English Bill
Encyclopedia
The English Bill was an offer made by the United States Congress
to Kansas Territory
. Kansas was offered some millions of acres of public land
s in exchange for accepting the Lecompton Constitution
.
The English Bill was not a bribe to the degree that it has usually been considered to be, inasmuch as it reduced the grant of land demanded by the Lecompton Ordinance from 23,500,000 to 3,500,000 acres (95,100 to 14,200 km²), and offered only the normal cession to new states. But this grant of 3,500,000 acres (14,200 km²) was conditioned on the acceptance of the Lecompton Constitution, and Congress made no promise of any grant if that Constitution were not adopted. The bill was introduced by William Hayden English
(1822–1896), a Democratic representative
in Congress from 1853 to 1861.
On the August 21, 1858, by a vote of 11812-1926, Kansas resisted this temptation.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to Kansas Territory
Kansas Territory
The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....
. Kansas was offered some millions of acres of public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
s in exchange for accepting the Lecompton Constitution
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas . The document was written in response to the anti-slavery position of the 1855 Topeka Constitution of James H. Lane and other free-state advocates...
.
The English Bill was not a bribe to the degree that it has usually been considered to be, inasmuch as it reduced the grant of land demanded by the Lecompton Ordinance from 23,500,000 to 3,500,000 acres (95,100 to 14,200 km²), and offered only the normal cession to new states. But this grant of 3,500,000 acres (14,200 km²) was conditioned on the acceptance of the Lecompton Constitution, and Congress made no promise of any grant if that Constitution were not adopted. The bill was introduced by William Hayden English
William Hayden English
William Hayden English was an American politician from Indiana.William English was most famous for his role in the passage of the infamous, pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858...
(1822–1896), a Democratic representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in Congress from 1853 to 1861.
On the August 21, 1858, by a vote of 11812-1926, Kansas resisted this temptation.