736 



TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



kinds. Grapes of .the finest quality are also 

 produced in' great quantities. Iron, coal, and 

 suit have recently been found, and are believed 

 to exist in abundance. Although not as rich in 

 mineral wealth as its western neighbors Mon- 

 tana and Idaho Nebraska presents rare oppor- 

 tunities to the immigrant for success in the pur- 

 suits of agriculture, and its liberal free-school 

 system, which furnishes free schools for one- 

 half of the year, and will speedily the year 

 round, is far ahead of that of any of the 

 new States or Territories. The population of 

 Nebraska is estimated at about 90,000. Its 

 capital is Omaha City, which is situated on the 

 Missouri River, opposite Council Bluffs, Iowa, 

 and is the principal depot of outfit for west- 

 ward-bound emigrants. Omaha is also the 

 eastern starting-point of the Union Pacific Rail- 

 road, which traverses the central portion of the 

 State, running parallel with the Platte River, 

 which it crosses near the junction of the North 

 and South Forks, some 300 miles west of the 

 city, and beyond which point the road is now in 

 successful operation. 



By the completion of the Chicago and North- 

 western Railroad, across Iowa, from Clinton, 

 on the Mississippi, to Council Bluffs, opposite 

 Omaha, the broad and fertile valley of the 

 Platte the rich central portion of Nebraska 

 is brought in direct railroad communication 

 with the East and South, and the increase in 

 population and material wealth, which must in- 

 evitably ensue to the new State, cannot be over- 

 estimated. During the late war for the Union, 

 ' Nebraska furnished three regiments for the 

 Federal armies. 



The movement for admission into the Union 

 as a State was first agitated in 1863 and 1864, 

 and in March of the latter year Congress passed 

 an enabling act preliminary to such admission. 

 Under the provisions of this act a convention 

 was held, a State constitution adopted, which, 

 being submitted to the people on June 2, 1866, 

 was ratified by a majority of 100 in a poll of 

 7,776 votes, and a Governor, State Legislature, 

 and member of Congress all Republicans 

 elected. The Legislature so chosen subsequently 

 met at Omaha, and elected the Hon. Thomas 

 "W. Tipton and the Hon. John M. Thayer both 

 Republicans United States Senators. These 

 facts being certified to Congress, Senator Wade, 

 on December 5th of the same year, introduced 

 a bill for the admission of the State of Ne- 

 braska into the Union. It was at once referred 

 to the Committee on Territories, and by them 

 reported back on December 10th. After some 

 days spent in debate, the bill was, on motion 

 of Senator Edmunds, amended, so. as not to 

 take effect save upon the condition that 

 within the State there should be no abridg- 

 ment or denial of the right of suffrage, or any 

 other right, on account of race or color, and on 

 January 19, 1867, passed by a vote of 24 to 15. 

 In the House this amendment was stricken out 

 and one of Mr. Boutwell's inserted, and the bill 

 passed ; yeas, 103 ; nays, 55. The Senate sub- 



sequently concurred in the House amendment 

 by a vote of 28 to 14, and the bill was seat to 

 the President. On January 30th the Executive 

 returned the same, with his objections. The 

 only suggestion made to Congress in the mes- 

 sage was, that the conditions precedent to ad- 

 mission should be ratified by the people instead 

 of the Legislature. 



On the 9th February Nebraska was admitted 

 into the Union, as the thirty-seventh State, over 

 the President's veto. A statement of the con- 

 dition of the Territorial finances was made at 

 the opening of the Legislature. The cash ID 

 the treasury was $23,324.56; taxes for 1866, 

 due and collectable, $69,973.86 ; Congressional 

 appropriations, $45,000 ; delinquent taxes, $26,- 

 983.24; total assets, $165,281.66; total indebt- 

 edness, $85,471.44; possible losses and deduc- 

 tions, $18,000, leaving an undoubted surplus of 

 $61,810.22. A large part of the indebtedness 

 was in bonds having several years to run, and 

 the available surplus would therefore amount 

 to at least $90,000. 



The wheat and corn crops were very fine, and 

 large quantities of both were shipped to East- 

 ern markets. The increase of population is 

 very rapid, and it is estimated that at least 

 twenty-five thousand settled in the State 

 during the year. The capital, Omaha, as the 

 eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railway, 

 is fast growing in importance. In 1853 it was 

 the site of an Indian village ; in 1857, it had a 

 population of three thousand five hundred ; it 

 now has a population of ten thousand. It is 

 situated about midway between New York and 

 San Francisco, two thousand miles from each. 

 Since October, 1865, the company have con- 

 structed and are running three hundred and 

 thirty-five miles of road, westerly, and have 

 aided the Chicago and Northwestern Company 

 in building, since April last, one hundred and 

 thirty miles. They have also a contract for a 

 bridge over the Missouri River to connect 

 Omaha with Council Bluffs, and expect by July, 

 1867, to have their road in complete running 

 order to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, more 

 than half the distance to San Francisco. 



The Democratic Territorial Convention, 

 which was held at Plattesmouth, Nebraska, 

 September 12th, nominated J. Sterling Morton 

 for delegate in Congress, and A. Paddock for 

 member of the Fortieth Congress, under the 

 State. It also adopted a resolution, requesting 

 the President to appoint as Governor of Ne- 

 braska Major-General Corse. The Republican 

 Convention, which met at Brownsville on the 

 6th, made the following nominations : for mem- 

 ber of Congress, Major John Taffe ; delegate to 

 Congress, T. M. Marquette. 



October 9th the election was held for a mem- 

 ber and delegate to Congress and other officers, 

 with the following result : John Taffe (Repub- 

 lican), 4,820; A. S. Paddock (Conservative), 

 4,072. For delegate to Congress, T. M. Mar- 

 quette (Republican), 4,821 ; J S. Morton (Dem- 

 ocrat). 4,105. At the previous election in June, 



