of representatives by a southern mem ber to extend the Missouri compromise line of 36 30 to the Pacific was lost by a sectional vote, north against south, 81 to 104. A treaty of peace hav ing been signed with Mexico, February 2, 1848, after a series of victories, a bill was passed by the senate during the first session of the 30th congress, establishing territorial governments in Oregon, New Mexico, and California, with a provision that all questions concerning slavery in those territories should be referred to the U. S. supreme court for