WILMOT PROVISO, an amendment offered in the United States Congress by David Wilmot (q.v.), 8 Aug. 1846, pending the con sideration of a bill placing $2,000,000 at the dis posal of President Polk to negotiate a peace with Mexico. The amendment was as follows: Provided, that, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted.
It was adopted in the House, and was un der debate in the Senate when the hour arrived previously fixed for adjournment c f the ses sion. At the next session (8 Feb. 1847) Wilmot again introduced it, and a fierce and angry contest began. The House remained
firm in favor of the amendment, and it was passed (15 February) by a decided majority. but was not acted on by the Senate. It caused great agitation throughout the country. The principle involved long continued to be an im portant factor in party politics, its influence being affected by many fluctuations of opinion and political action; and it may be said finally to have triumphed through the act of 19 June 1862 forbidding slavery in *any of the Terri tories of the United States now existing, or which may at any time hereafter be acquired.• Consult Stephens, 'Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States' (1868-70); Wil son, 'Rise and Fall of the Slave Power' (1872 77) ; Schouler, 'History of the United States of America Under the Constitution' (1899); Von Holst. 'Constitutional and Political His tory of the United States' (1899).