Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

187 Journal of House of Representatives, W. T., August, 1840,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

2 Records of the Journals of House of Representatives,

2 Record of the Journals of Council, W. T.

65 Maps of Wisconsin,

1 Colton's map of Indiana,

11 Pamphlet maps,

I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true catalogue of the Books belonging to the Territorial library.

Madison, Feb. 14, 1842.

Librarian.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

JOHN S. ROCKWEL, Chairman.

Document P.

MESSAGE OF IIIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR, RELATIVE TO THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN MICHIGAN AND WISKONSAN.

To the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wiskonsan:

It is ascertained that a part of the western boundary of the state of Michigan, as prescribed by the act of Congress of the 15th June, 1836, is an impracticable line, there being no such natural boundary as is therein described. The Lake of the Desert does not discharge its waters into the Montreal river. It having therefore become necessary to designate a new line, I avail myself of the occasion to present the subject to the notice of the Assembly, that such measures as are proper may be adopted to procure the recognition by the Government of the United States of the boundary which was established between Michigan and Wiskonsan in the year 1805. To effect this, perhaps the best authority will be the admission and arguments of Michigan herself.

On the 26th of January, 1836, her Legislature passed an act entitled "an act to enable the people of Michigan to form a constitution and state government," in which Michigan sets forth her own right, and thereby admits, so far as she is concerned, the right of Wiskonsan to a line to be drawn from the southerly bend of lake Michigan to the northern extremity of said lake, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United States.

That act declares that, "whereas it is ordained and declared, in and by the ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States north-west of the river Ohio, passsed by Congress on the 13th day of July, 1787, that certain articles therein contained, "shall be considered as articles of compact between the original states and the people and states in the said Territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless by common consent:"

And whereas it is stipulated in and by the fifth of the said articles of compact, that there shall be formed in the said territory not less

than three, nor more than five States; and that the boundaries of the three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan:'

And whereas it is stipulated in the said article that the said three States shall be bounded on the north either by the territorial line between the United States and Canada, or the said east and west line: And whereas Congress has not admitted the said three states into the Union, according to the boundaries mentioned in the said article: And whereas it is provided in and by an act of Congress, entitled 'an act to divide the Indiana territory into two separate Governments,' approved January, 11, 1805, as follows, to wit:

See. 1. That all that part of the Indiana territory which lies north of a line drawn east from the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, until it shall intersect Lake Erie, and east of a line drawn from the said southerly bend, through the middle of said Lake, to its northern extremity, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United States, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate territory, and to be called Michigan.'

Sec. 2. The inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to and enjoy all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages granted and secured to the people of the Territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio, by the said ordinance.'

And whereas, it was the right and privilege of sixty thousand free inhabitants within the limits of Indiana, according to said ordinance, to form for themselves a permanent constitution and State Govern ment;

And whereas, the same right and privilege is granted by the act aforesaid to the people of Michigan, whenever there shall be sixty thousand free inhabitants within the limits mentioned in the said act:

And whereas, it is ascertained, under the authority of an act of the Legislative Council, passed on the 6th day of September, 1834, that there now are eighty-seven thousand two hundred and seventythree free inhabitants within the limits prescribed for Michigan by the

act aforesaid: Therefore, for the purpose of enabling the free inhubitants of the said Territory to secure to themselves the rights and privileges guarantied to them by the said ordinance and acts of Congress

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, That the said free inhabitants of the Territory of Michigan, as the said Territory was established by the act of Congress, entitled 'an act to divide the Indiana Territory into two seperate Governments,' approved January 11, 1805, that is to say, all that territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, east of a line drawn from the said sontherly bend, through the middle of said Lake, to its northern extremity, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United States, and west and south of the said boundary of the United States, be, and they are hereby authorized to assemble to choose delegates in the manner and at the time and place hereinafter mentioned, to form for themselves a constitution and State Government upon the principles and according to the provisions contained in the ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States north-west of the river Ohio, adopted in Congress the 13th day of July, 1787."

Delegates were elected under this act, who met in convention and formed a Constitution, which was subsequently adopted by the people of Michigan, for the district of country which was embraced within the limits of the territory "as established by the act of Congress of the 11th of Januury, 1805." This is the language of the constitution. The inhabitants of the country beyond those limits were not -nor had they an opportunity to be represented in the convention which formed that constitution, nor has it been adopted by them. It is manifested from the provisions of the ordinance that they belonged to the Fifth State to be formed in the North-Western Territory, and that Michigan, as a "State" in the Union, had no jurisdiction over them. This was the doctrine of Michigan, until she was admitted, and I think it was correct. J. D. DOTY.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Madison, Feb. 16, 1842.

Document Q.

MEMORIAL OF CHARLES C. SHOLES RELATIVE TO
PRINTING.

To the Legislative Assembly of the territory of Wisconsin:

Your memorialist would respectfully represent, That at the last session of the Assembly, he was appointed to do the incidental printing of the House of Representatives: and that in payment for this work, and for the printing of Journals of the former sessions, he received, under an act of the Assembly, Territorial Certificates, issued by the Secretary of the Territory. One provision of this law, it will be recollected, was, that no territorial creditor should receive more than two certificates, for each item of appropriation. The items of appropriation to your memorialist were but two or three in number, and these principally for heavy amounts. The number of certificates he received, therefore, was small, and he could not, consequently, use them in payment of his hands, and for numerous bills contracted in the prosecution of his business, without getting them exchanged for : smaller certificates, or getting them cashed in the currency of the country. The first your memorialist was unable to do: and the last he was compelled to do. He exchanged his certificates, to a great amount, for Michigan paper; and this he was compelled to pay out to his hands, and also to apply in payment of other debts. To his workmen Michigan money was paid and received for the value expressed upon its face, and many of them, in order to use it for the necessary purposes, were compelled to submit to a ruinous shave. In the payment of debts contracted abroad, for paper and other materials, to enable him to do the printing of the Assembly, your memorialist was necessitated in the first place, to submit to a shave of two per cent, to get a certificate of ten or twelve hundred dollars cashed, in Illinois funds, and in the second place, to pay eight or ten per cent. advance in order to place these funds on a par with specie or eastern money, and induce his creditors to receive them. His loss on some of the certificates, therefore, was twelve or fourteen per cent.

« AnteriorContinuar »