Both Houses continued in session far into the night of March 3d.  Sectional feeling ran high.  Two fist-fights occurred in the House and at least one in the Senate.[290] It seemed as though Congress would adjourn, leaving our civil and diplomatic service penniless.  Douglas frankly announced that for his part he would rather leave our office-holders without salaries, than our citizens without the protection of law.[291] Inauguration Day was dawning when the dead-lock was broken.  The Senate voted the appropriations bill without the rider, but failed to act on the House bill.[292] The people of California were thus left to their own devices.

The outcome was disheartening to the chairman of the Committee on Territories.  His programme had miscarried at every important point.  Only his bill for the organization of Minnesota became law.[293] A similar bill for Nebraska failed to receive consideration.  The future of California remained problematic.  Indeed, political changes in Illinois made his own future somewhat problematic.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 247:  This was Benton’s opinion; see Globe, 30 Cong., 1 Sess., p. 804.]

[Footnote 248:  Ibid., pp. 136, 309.]

[Footnote 249:  See remarks of Mason of Virginia, Globe, 30 Cong., 1 Sess., p. 903.]

[Footnote 250:  Ibid., p. 950.  The bill is printed on pp. 1002-1005.]

[Footnote 251:  Ibid., p. 1007.]

[Footnote 252:  Ibid., p. 1002.]

[Footnote 253:  Ibid., p. 1027.]

[Footnote 254:  Globe, 30 Cong., 1 Sess., p. 1048.]

[Footnote 255:  Ibid., p. 1061.]

[Footnote 256:  Ibid., pp. 1061-1062.]

[Footnote 257:  Ibid., pp. 1062-1063.]

[Footnote 258:  Douglas voted finally to recede from his amendment, Ibid., p. 1078.]

[Footnote 259:  Stanwood, History of the Presidency, p. 236.]

[Footnote 260:  Garrison, Westward Extension, p. 284.]

[Footnote 261:  Polk, MS. Diary, Entry for November 13, 1848.]

[Footnote 262:  Ibid.]

[Footnote 263:  See Douglas’s Speech of December 23, 1851.]

[Footnote 264:  Polk, MS. Diary, Entry for December 11, 1848.]

[Footnote 265:  Globe, 30 Cong., 2 Sess., p. 21.]

[Footnote 266:  Hunt, Genesis of California’s First Constitution, in Johns Hopkins University Studies, XIII, pp. 16, 30.]

[Footnote 267:  Polk, MS. Diary, Entries for December 11, 12, 13, 14, 1848.]

[Footnote 268:  Globe, 30 Cong., 2 Sess., pp. 46-49.]

[Footnote 269:  See the petition of the people of New Mexico, Ibid., p. 33.]

[Footnote 270:  Globe, 30 Cong., 2 Sess., pp. 190-192.]

[Footnote 271:  Ibid., pp. 192-193.]