,
George Blake, Josiah Quincy, James T. Austin, and others. The New York
Legislature passed resolutions against the extension of slavery into
the territories and new States; and requested the Congressmen and
instructed the Senators from that State not to vote for the admission
of any State into the Union, except such State should pledge itself to
unqualified restriction in the letter and spirit of the ordinance of
1787. These resolutions were signed on January 17, 1820.

On the 24th of January the New Jersey Legislature followed in the same
strain, with six pertinent resolves, a copy of which the governor was
requested to forward "to each of the senators and representatives of
this State, in the Congress of the United States."

Pennsylvania had taken action on the 11th of December, 1819; but the
resolves were not signed by Gov. William Findlay until the 16th of the
month. The Legislature was composed of fifty-four Democrats and twenty
Whigs, and yet there was not a dissenting vote cast.

Two Southern States passed resolutions,--Delaware and Kentucky: the
first in favor of restriction, the last opposed to restriction.

The effort to secure the admission of Missouri with a slave
constitution was not dead, but only sleeping. The bill was called up
as a special order on the 24th of January, 1820. It occupied most of
the time of the House from the 25th of January till the 19th of
February, when a bill came from the Senate providing for the admission
of Maine into the Union, but containing a rider authorizing the people
of Missouri to adopt a State constitution, etc., without restrictions
respecting slavery. The bill providing for the admission of Maine had
passed the House during the early days of the session, and now
returned to the House for concurrence in the rider. The debate on the
bill and amendments had occupied much of the time of the Senate. In
the Judiciary Committee on the 16th of February, the question was
taken on amendments to the Maine admission bill, authorizing Missouri
to form a State constitution, making no mention of slavery: and
twenty-three votes were cast against restriction,--three from Northern
States; twenty-one in favor of restriction,--but only two from the
South.

Mr. Thomas offered a resolution reaffirming the doctrine of the sixth
article of the ordinance of 1787, and declaring its applicability to
all that territory ceded to the United States by France, under the
general designation of L