Fremont Journal

Interesting Letter from Kansas.
Pawnee Kansas, Territory, July 7th, 1855.
Messrs. Editors:—You will, no doubt, be astonished at the new light thrown upon legislation, constitutional law, and the powers of Congress, by the Legislature of Kansas, which adjourned from this place yesterday, after a session of five days. The first bill introduced after the House was organized, was to adjourn the Legislature from this place to Shawnee Mission, or Manual Labor School, located about two miles from Missouri, near Westport.
Mr. Hutchinson, a free State member made a speech against it, arguing that the organic act authorized the Governor to locate the first legislature, and determine the place of holding its sessions—that they had no power to order the Governor to move his office and locate it permanently at the Indian School; government had been to the expense of fitting up a large two story stone building, sixty feet long by thirty wide, with suitable desks, &c.—and the citizens had been at much expense in preparing for their accommodation—and the officers at Ft. Riley had generously offered them what accommodations they should lack in the town, with a carriage at their service, free of expense, to take them to and from their place of meeting—he tho't it unwise, unnecessary, and contrary to the organic act making it a territory, &c. The Speaker, Mr. Stringfellow, said there was no use in spending time to discuss this bill. They had determined what course to pursue two months ago. They had told Gov. Reeder what to expect, &c. The bill finally passed. The Governor vetoed it. It was then passed by a two-thirds majority.
A committee was appointed to wait on the Governor and tell him the result. He replied, that by that act they had dissolved themselves, that he should not follow them nor take any further notice of their proceedings. They were no longer a legislature.
Early the first or second day of the session, a resolution was introduced appointing a committee on contested elections, with instructions to examine persons and papers. No seat was contested. No person was sent for. But on the second day after their appointment, the committee reported that they had a large bundle of papers put in their hands by the Governor concerning election frauds, &c., but they had not opened.
They had also concluded not to examine the persons elected at the May election, and holding seats by authority of the Governor's certificate, as they had determined before they came here, how to dispose of this matter. They would therefore recommend that all persons elected at the first election of March 31st, in Kansas, whether in the opinion of the Governor they were elected legally or illegally, should be entitled to their seats, and that all those elected at the second election should retire. This report was adopted. And the members holding free State principles were expelled without trial or examination.
One of them (Mr. Jesse) said as he had not been heard before the committee, he would state to the House that he was clerk of the first election, held in the third representative district. That early on the day of election, before many of the settlers had come in, a body of armed men from Missouri, numbering about three hundred came to the polls and took violent possession of the ballot-box. They drove away the officers appointed by the Governor, and put in some of their number. They then proceeded to vote in a pro-slavery delegation from the district. The people repudiated it, and the Governor set the election aside as illegal, and ordered a new one.— The result was that at the next election the free soil ticket was elected by an overpowering majority. And he had no doubt but that three-fourths of the voters in Kansas were for making it a Free State.
Mr. Wattles said as his days of legislation were drawing to a close, he must express his admiration to the House for the frankness and openness that had characterized all their proceedings. He thanked the chairman of the committee on contested elections for his frankness in disclosing to the House and the North, this new and unheard of method of dealing with persons holding contested seats. He also thanked the Speaker for his candor in stating that discussion on these questions was of no use, as they were determined on by the pro-slavery party two months ago, and they had told Governor Reeder so. He also thanked the House for expelling him from it as a member. They had fairly come out and made the issue. He was ready to take it up as they had laid it down, untrammelled and unembarrassed by any other question.
Shall Kansas be a Free State or a Slave State? Let the sovereign squatters of Kansas determine this.
It is to such a place as this that they want to go, where they can intimidate and overawe by violence, the legislation of our country.
This fall will be the time for emigrants from the free States to roll in. Bring clothing, sheeting, &c., and send plows. The question will soon be settled. Indiana can settle it alone.