The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-29

upon them. 1.-THE matter had not thus been de-
ayed the election Of these officers might have been
proceeded to- and the whole matter disposed oil III
an hour or two. Were the majority not TO carry
out their own wilR And when the minority Oh
structed it, as they had done this question, were
the majority to be held responsible for the conshnip-
ton Of timei He thought not.
He should vote against the proposition TO refer, OF
the gentleman from North Carolina, and for pro-
ceedng the election; and then he would vote with
the gentleman TO refer this subject-the whole ar
rangement of business about this wing OF the Capo
Ito select Committee, with ample instructions 10
inquire into all the abuses existing, and to report The
proper remedy,
MIR. ROBERT SMITH was in favor of the prop.
osition OF the gentleman from North Carolina, and
was so, because he believed that the present ar
rangement existing in the folding-room was better
and more economical than any which would be
adopted by the House He would go as far as he
who went farthest for retrenchment; and from wha
he had seen, in the of this debate, he was IN
cined TO believe the House ought to abolish the
| foldng-room altogether. He had sent MS many
documents perhaps any gentleman, and he was
willing to pay for the folding of them. He had ex
! amned the folding room al the last session, and a
the present session. and he repeated, he had never
seen 1t better organized than at present lie was
willing to take the charitable view, that this move
ment had not proceeded from from hostility TO tho
door-keeper, and he concurred with his colleague
that this officer was an honorable high-minded gen
tleman. He was in favor of the reference, because
he believed, unless the committee reported TO abol
ish the folding-room altogether, they would report
in favor of continuing the present arrangement anc
he was in favor of complete and thorough investi
CATION of the subject, which would be best effected
| by the reference to a select committee.
| Mr. MCCONNELL then moved the following
amendment:
Also inquire and report whether any and ifso, how
receive COMPENSATION for their services such, al
amount less than that specified and allowed them by
who gets the overpus between the amount received 10y
them and the amount paid out othe contingent expenses
the House.
The SPEAKER said it was not in order to pro
pose an amendment in that case, but he could offer il
in the shape Of instructions to the committee; in
which shape it was accepted, and referred to a sc
lect committee of five.
The SPEAKER said that the next business
before the House upon the resolution of the
gentleman from Massachusetts,, the gentleman from
New York [Mr. HUNT having the floor.
Mr.. HUNT arose, and was proceeding to adj
dress the House, but at the request of the SPEAKER
eaye way for the reading of a message from the
President of the United States, before received, as
follows;
WAsHIrGTos, Dec, Is45
transmit to Congress communication from the secre
nry of state with statement expenditures from h'
appropriations made by the entitled AN act providing
the means Of future between the United States
and the government OF China approved Sd March, 1913
Laid on 1.-THE table.
The engrossed joint resolution relative TO the BIZ
enial Register was read third time
On motion of Mr.. HOLMES the joint resolution
on naval affairs was recommitted
Mr.. HUNT then arose, and proceeded to address
the House on the Massachusetts, resolutions. He
commenced by saying he was convinced that fraud,
could be often perpetrnted on the ballot-box by
those who had the right of voting, as by comforting
il on Foreigners. He desired to see such provi-
sion made as would protect the ballot-box, and do
away with frauds which were nova disgrace 10 Their
larger cities The evil had arrived at such magnitude
as called loudly for reform, and nothing less than
such legislation as would renovate the body polite
would satisfy the people. The purity Of the cleo
tive franchise was the only security of their free
dom-tbe palladium of their rights; and il was the
first duty of legislative wisdom to guard 1t from In
jury. The party with which he acted were united
as one man that great princpe-the purity OF
the ballot-box and they called upon that House to
adopt such measures would secure that object,
and honest of all parties called for it. Adopted
citizens ought TO have time sufficient to be-
come acquainted with the laws, the usages, ana
the institutions of their adopted country As
he understood it, all that was contemplated by
these resolutions, was the reform Of such abuses
of the present law as exist, and to prevent
a recurrence of the evil. 1t might be well doubted
whether that could be accomplished until the courts
upon earth above all others deserving the execration
OF God and man, il the conduct Of those Judges
who perverted their functions to the purposes of
party. 1t was productive of serious injury, corrup-
lion, and mischief 1t was undeniabe that many
of their courts of justice, in the discharge OF their
duties, had been allowed to become merely the ma
chnery of party, for the purpose carrying through
certain elections. Unless that perversion Of the
courts of justice were corrected, the people might
truly despair; then might they despondingy ex-
claim, "We are rotten before we are ripe"
In regard to the particular reference of the resou-
TONS he was willing to leave that to the disposal
of the majority on that foor who alone had the
power of preventing those frauds--hoping that they
would give it such direction to secure the OBJ
iect desired. He regretted that the subject Of the
reform and prevention of frauds should be made the
pretence for calling for radical change in the fund
amenta principles of the naturalization laws. As to
the proposition that had been made there, Of de-
privng foreigners of the right to vote before twenty.
one years. or period longer than the present one,
he viewed it as quite different question from that
now before them; it proposition which, in
his humble Judgment, would not receive much favor
there or elsewhere He wished to speak with all
due respect to that portion Of their fellow-citizens
who had felt it 10 be their duty to form themselves
into third party, under the denomination Of
native Americans-a party which was formed on
the single proposition Of making the term of twenty
one years prerequisite of naturalization. He
and respectable wcitizens, and therefore he
corded them all due respect nevertheless, he al
ways felt bound to state his opinions and feelings
candidly and Independently And he felt called on TO
say in regard to the proposition to deprive foreigners
Of the privileges Of citizenship, he felt towards it the
most decidad hostility. He was opposed to it, and
could never give it his appreciation. When such
important proposition was made, it became their
duty inquire whether the reform was desirable in
ITSELF or called for by circumstances 1t appeared
to him that the proposition then under discussion
was highly Objectionable, incompatible with the
spirit of their institutions, untitled TO the crcum-
stances of the country. Thus foreign citizens, who
came to join them--to improve their worldly con-
diton, they bound to receive by every feeling
Of justice and generosity They came to seek q
home as the fathers Of the land had done; they
came to submit themselves to the laws and institu
tons of the country, and to share with the native
born citizens in their common destiny. Why, then
deprive them of participation in citizenship and the
making Of the laws TO which they yield ready
obedience That reasonable time is necessary fol
foreigners to become familiar with the institutions