The native American., 1838-05-05
R E MARKS
Mr.. RUSSELL, OF NEW YORK,


On the bill for the admission of Michigan as a
State into the Union: deliuerea Il. the House
Of Representatives, in Committee of The Whole
on the State Of the Union, at ii o'clock at
night, June 8, 1885,
Mr.. RUsssLL addressed the Chair as follows:
II is with reluctance, Mr.. Chairman, said Mr..
r., that rise at this late hour of the nghtto pro-
pose several amendments to the bill under con-
sideration; the period, and the circumstances
which have accompanied the bill in its progress
thus far, admonish me that the time allotted to
the consideration Of it is brief indeed, and that no
proposition to alter, change, amend it is to be
received or sanctioned by this committee. Yet
sir, | cannot but invoke the spirit of patriotism,
which even now fingers in this Hall, to come
forth to the rescue of our institutions from the
fatal consequences which the passage of this bill
aOiH have upon the peace and tranquility Of our
citizens, and nlay haze upon the permanency of
our Institutions Sir, to avert calamities like these,
is my apology for soliciting the attention Of the
committee even at this unreasonable hour. 1t is
my DESIRE sir, to prohibit aliens from voting at
elections to be holden in the Territory or State
of Michigan; and the amendments proposed will,
if adopted, secure that object and thus remove
one Of the Objectionable features Of the bill
Sir, while assure you the bill, in its present
form, cannot receive the sanction of my vote, i
desire to be understood entertaining no hostility
to the admission of Michigan as a State into the
Union; but, on the contrary, look forward will,
peculiar satisfaction to the period when Michigan
will stand forth with her sister States of the
North, and exhibit the proud pre-eminence which
their domestic policy secures to them. Fhe un-
authorized position assumed by her. in violation
of the spirit of our institutions, the Oste,fatiOus
and dictatorial manner Of her approach, demand
ing as right that which she should solicit as
matter Of favor; disregarding, too, the usual for
malities attending the admission of new States.
into the Union; the revolutionary position which
she has assumed, and even now occupies; the
tleliberation with which she has thrO,OH off the
guardianship Of the General Government, and
organized State sovereignty; and sir, not the
least Objectionable, the temper with which she
approaches you, as evidenced by the correspon-
dence with the officers of this Government ac-
companying this ostentatious demand Of admis-
sion into the Union-all these considerations pre-
sent subjects worthy of grave and solemn delibe-
ration, and should subject her to merited rebuke
at the hands Of this Government. But, sir, there
are considerations of more importance urged upon
you. as YOU advance with this investigatior-con-
siderations involving questions OF constitutional
po,oer and which should invoke the wisdom and
dispassionate deliberaton Of this committee. Two
questions arise, sir, out of this bill Tor the consl-
deration Of this committee: lst. DO the State
Governments or the Legislative Councils of the
Territories possess the poUer of comforting the
right Of suffrage upon aliens9 and, ID If they
have the power, it expedient to confer the right
universally and ndiscriminately upon that class
of our population, without subjecting them to the
ordeal of our naturalization laws!
Sir, I insist that no such right exists, and that
the exercise of it by the Territorial Council and
Convention in Michigan was without authority
and in direct violation Of the Constitution of the
United States.
From the documents upon your table, Mr..
Chairman, it appears that an act was passed by
the Legislative Council of the Territory OF Michi-
gan, in January, 1895, entitled '.An act to ena-
Bile the people of Michigan to form constitution
and State Government" By the first section Of
this act .sthe free inhabiants' Of the said Terri
tory were authorized to assemble and ''choose
delegates to convention to form for themselves
a constitution and State Government and the
election of delegates to the convention was to be
holden on the 4th day of April, 1888.
By the 2d section it was enacted ''that the free
white male inhabitants of the said Territory
above the age of twenty-one years, who shall re-
side therein three months Immediately preceding
Saturday, the 4th day of, April, 1885, be, and
are hereby authorized to choose delegates to form
constitution" &c.
The Sd section directs the time when the cleo
ton for delegates shall be holden, and that
whenever any person shall present his vote or
ballot at such election for delegates if he shall be
challenged, the said inspectors shall cause TO be
read to him so much of the 2d section relates to
the qualification of voters, and shall then tender
and administer to him the prescribed OATH" and,
upon its being taken, the inspectors are then re-
nn;red to receive said ballot.
It will be perceived that all aohitc male IN
hab;fants Of the age Of twenty-one years, who
shall have resided in said Territory for the pc
Rod Of three months Immediately preceding the
dav Of election, were entitled to vote for delegates
70 The convention to form the constitution now
,,resen,ed n us. and which constitution, by this
bill, we are to s.ratify and confirm
This act calling the convention extended the
privilege of voting for delegates to the convention
to aliens as well as citizens; and the constitution
which this convention adopted contained pro
vision in the following words: ''in all eechons'
every white male citizen above the age OF twenty
one years, having resided in the State SIX months
next preceding any election, shall be entitled TO