Mobile daily commercial register and patriot., 1841-07-21
For fhe Register.
THE CITY CHARTER-No. III.

nntenable positions of those who profess democracy and, at the time, sindcate the present city charter. l shall gye a. sketch of the debate on the -attempf to repeal that measure, April 23d, lS4l
 On the 22d the repeal motion was moved by Gon. Toulmln in the Senate. On the 23d it came up m the House, and Mir. Langdon immediately moved that il be laid on the table. The whg members support ed the motion of the member from this county while the democratic members generally took part against it, declaring its an-republlcan tendency, and con tending that the right Of suffrage, should be extended equally to the rich and the poor.
 The question to lay the table was lost-tle vote standing 27 yeas 57 nays. Among the yeas, are the names of Messrs. Langdon, Prince, Bates and Hotingr. IL then moved by MT. Little 10 post pone the h indefinitely, which motion was opposed by several democratic members. Mir. Houston con- tended strongly for the repea-that the property qualification was not known the largest cities of union-that ii was wrong, tyrannous and burden some.
 "We hear much (said he) of property, but nothing of personal rights What is dear personal righsl Is the influence of mere property, however accidentally acquired, to outstrip every thing else Are men to be governed by property?'. <.
 
 ''But where is the balance of powerl In the hands of petty tyrans, deriving authority from the rich! poor, unfortunate man, who might be charged with offence against the city ordinances, would find himself in the hands and at the mercy of men, whom he had no voice in elecing. The bin shows for it. sef-ihe onus of proof rests on the Mobile delegates. Give il calm consideration. l am no enemy of Mobile, nor do wish io interfere with her police, proud that Alabama has Mobile-l would be the last olstruct her welfare; but where prin ciple is involved, shall feel my self at liberty to say word"
 Mir. LangdOn Chow whg candidate in thIs eounty) replied. He argued ilrat in corporations, mIsersal suffrage was evil.
 ''Wnh equal justice (said he) might every person in the community claim to vote for directors in Stock Banks-for officers manage the funds and property of the stockholders, on the ground that all in- terested in the operations of the Banks. Does not the absurdity of the proposition show itself on the first blushl For Mayor and Aldermen, suffrage is universal, but there is large distinct property in- terest that too must have suitable representation. Who so competent the owners of thls property to select their own guardians of il? They do not wish to give the control of their property 10 he mltanies pho hang about Mobile, and ,cho care nothing for is prosperny The taring po,oer is in right hands; the charter has placed there; Out he gentleman from Washington HAS AN EXCEEDING SYMPA- THY FOR ROGUEs, THIEVES AND INCEN- ThEM EDSisFRANcH1s2p AS sEAE IiE cnlLs a M IF. He takes upon himself the character of guardian to all such worthies. l am glad they have able a representative the gentleman from Washington. He is not correctly informed of the MISCHIEFS THE BILL WOULD OCCASION; IF HE KNEW OF THE BURNlNGS, THE ROBBE- RES, THE MURDERS THAT ARE CON- MITTED IN THE CITY, must do him the jus tce to say that he would not be so ready to defend that class"
 Mr. Houston answered the member from Mobile
 ssThe gentleman from Mobile (sad he) Is yer, polite man; but spite of his contempt for the hum bier classes, whom he is milling to deny Ms right of suffrage, he Is very free to cuitipate Jrieay and cordial familiarity 0th them ia dark cornes, Me elections in August approach. Sir, support princi ple-I not the guarddn of iepes aud uiceiddries; dm do not feel ashamed to stand up for the rights of the working On whom do the chief burdens fall in protecting and improving the city? On the ,corking men most assuredly. They much entitled to speak in the city elections the finest drawing room gentleman, who walows in luxury and drinks his wine every day Mir. Langdon sad hope the gentleman does not call me wine drnker. By no means-the gentleman prefers harder liquor"
 The vote was then taken on indefinite postpone ment-yeas 35; nays 57-among the former were Messrs. Bates, Langdon, Prince and Hoiiing1,
 The bill was then postponed till the following Mon day when it again taken up, and on a motion to lay on the table,-the Vote stood yeas 36; nays 39 among the former were the names of Messrs. Bates, Langdon, Prince and Hoilinga.
 On the Wednesday following, the bill was reported back from select committee, and on the question whether it should be ordered to third reading the yeas were 2i; nays l1-Messrs. Bates, Langdon, Prince and Holiing@ voting with the latter. By this was not a quorum present. The House finally ad- journed and the bill was lost.
 It were needless te show the intolerable insolence of the language here used by Mir. Langdon towards tile citizens disranchised by the present city chatter Who are those men whom the gentleman character zes as incendiaries, thieves and murderersl Why of those who have no vote for city officers Now, let any man look at this extensive class, and see whether in all the essentials of sobrety honesty and integrity, they are exceeded by the property holders who have the right to egslate exclusively for the whole population. The hard working meclan- ic whose reputation dear to him as that of any man,-is he an incendiary-a thief-a murderer because he may not own housel Is the owning of a certain piece of property necessary to the posses sion of honor and moralityl
 Would the clerks of the city be more apt to vote for an incompetent and bad man, because they may not be free-holdcrs and landlords! In short are not all the citizens alike interested in the security of property and the peace of the cityl
 tell the indigent and industrious part of the n- habiants, that this city charter is an mputation on their character which, if submitted to- will both show
 want of that independence that is characteristic of Americans and will tend to degrade and render them the mere serfs of men who in nowise their supe- rors. It virtually to every man not a landlord, the very language which Mir. Langdon had the hardi- hood to utter in the halls of our legislature.
 Let those submit to it who will for one, although possessed of not dollar in real estate, will not be quiet under the foul calumny-the unblushing lie. hold myself as good as any man who has no recom- mendation1 except owning house, and will boldly tax that person who shall call me incendary and thief, with fasehood He who will do less, deserves to be branded by the foul epthet, and possesses none ofthe spirit of manhood. B.
 WEST PoiNr.--The annual cost of keeping this military school IS one hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars. The pay of cadet is twenty eight dollars per month and found.