Mobile daily commercial register and patriot., 1841-07-26

 ptssed l., tem rltic eei.tanfe. b, the rNetfi""s al democfauc Ieiiaas aud dt1n, cratic repirsehini uVrS. ihe particular feature npN attempted to l"- he stricken uul met appfOsiii"n; but 1t MAS ieslfed " hrsr majority, Hh5 .ifili wal let"it aid m rcrcaii1g II .r tllc complaint o the cl4eu+ al h"hile. lt Is then province to ltlye @at suits them. and il k trIe q small matter for gentlemen, representing antr people, to intepose thetr "'tees --i" make 1t atafty question, and SnPerfrde ' dj- rect agents lo whom has been canii,ied the N-lN ne- rests involved.
 Mr. Houston reinned: do not feel thai am
 titled to the thanks that have been literally awarE l. e1 to me. di>claim any intention tn lntefteie mih
 the local interest Of M0bile and shouli have allow ed the bill ta proceed meet it's fate n silence Lad l not thought it unjust toward the honorable Senator who introduced Il. My object was to direct the at eption of the House to the situation oi the bill and keep ii trpm being strangled. In thls l have 'loa- lated no principle, either of duty or morals. trouble no county but my own, except with great reluctance
 Mr. Moore read the section ot the charter which required taxable property, paying D tax per ananm, to entlte m to vot for members O. the coihuon councIl, and also one years residence m the oy Mr. M. said, as representative of Madison county, l have right to express my oplni1ns. even though may incur the rebuke of gentlemen, When voting for aprIncple, never stop i inquire who are the par tles cohceroed. We 6td that payment of taxes to the amount of s5 5 is made requisite to elector- the constitution of Alabama requires property qualifcation-it is indeed at with all .democra- tlc principles, that property should confer poliutcal power. The term democracy may not be in very good odour with some gentlemen this floor, but to me it Is principle. hope that will not de sed of Interfering in the local matters of Mobile, when she is SO efficiently represented.
 Mir. Bates observed that from the clamor raised by certain gentlemen of certain political faith he was surprised they had not removed other restrictions the elective franchise. Why erase from the con stitntlon the ant-democratic hardship which re u res r slierce tna year in te State and three months m Inc county to give man a right to vote at our general election Why not spread the de- mocratic privilege that every man who was found in the state, travelling through it, under any other circumstances, should vote where and for whom you pleased! Your constitution has imposed restrictions on the voters. Has not Mobile equal right to pros tect herself, through her city government from that kind ol influence which always gathers in large seaport and which it is necessary to guard against
 Mr. Prince had but remark to submit | know, said Mr. F. how the game has been managed the pegs have all been setthe line of action marked out and all ths without deignng to consult the represen- tatives from Mobile. The great democratic princi- pies has so reused up gentlemen, overfowing their bosoms with patriotism, that they cannot abstain from interfering with interests and parties of which they have ittlesk ledge If they are resolved up- purifying the charter of Mobile, why not tilt at more of it's provisional Why not assa the Regis try law, which requires fee to be paid for registra- ton many days before the election? Is that demo- cratici Why not strike 1t out! To the common council belongs the duty of assessing taxes on city property Is it not proper that they should be elect ed by those who are to be affected by their measures Should the citizens who pay taxes have their proper y controlled by foreigners, strangers and every kind of floating population that might for while hover over the city The respectable portion of Mobile do not desire it. They all united in applying for the charter and they are still united in holding to the principle, which the overlooking democracy of certain gentlemen on this floor, in despite of every thing is about to sweep away from them contrary to their wishes. And all thIs is to he accomplished in the name of democracy! Other features of the charter equal, ant-dempcratic are eltamtouched- then democracy has the right to pick it's own way along dem sh what it pleases, and let alone what peases without b' ing tofmented by consistency.
 NJ. Murphy said: did not propose to discuss this subject m relation to party principles. Democracy has nothing to do with it. The feature al which the bill strikes is necessary omit has been found sil- luary in pra tice, and cannot be given up without the most aiarnii consequences. The right of suffrage is mol in the least involyed What then are inc fea- lures be consideredl 1 answer, certain cornora- for whose mutual safety certain rights have bee granted. What are hose rightsl The privilege of having thair property controlled by persons of their selection, whose capacity, justice and good faith couse them to he trusted. The proposition to strike ont that feature is equivalent an atsck on the pro perty of the city. Where should the taking power reside in the hands of parties to be taxed, or those who noii lfany class of interests is to be re- presented, let il be by those bang the interests To the common council given the power 10 assess taxes all real and personal property within the jurlsdic- tion of the city. Look at the charters of all your principal cities from the Atlantic to Ne,y Orleans all have such provisions. The safety of the city re- quires It. Cast your eye the population that ga thers there in the months of January, Feb'ry March, April and May, in each year! Would it be prudent { he, .l,a .t
 of the city to that swarm of birds of passage by giving them the right to vote for common councll?- There is an important duty resting on that body they have to lay taxes on property il from the torch the ncendiary. As general object it is tu protect the property by assessment on the prop erty itself. Can any persons be in terested in this but the property holers themselyesl Who dare contend for light to govern n matters which do not relate, in the smallest degree, to their inte- rests, either personal or political!
 If there is much dissatisfaction felt on the sub ject way did you grant the citizens of Mobile char ter? Was not manifest that the property auafca- tion was as much a grievance then as it is now1 | ask why did you grant them charter! Why did you? They have administered their police under it Tn much harmony-and now without even the decencv of consultation with the representatives of those citizens you aim take away that charter--to prostrate the barriers which mainly uphold the prosperity of the city, and all this without whisper of complaint.
 
 whom rghtuly belongs the service, you will at least prevent the charter from being mutated till the cor porators complain. In this there IS something like principle involved. ia
 Mir. Houston said, complaint was made that the Mobile delegation had not been consulted assert ed, said MT. H. that the people of Mobile were re- presented through very respectable medium in the other end of the capitol We hear much of property but nothing of personal rights. What is so dear as personal rightsl Is the influence of mere property however accidentally acquired, to outstrip every thng else? Are men to be governed by property! The gem tleman from Greene (Mr. Murphy) asserted that all the cities from the Atlantic to the Gulf had in their charters similar restriction. cannot agree with him in my recoections. Many of them 1 believe have such feature-the city of Boston has none- In the popular branch in Mobile there is no property qualification, if am truly advised. (Mr Prince said that for Mayor and Aldermen, who formed the popular branch, there was property rcstrction.) But where is the balance of powerl In the hands of petty tyrants, deriving authority from the rich! A poor, unfortunate man. who might be charged with offence against the city ordinances, would find himselfin the hands and at the mercy of men, whom he had voice in eecting The bin shows for itself -the onus of proof rests the Mobile delegates Give it a calm consideration. am no enemy of Mobile, nor do wish to interfere with the police, | am proud that Alabama has Mobile--I would be the last to obstuct her welfare but W here prin- ciple is nvolyed,I shall feel myself at liberty to say word
 Mr. Langdon had heard much of general ndepen- dence. That has nothing to do with the question sad Mir. l.. In political affairs there is no intcrdic- of the right of suffrage to property or no pro- perty; but in corporations it is different. With equal justice might every person in the community claim to vote for directors of stock banks-ior officers to ma mage the funds and property of the stockholders,