“The Governor shall lay off and divide the territory aforesaid into twenty-four convenient districts, from each of which districts there shall be chosen, annually, by the housekeepers resident therein, two of the most fit and discreet persons, who shall also be residents therein and landholders, and holding no office of profit under the territorial government, or that of the United States, and make a return of their names to the Governor, out of which number the Governor shall select twenty-four, to wit, one from each district. But if any of the districts should refuse or neglect to make such appointment for one month after the time appointed by the Governor for making the said elections, he shall then have the power of selecting from each district, so refusing or neglecting, one fit person for the purposes aforesaid.”
On this, a division on the question was called for, and that it be taken on striking out.
Whereupon, the yeas and nays being required by one-fifth of the Senators present, on striking out, it passed in the negative--yeas 15, nays 14, as follows:
YEAS.--Messrs. Adams, Anderson, Breckenridge, Cocke, Condit, Hillhouse, Logan, Maclay, Plumer, John Smith, Stone, Tracy, Venable, and Worthington.
NAYS.--Messrs. Armstrong, Baldwin, Bradley, Brown, Dayton, Ellery, Franklin, Jackson, Nicholas, Olcott, Pickering, Potter, Israel Smith, and Samuel Smith.
_Erection of Louisiana into two Territories._
The Senate resumed the second reading of the bill erecting Louisiana into two Territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof; and a motion was made to amend the bill, by inserting the following as section eighth:
“That it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to import or bring into the said Territory, from any port or place without the limits of the United States, or to cause or procure to be so imported or brought, or knowingly to aid or assist in so importing or bringing any slave or slaves; and every person so offending, and being thereof convicted, before any court within the said Territory, having competent jurisdiction, shall forfeit and pay, for each and every slave so imported or brought, the sum of ---- dollars, one moiety for the use of the United States, and the other moiety for the use of the person who shall sue for the same; and every slave so imported or brought shall thereupon become entitled to, and receive his or her freedom.”