Mr. ASHL JY, of Ohio. On the 24th March, 1864, the Congress of the U.S. passed an enabling act authorizing the people of the Territory of Coloradopto form a constitution and State government prior to their admission into the Union. Enabling acts were also passed for the Territories of Nebraska and Nevada. I drew up those enabling acts and introduced them into this House; but finding that the ComTerritor would not be reached in time for action on them in the Senate during the 2nd session of the 37th Congress, I carried them to the Senate and had them introduced there, and they passed that body; but this House failed to pass them at that session. At the 1st session of the 30 8th Congress the same bills or enabling acts were again introduced into both the Senate and House, and became laws. The bill authorizing the ieople of Coloradopto form a constitution and State government became a law, as I have said, on the 24th of March, Mini. M object in drafting and urging the passage of ose enabling acts was 2 old: one to establish anew principle in the admission of States into this nion, negativing. so far as I could in the enabling acts, the old idea of State rights; the other to secure the vote of 3 more States, in case the election of president and VEEP in the year 1804should come to the HoRep. At the time those enubing acts were passed it was not thought expedient by the party to which I belong to prescribe the qualification of electors in the constitutions of the States which were authorized to be organized and admitted into the Union. The people of Colorado, in the constitution which they formed in pursuance of that enabling act, and which constitution they rejected, prescribed that none but white persons should be electors within the State. The State of Nevada, having accepted the conditions prescribed by Congress, was admitted into the Union, with a provision in her constitution precisely like the one now objected to in the constitution of Colorado. At that time the people of Colorado voted against the proposition to become a State. But last year the people of Colorado of all parties called upon the several committees Representing the State and the antiState organizations, and also the Democratic organization, and asked them to make an independent move for a State organization. While I was in the Territory they agreed upon a plan for electing delegates to a constitutional convention. In pursuance of the joint calls of those committees elections were held in that Territory, and a convention assembled which adopted a constitution in strict compliance with the provisions of the enabling act. That constitution was submitted to the people of Colorado, and by them adopted.