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her boundaries, her population would now exceed one hundred thousand."

The doctrine is here, incidentally it is true, but at the same time distinctly put forth, that the question of the annexation of the " disputed tract" should be left entirely to the people of that district, to be settled by them as a matter of right.

To this opinion we must offer our une ivocal dissent. As legislators, as guardians of the rights of the ple of the Territory of Wisconsin, it is clearly our duty to protect their interests, and not to barter or dispose of them to strangers. In the opinion of some, that district has been taken from Wisconsin against both law and justice, and greatly to our injury. If the step in the first instance was a violation of our rights, it would be but adding to the wrong, now that it is despoiled of its value and degraded from its independence, to have it thrust back upon us without our consent.

The committee then respectfully protest against leaving the question of annexation to be settled by the people of the disputed tract, and for the following reasons, to wit:

1st. The people of Wisconsin have never asked that it should be left to them, but repudiated in 1840, an attempt of the Legislative Assembly to submit this same question to their decision and compelled it to repeal the resolutions under which it was to have been so submitted.

2nd. The disputed district, in common with the rest of Illinois, is heir to a public debt of 19,000,000 of dollars, of which their share would be about $3,500,000.

3rd. The population of said district is more than double that of this Territory, which would leave us in the minority and subject us entirely to their government.

4th. A connection with these people at this juncture, would subject us to various injurious changes in our policy touching works of internal improvements, the building of harbors on our lakes, and in the location of our Capitol.

5th. It would unsettle, disturb and destroy the now well-balanced political power and relations of this Territory, and establish a new combination of such power, and a new political centre, beyond and without the bounds of this Territory.

In brief, such annexation at this time, would deprive us in Wisconsin of all power, Legislative or Executive. The disputed district would frame our State Constitution, make our Governor and Judges, elect our majorities in the Legislature, Senators and Representatives in Congress, levy and collect our taxes, project and locate our public works, disburse our public moneys, and in fact do and perform all the acts and functions of the State Government.

Without then, surrendering any right we may have ever had to that country, whenever it can be returned to us free from debt, and on equal and just principles of representation, your committee can not recommend the annexation at present.

The following resolutions are respectfully submitted for the consideration of this House, to wit:

Resolved, As the opinion of this House, that the "time has not yet arrived when it is expedient to adopt measures preparatory to a change in the form of government of Wisconsin."

Resolved, That our present Territorial Government is suited to our condition: that we ought to adhere to it till we have population sufficient in our present limits to entitle us to one representative on the floor of Congress.

Resolved, That the question of annexation of that part of the State of Illinois, generally known as the "disputed tract" to this Territory, ought not to be submitted to and settled by the vote of the inhabitants of that tract alone, but should be decided only with the advice and consent of the people of Wisconsin.

Resolved, That such annexation ought never to be made, until that tract is discharged from its share of the Public Debt, as a part of the State of Illinois, nor until the population of Wisconsin shall be equal to that of said tract.

Respectfully submitted, in behalf of the committee.

MADISON, January 11, 1842.

A. G. ELLIS, Chairman.

The following message from the Governor by his private Secretary, was received, to wit:

"To the House of Representatives,

of the Territory of Wiskonsan:

"In compliance with the request contained in the resolution this

day adopted by the House, I have the honor to communicate herewith copies of the treaties concluded by me, as commissioner on the part of the United States, with the several bands of the Dakota nation, on the 31st July, and 11th August last.

"A copy of my report to the Secretary of War, of the 31st July last, explanatory of the former, is also respectfully submitted. "J. D. DOTY. "Executive Office, Madison, January 10, 1842."

On motion of Mr. Rockwell,

Ordered, That the report and resolutions do lie on the table, and that three hundred copies thereof be printed.

Mr. Brunson moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the House dispensed with the reading of the report of the loan agent, and by which it ordered five hundred copies of said report to be printed, which was agreed to.

