Mr. HOWARD. I was speaking of the effect of the territorial statute under which the constitution of Nebraska was submitted for ratification by the people, and was endeavoring to show that the crime of erjur committed under that act would in all enli toned courts be held to be a legal crime, and was cognizable and punishable by the courts of the Territory. That was the point at which Iwas aimin when I was interrupted by the Senfrom I isconsin. He nowtells us that frauds were actually committed at that election. Whether thatbe the case or not, it is not possible for me to say; I have received noingrmation on the subject except such as is presented today by the honorable Senfrom Wisconsin; but I have this to say in that respect: ifthere were any illegal votes cast at that election, whether by soldiers or other persons, undoubtedly the territorial statute made some provision by which that mischief might have been, or ought to hove been, remedied. There must have been constituted in some way a tribunal by which the election returns were to be certified according to law. There must have been within the territory somewhere a board of election required by the territorial statute to pass upon the question of the legality or illegality of any votes that were thrown at that election. Can the honorable Senfrom Wisconsin say that this question was never raised before that election board? That board, and that alone, was authorized to pass upon this question; and if such a fraud were committed as that which he has represented to have been committed, and for which he seems willing to vouch, I ask him, why was not the question raised before the election board and a proper decision made according to the laws of the Territory and by judicial agents authorized to entertain and decide the question? We have a right to presume, in the absence of all proof to the contrary, that ever such question has been passed on, settled, and decided finally by the board of election to whom the returns were made; and it seems to me entirely too late in the day for Congress to enter into a question of that kind which ought to have been decided, and was decided if it was of sufficient importance to come before the board of election, by that board. Now, Mr. President, for aught that appears before us the election was fair, honest, and correct. On the one hand there were some 4,000 or 3, 900 voters whose votes were thrown in favor of the constitution which was submit ted to them, and a number less by about 100 were thrown against the constitutidn. There is a clear, an is uted majority out of about 8,000 voters in that Territory in favor of the ratification of the constitution and in favor of the admission of the Territory as a State of the Union. I have seen no case freer from legal doubt than this appears to be; and so far as I have seen, so far as I know, so far as the records and papers before us now tend to show I know of no case thatis freer from fraud an false voting than this seems to have been. There is, undoubtedly, a departure from the rule prescribed by the enabling act of 1864. The people of the Territory for some reason or other did not adopt a constitution as contemplated by that act. So far as that statute is concerne, it may be entirely disregarded disregarded for all other purposes except this: that in the opinion of 80ngress, in 1864 the time had come to give to the people of that Territory the privilege and faculty of forming a State government and of coming into the Union. This pledge we voluntarily gave them 2 years ago. 'lhey have substantially and faithfully responded to the invitation of congress to form a State constitution, and I hope that we shall admitthem. I hope that the condition of vassalage, that inconvenient territorial condition, of which every man who has resided in aTerritory any length of time will have seen great reason to complain, will now be removed, and that this intelligent, this enterprising community of pioneers will be relieved from these inconveniences and admitted to a full and complete fellowship as one of the sister States of the nion. I dislike territorial governments; it is the most degrading, it is the most inconvenient, and it is the most corruptin and embarrassing of all governments upon the face of the earth.