The Compromise of 1850 was a federal law created largely by influential congressman Henry Clay to address the increasingly divisive issue of slavery. Under the Compromise of 1850, California would be admitted as a free state (a state where slavery was not allowed), while other territories, such as New Mexico and Utah, could decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. The bill also contained other measures favorable to slave owners. Taylor opposed the measure and said that he would veto it if it came to his desk. He died before Congress passed the law. His vice president, Millard Fillmore, signed the measure into law.