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of the great tropical staples, amounting annually in value to nearly $300,000,000, the fund which stimulates and upholds almost every other branch of its industry, commerce, navigation, and manufactures.
The whole, by their joint influence, are rapidly spreading population, wealth, improvement, and civilization, over the whole continent, and vivifying, by their overflow, the industry of Europe, thereby increasing its population, wealth, and advancement in the arts, in power, and in civilization.
Such must be the result, should Great Britain succeed in accomplishing the constant object of her desire and exertions — the Abolition of Negro Slavery over this continent — and toward the effecting of which she regards the defeat of the Annexation of Texas to our Union as so important.
Such were the grounds on which
France was asked to give her sympathy and moral support to the Annexation of
Texas to this country.
On the 19th of December,
Mr. John B. Weller, of
Ohio, by leave, introduced to the
House a joint resolve, providing for the Annexation of
Texas to the
United States; which was sent to the Committee of the whole.
Mr. John P. Hale, of
New Hampshire, then also a Democrat, proposed (January 10, 1845), an amendment, as follows:
Provided, That, immediately after the question of boundary between the United States of America and Mexico shall have been definitively settled by the two governments, and before any State formed out of the territory of Texas shall be admitted into the Union, the said territory of Texas shall be divided as follows, to wit: beginning at a point on the Gulf of Mexico midway between the Northern and Southern boundaries thereof on the coast; and thence by a line running in a northwesterly direction to the extreme boundary thereof, so as to divide the same as nearly as possible into two equal parts, and in that portion of the said territory lying south and west of the line to be run as aforesaid, there shall be neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.
And provided further, That this provision shall be considered as a compact between the people of the United States and the people of the said territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless by the consent of three-fourths of the States of the Union.
Mr. Hale's motion that the rules be suspended, to enable him to offer this proposition, was defeated — Yeas 92 (not two-thirds) to Nays 81.
Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll, of
Pa., reported (Jan. 12), from the
Committee on Foreign Affairs a joint resolve in favor of Annexation, which was sent to the Committee of the Whole January 25th, the debate was brought to a close, and the following joint resolution adopted — that portion relating to Slavery having been added in Committee, on motion of
Mr. Milton Brown (Whig), of
Tennessee:
Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled, That Congress doth consent that the territory properly included in, and rightfully belonging to, the Republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the State of Texas, with a republican form of government, to be adopted by the people of said Republic, by deputies in Convention assembled, with the consent of the existing government, in order that the same may be admitted as one of the States of this Union.
2. And be it further resolved, That the foregoing consent of Congress is given on the following conditions, and with the following guarantees, to wit:
First.
Said State to be formed, subject to the adjustment by this Government of all questions of boundary that may arise with other governments; and the Constitution thereof, with the proper evidence of its adoption by the people of said Republic of Texas, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, to be laid before Congress for its final action, on or before the 1st day of January, 1846.
Second.
Said State, when admitted into the Union, after ceding to the United States all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and navy yards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defense, belonging to the said Republic of Texas, shall retain all the public funds, debts, taxes, and dues of every kind, which may belong to, or be due or owing said Republic; and shall also retain all the vacant and unappropriated lands, lying within its