The report was then read, when

Mr. Rockwell moved that it be referred to the committee on Internal Improvements, and that two hundred copies thereof be printed. And pending the question thereon,

Mr. Ellis moved that the report do lie on the table; which was disagreed to.

Mr. Barber moved to amend the motion to print, by striking out "two" before the word "hundred," and inserting the word "four" in lieu thereof; which was agreed to.

The question was then stated to be on the motion of Mr. Rockwell as amended, when Mr. Ellis called for a division of the question. The question was then taken on referring the report to the committee on Internal Improvements, and was decided in the affirmative. And the ayes and noes having been called for by Mr. Gray, it appeared that the House had unanimously voted in the affirmative. The question then recurred on the motion to print four hundred copies of the said report,

When Mr. Ellis moved to lay the motion on the table; which was disagreed to.

The question was then taken on the motion to print four hundred copies of the said report, and was determined in the affirmative.

And the ayes and noes having been called for by Mr. Gray,
Those who voted in the affirmative, are

Messrs. Barber, Batchelder, Bond, Brazelton, Brunson, Darling, Eastman, Giddings, Jenkins, Mills, Ogden, Parkison, Parmelee, Ray, Rockwell, Shepard, Sutherland, Tripp, and Newland, speaker, 19. Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Brown, Ellis, and Gray, 3.

Mr. Brunson, agreeably to previous notice introduced the undermentioned bills, which were severally read the first and second times,

to wit:

No. 7. "A bill for the punishment of idle and disorderly persons." No. 8. "A bill to organize certain towns in the county of Crawford."

No. 9. "A bill to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors to the soldiers of the United States' Army."

The last named bill was referred to the committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Barber gave notice of his intention on a future day, to introduce bills of the following titles, to wit:

"A bill to change the name of the town of Watertown, in the county of Jefferson."

"A bill to establish an additional place of holding elections in the town of Bark river in the county of Jefferson."

"A bill in addition to an act to provide for laying out and establishing territorial roads therein named."-Approved Jan. 13th,

1840.

"A bill to authorize the construction of a dam across Rock river at Jefferson."

And then the House adjourned until 2 o'clock, P. M.

2 O'CLOCK, P. M.

The message received from Governor Doty, in the forenoon, submitting to the House copies of treaties made with the Dakota Indians, in reply to a resolution of this House, passed on the 10th inst. was read, ordered to lie on the table and be printed, together with the accompanying documents.

[See appendix, document I.]

Mr. Gray, by leave, presented two accounts of T. Eastman, for

printing; which were referred to the committee on Public Expendi

tures.

The undermentioned bill from the Council, was read the first and second times, viz:

No. 8, "A bill concerning the partition of lands."

On motion of Mr. Gray,

The House resolved itself into the committee of the whole House, Mr. Sutherland, in the chair, having under consideration bill No. 6, (C. F.) entitled "a bill to incorporate the trustees of the Platteville Academy;" and

After some time spent therein, the committee rose and reported the bill with an amendment.

Which was agreed to, and the bill ordered to its third reading. Mr. Brown, agreeably to notice given, and by leave, introduced the following memorial, to wit:

No. 1. "Memorial to Congress for the survey of a road from Fort Howard to Fort Snelling;"

Which was read the first and second times.

On motion of Mr. Brunson,

The House resolved itself into the committee of the whole House, Mr. Brown in the chair, having under consideration resolution No. 2, entitled "Preamble and resolution relative to a penitentiary," and after some time, the committee rose, reported the same with amendments; which were agreed to.

Ordered, That said preamble and resolution be engrossed and read the third time.

On motion of Mr. Brunson,

The House resolved itself into the committee of the whole House, Mr. Mills in the chair, for the consideration of bill No. 3, entitled "a bill to amend the several acts to provide for the support of common schools:" and after some time spent therein, the committee rose, reported the progress made in the bill, and asked leave to sit again thereon:

Which was granted.

Mr. Brown agreeably to notice given, and by leave, introduced a preamble and resolutions of the following title, to wit:

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