The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-10-16
RHODE ISLAND LEGISLATURE.
JUNE SESSION-NEWP ORT.

JONE SESSION-NEWP ORT
Debate on the Bill for calling Conven
t'on to amend the Constitutional Charte
| OF Ais State.
CONTINUED
| Mr DoRR-At this advanced stage o
the debate, and after the patience Of tn,
House has been 80 long occupied with
The subject of the bill, feel il TO be al
indulgence on their part, while l ask thei
attention to some of the statements which
have. gust been addressed to them by tn,
member from Newport. That gentleman
has appended to his indiscriminate denun-
Citations something like an appearance Of
facts and it will not be amiss to show
you, as may be easily done, low far he
has been indebted for them ts his powers
oi fiction and the principle object have
IN rising at the present time is TO expose
the untairness with which he has misrep-
resented tho opinions and the proceedings
of those who support the constitutional
cause. 1t is to be regretted that any
thing was said about the success Of his
appeal, in certain Report, to the preju-
dices OF the people of the State. Receiv-
ing the remarks that were made MS COM
plmentary, and evidently pleased with
himself and his production, he has been
reading to US for long time past, an al
most interminable extract, which has lit
tic or no connection with the subject un-
der discussion. will read you one, MIR
Speaker, from the same Report, great
deal shorter and bitter ,and which cont aims
an important truth, however inconsistent
with other parts of that Report, and with
the language Of the member from New
port on this occasion, when it is not con-
venient to make any admissions concern
ing the Rights Of the People.
Report on Suffrage, p. 3. "The com.
mittce are confident that they shall ex.
press the sentmants Of the House, wher
they affirm, that the right Of suffrage, as
it is the origin mark this and basis o.
every free, elective government, so it is
the peculiar and exclusive prerogatve o
the people, and cannot, without infringing
that prerogative, be subjected TO any 9th.
er control than that Of the people them.
selves. If Representatives of the people
chosen for the ordinary purposes Of legls-
lation could assume control over this
right" as they have always done in this
State, from the beginn,ng1 "to limit, cur
tail, or extend it, ut will, they might, on
the one hand, disiranchse any portion
they pleased Of their own electors, might
deprive them of the power ever to ro-
move them, and thus reduce the govern
ment to n permanent aristocracy. Or,
should they take the opposite course, and
degrade the elective franchise by strip
ping it of all its necessary qualifications
and guards, then, instend of its remaining
"A great privilege and security, possessed
by the sound part Of the community, it
would become an instrument, in the
hands Of faction, leading straigh,way to
anarchy, and ultimately to despoti.m. A
State in which the elective franchise can
be thus controlled by any power out of
the people" as it always has been in II.
Island "cannot, with any ruth, be call
ed Republican. 1t is nothing TO say
that Legislature, chosen by the people,
will, it is to be presumed, act with view
to the interests of the people. So may
an absolute monarch rule wisely: but
they are not free people who hold their
rights at the discretion Of others, one or
more. The principle would remain the
same, whether there be written cons,itu-
tons, or not"
How difficult it is 10 avoid speaking out
IN some places or connection, or other
| (perhaps a remote one) the plain honest
truth, even though it make against one 3
interest.
Mr HAzARp-The gentleman don't
understand me. lie thinks there Is an
inconsistency where there is none. The
term people is used in different senses
When applied to the inhabitants of a
country it includes all the population,
black and white, male and female. But
when applied 10 those concerned in the
affairs OF government, il means the peo-
pie qualified to act in there affairs in
this State it means, in this sense, the free
men and in this sense, wns used by me.
Mr. DoRR-Let the member from New
port take oil the benefits OF his explana-
ton his definition does not defeat the
doctrine Of the extract that has been read.
lie admits that the people, the real peo.
pie, however defined, ought to hold in
their own hands the right OF suffrage, un-
subjected to Legislative control, as ''pe-
cuIiar and exclusive prerogatiye." Now
are the small body Of men who govern
this state by their votes, (and have
shown you that they are about one ninth
part OF the male population over twenty
one years Of age) in any just sense, the
real people Of the State, as they are
constituted by the oppressive systom
which the member from Newport is con-
tributing oil his faculties to maintnin p
But if this mere fraction arc the people,
.till because thew are few. are they any