Mr. WILSON. Mr. President, I have made this motion this morning in pursuance of a notice which I gave yesterday. colleague opposes it, as he has a right to do, a though he was one of the most prompt men in the Senate to tairo up the reposition to authorize Coloradopto do precise y what she has done. He voted not only to take up that proposition in preference to other business, but he voted for the bill to allow Coloradopto make a constitution and come here, and that bill authorized her to make this distinction or not to make it, just as she pleased. That bill did not even make a suggestion that she should secure equalit before the law to all her citizens. On the 3 day of March, 1863. my colleague voted that the people of the Territory of Colorado should be authorized to frame a constitution, and that the President should admit her into the Union, when she framed it, on his proclamation. He did not then propose to provide that she should not make this distinction. He never suggested it; he did not dream of it. All of us on this side of the Chamber, I think, voted for that bill; and had Colorado framed her constitution immediately, she would be in the Union to da just as Nevada is, for which he also vote Although I voted against takin up the proposition when my colleague vote to do so, yet when it was up, and we came to a vote on the passage of the bill, I voted for it; and the vote was 18to 17; but it was not passed until March 1864. Now, sir, the people of Colorado have availed themselves of the liberty which I gave them and which my colleague gave them, by our votes, and they have framed a constitution which they have presented here. I voted the other do. against that admission, butimust confess that in doing so I did not feel satisfied that I was dealing fairly with the people of Colorado. I do not think it is fair play, after we passed the bill, which we did pass in 1864, and after the most ente rising and vigorous men in that Territory, who agree with a majority of us in this Chamber, have framed a constitution, and came here for admission, for us to refuse their application on the ground of a distinction which they have made in their constitution, when we did not ask them to refrain from making such a distinction; when we imposed no conditions on them; when we did not suggest any. After this course of legislation it seems to me too late now to raise a question upon that point. That, sir, is my position. I have moved this reconsideration, and shall sustain it for the reasons I have stated. I am free to say, however. that I will vote for no more enablin acts to allow the people of any Territory to rame a constitution that shall make any such distinction. Under no circumstances whatever will I ever authorize any of the other Territo ries which have not yet had enablin acts, to frame a constitution which shall made such a distinction. We have advanced in the career of our proess to that position, and I think it will be disonorable in us to allow anything of that kind. We, however, gave this people an enabling act, in which we did not telIthem that they should not make this discrimination, and did not even sugglest it; and that enabling act came, too. from the men of this bod who profess to he the strongest in their devotion to the equal rights of man. Therefore, sir, I have made this motion, and I hope that this vote will be reconsidered. I do not wish to press a vote upon the bill if Senators desire it to go over until we can have a full Senate next week; and after the vote is reconsidered I shall not object to the postponement. I do not wish to crowd it down on anybody. But [have entered this motion. l y only objection before to the bill for the admission of Colorado was in regard to this very matter of which I have been speaking. As to the alleged irregularity in their proceedings, that is nothing to me. Manv of the States have been irregular, and the U.S. were irregular in the formation of their constitutions, butin the words of Mr. Madison, the vote of the people settled all those irregularities. As regards the population and condition of this Territory, I have received a letter from Professor Whitney. Few men of the country possess the knowledge that he possesses in regard to California and all the erritories in the Rocky mountain region. He is thoroughly acquainted with this Territory of Colorado, and in is letter to me he says: "I haye witnessed the result of the late vote upon the linedvminigsathioantohfe Colorado has a State with much regret, and believing that reports respecting her population. Mk have obpeuelnamtioande of Coloradoptbe deanyerisroanmeooures. abiding one than ever before and this summer will witnessan emigration there greater.probably. than that of any other previous year. Our own State. Mass u. chusetts.has probably morecapital invested in coloradoptoday than any other State and although you would hardly imagine it. there is scarcelya man of fwuenadlsth and position in this city who has not some person ianlvl vested in Colorado. You may believe inc that Colordo homesteads twlyhernicIhearssiunremyoinueorafml ebpeoliseitfe than any other section of our country. but such conviction iu mymind is theresult of personalacquaint ptaryce with the different mining sections of the counfor which preeminentrichnesshasbeenclaimed." He sends me also a work of his, in which he says of Colorado: ":She presentsaregion unequaledin its extent and of incaleulnble value; one that has all the resources and supporting auxiliaries of an empire, with water in abundance and vast fieldsof coal) and wood and ip exliuustihle veins of gold, silver. copper. antimony. tin. nickel, lewd.audiron; allof the essentialswhere with to erectand build and payfor. Her agricultural resources slope are sufficient to attract immense ob. I find in a work by Mr. Bowles, entitled “Across the Continent.” these words in regard, to this Territory and what he witnessed there:, "Never was progressin wealth. in social and political organization. in the refinement:of American homelife, more rapid and more marked than in the brief history thus far of Colorado. Soon she will enter the Union asa State. holdin not only the elements.but the acquiredrealities.o a noble and proud one and contributing largely. as she has steadily done. even as a Territory. to the common profit of the nation. From the beginningColoradohas always sent moregold to the East than she hasbrought back in goods; and she is destined to be permanently a profitable partner in the household." Toward the close of his book, on page 353, Mr. Bowles says: ta“kLinegoking back over our minin explorience and the aver e testimony O cat: district as equally reliabloflf find m self impressed with the superior richnessof the colorndo gold mines. Their ore averagedas uniformly 8100a ton. asthut of Nevada either Austin or Virginia or ofCalifomia does 50 dollars. The extraction is not as complete.be cause of the more intricate nature of the precious deposits; but means to overcome this. though perhaps at enlarged cost.seemed successfully initiated while we were there." In view of the fact that we passed an enabling act for Colorado, and that we imposed no restrictions upon them in regard to their action; in view of the condition of that territory, of its vast mineral wealth, and of the character of its population, I believe that its condition would be improved by admitting it into the Union as a State. As to this inequality of suffrage, we all know that it is wrong; we feel it now; and had we felt 3 years ago as we feel and see new, we should rob ably have inserted a provision in the enabling act of the Territory which would secure equality in this respect. I trust that such avision will be inserted in all future enab in acts. I do not think that the admission of Colorado will commit us or embarrass us in any action that we may take in regard to other Territories or in regard to any of the States of this Union. I shall, therefore, give my vote for this reconsideration, and shall then be willin to postpone the further consideration of the big.