Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-03-12

,ha, hs offered The resolution which he had now SUB
\ ted He would renew the motion to lay the SUP
iect upon The table, being oouna TO 90 So ont ne
Il would moi be laid upon the table, but that the esoiu
linn be had offered would be adopted
| NJ, SINNERS requested the gentleman from Ala
h,m.,owi,hdraw the motion again; which was consent
ed n and accordingly withdrawn; when
M DROMGUOLE rose and renewed the moion L
Law the subject upon the taoie.
The yeas and nays we're then ordered; ana, oeihs
,.Len rfsul,ed-ypas &c, nays a.
M CAVE JOHNSON moved to lay the question
g dara,ion on the table; and the yeas and nay
having been called resulted IN I yeas ~ nays w.
NJ npONGOOLE presented the Resolutions o
tho eo;sla,ure of the State of Virginia upon the Mas
sachusetts Resolutions
The resolutions having been read,
| Mr. DROMGOOLh moved 10 fe'ef 'heh " %
lee, committee al nine.
NJ, RElSER asked permission 10 offer certain re
.in,;ons Of The Legislature Of Alabama, on the same
subject a :,
NJ, WINTHROP asked if it would be IN order u
call up The resolutions OF the Massachusetts hse,su
tu,e rome time since offered by his colleague, (nir
Adams He should be willing that all such resoiu
lions should come under the same general Permis
sion, otherwise he should object to any.
mr. DRONGOOLE moved the previous question
The SPEAKER put the question secondlng tn
demand for the previous question; and 81 voted III th
affirmative which was not sufficient number
Mr. SllDELI. and others called for tel'ers, ant
thev were ordered; and Messrs. HARRISON and elmer
having been appointed, they reported ~ IN the aih'm
alive. and 50 the negative, which was less lhau
quorum. .,,,
Quorum in ,hs House. He therefore requested gentle
men 10 vote either way or the other
The ,elers again took the VOTE and reported e3 II
The affirmative and 30 in the negative. 50 there was
second. cLu a.,
The SPEAKER then put the question, "Sha'i tut
main question be now put;
| Mr. WINTHROP called for the yeas and nays an'
they were ordered and being taken, resulted mus
yeas l2S nays 81. So the main question was orae'e'
| II bs put.
The question then REQUIRED on the notion 10 REFER
q select committee of nne; which was agreed TO-
Mr. BELSER again asked PERMISSION to present 'hs
resolutions Of the Legislature oil Alabama
Sir ADAMS also asked the PERMISSION oil Inc fious'
to call up the resolutions Of the Legislature oil assa
chusetts, on the same subject
| Mr. DUNCAN, who had the floor on the specia
order for this day, unwilling at tins time 10 y'eio
and the PERMISSION asked for was, IN consequence, mol
| granted 40 .,r
ELECTION OF ELECTORS FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE
PRESIDENT.
The special order for this day was MIR duncan I
bill entitled "a bill to amend act enti'ed AN act
relative the election of President and wee fres
dent of the United States, and declaring the olce'
who shall oct President in case OF vacancies IN ''e
offices, both of President and Wee PRESIDENT, ap
proved March LIST, 1892
Tins bill proposes that the time OF choosing the Elec'
tors of President and Wee President oil the Un'ted
States in each State shall be the Tuesday next aue'
The first Monday of November next aud Afterwards
except when special election shall be held IN pnr
suance of the 0h section OF the act to which thus !.
an amendme nt the time Of choosing the Electors sha
be the Tuesday next after the first Monday oil NoVem'
Der in every fourth wear succeeding the last election Of
said Electors when such SPECIAL election shall DC
held the time thereoe sh Ill BE- the Tuesday next ate
h. oF nhar IN M
same shall be held pursuant to the section aforesaid
Mr. DUNCAN rose, after the Clerk had read the
BILL and said he looked upon this as very import
ant subject, and he was not alone IN that OPINION
since It's introduction into thus House, the public al
tenon bud been called 10 it, and he was in posses
sion of a number of petitions, signed by many Gilt
zens OF several States, other than that which he hac
the honor in part represent. lie had not present
ed these petitions, because he had received them
since The bill reported by the Committee OF Elec'
lions, and he only spoke of them now TO show the
extent Of feeling in favor Of the passage OF this bill
which prevailed throughout the States The bull he
repeated, important; and he was OF opinion, there
were very few gentlemen on this floor who would moi
support il.
There was no higher duty incumbent upon the peo
pie of this country than that they should make them
selves acquainted with what they owed TO each other
as citizens, and what they owed 10 the country-vz
that they should defend the Government, and support
the free institutions Of the country They were in
the enjoyment of emphatically free Government
and while the subjects of other Governments owed
obedience 10 laws which they had no share in max
ing, the people of this country not only owed obed
ence and submission to the laws of the country, but
they had higher duties and higher privileges, being
themselves part Of the Government. They were
not only subject 10 the law, bu, they were the IRAN
ers and authors Of the law They were the law max
ers.
Mr.. d. entered into a comparison Of the different
forms Of Government The very foundation of ou
free institutions the elective franchise; 1t was more
valuable than all others; destroy that Institution ane
all the Others would crumhle TO dust. II was 'mPoss'
be- at the commencement Of the Government TO esta
blsh pure, primary, Tor It they pleased) unsophis
Gated Democracy; but the trainers of the Constitution
were aware of the importance OF regulating, defending
and securing the elective franchise Ihey VINO pnr
chased our free institutions with their treasure ant
,hsr blood had right to expect that they would De
maintained by their pos,erty; they had right TO sup
nose that no wretch would be base enough 10 trampt
them under his feet; they had right TO conhde IN tht
integrity and political honesty OF those who were u
come alter them But, by wisdom almost superhuman
they seemed 10 have anticipated the possibility OF 1T
abuse for they provided in the Constitution means
BIZ which in case there should be disposition TO tram
ME mon it, il night be exercised Not relying upor
the patriotism the political obligation resting upof
every individual under this Government, they super
added the obligations OF religion and morality, an'
provided that he no should have the official control
The elective franchise should be arrayed before tn
throne of Him who is the judge of the quick and tn
dead, and with uplifted hand should swear to upho
the purity of the elective franchise and the balaihos
But not content with this the trainers OF the Const'
tuition introduced provision 10 guard against ITS VIC
ation.
Mr. D. here sent up to the Clerks table the provision
of The Constitution to which he alluded and desired tina
Il might be read; and it wos read accordingly.
Now il he could show that the elective franchise hat
beef violated nd the bootbox polluted, he trusted Ia
would be considered strictly within the sphere of hi
duty introducing this bill, and in urging lis passage
Mr. ID. adduced authorities 10 prove that the electlv
franchise had been violated
Mr. ID. regretted tina, it not in his power to en-
terrain the House with of the same kind of evi
dence, of which he had an abundance. He desired
10 be understood that il was not hs own case of who
he complaining, and that it was not on account
any bearing these frauds had on him that he compl,in
cd 1t was the principle, undermining the very ioun
dalons of the Government, OF which he comp lain
ed. He had evidence ms conclusive as ever was offer
ed that there others who held their seats here b.
virtue OF the same frauds, and the same kind OF SWIM
ding. THIS system was carried as far back as III
years $50 and 1885 and he had The most conclusiv
evidence that man by the name of Naylor held sea
here in violation OF the elective franchise Three mem
hars r,,p, the of Sew York he her