Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. President, I have been impressed with the arguments that have been urged against the passage of this bill; and if the question was a new one I could adopt those arguments and act upon them so far as my vote was concerned. But I desire to say in explanation of the course that I intend to pursue, that I shall vote for this bill expressly on the ground that congress has passed an en publing act authorizingt 1opeople of this Territory to form a State constitution. I know it has been said here, and there is force in the statement, that the enabling acthas exhausted itself, and that the people had no right to proceed to form a State constitution not in accordance with the provisions of that act; but the main objection made to the assnge of this bill is that the population of the erritory is insufficient. That, sir, was alegitimate argumeutto urge against the passage of the enabling act; and that argument was then adduced, or ought to have been adduced, to show that congress should not authorize the people of the crritory to form a State constitution. But congress at that time determined thatquestion, Congress then decided that the population of the Territory was Sufficient to authorize the people to form a State constitution; and I say that the people of the Territory had a right to expect lliat that question was settled by the action of Congress and now wheuIhis application is made for admission, they on ht uotto be met and defeated upon the groun that the population of the Territory is not sufficieut to authorize the formation of a State government. The facts that existed at that time have not substantially changed as I understand the statements that have been made here, although ref erence has been made to a vote to show that a vote given since the enabling act was passed is not as large as one give! prior to that time;, but that vote is a very poor criterion as to the actual population of the Territory, for in these Territories votes are controlled by accidental circumstances, and a vote one year me be double what it maybe another year, an all controlled by accidental circumstances. In a mining community, people under an excitement, as they often are in relation to mines, neglect to attend elections. Indian difficulties occur which render it dangerous to attend elections, and many circumstances of that kind occur which render it unsafe to rely upon a vote, in forming an opinion as to the number of the people. Now, sir, if the question before Congress at this time was as to whether an enabling act should or should not be passed, I would vote against the passage of an enabling act upon the facts that have been submitted to the Senate. But it seems to me that this enabling act is a continuin invitation to the people of that territory to form a State constitution. Congress has signified its readiness to accept this people as a State; it has decided that the Territory has sulficient population, and the mere failure to comply with t leparticular terms of the act is no substantial objection; it is an objection of a technical character or description. If the people were qualified in 1864 to form a State constitution, they are qualified at this time; and it seems to me that it would be treating this people unceremoniously at any rate, after this ena ling act has been passed, and upon the faith of that decision they have proceeded to form a State constitution and organized a State government, now to meet them when they apply for admission, and say, “You shall not be received because your population is not sufficient;” and that is the chief objection which is made to this bill. I therefore (so that my vote hereafter may not be construed into a precedent in favor of the passage of enablin acts for Territoriesin the condition of this erritory? desire to say that my vote is put exclusive y on that ground, and that if Congress will pass enabling acts under such circumstances they ought to be consistent and car out the policy7 which they have adopted. hen the people act upon the policy of Congress, congress oughtnot then to turn about and reject the people who received and acted upon what congress has done. 1 O bill was reported to the Senate without amendments.