New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-02

Mr. SIcoLL OF New Urk, SAD that the question
before tn n involved the rIncipe xhethe. hr0iIa-
t!oas were 10 d. set TO the perpi=s sc,ion. The
shoIe people By 2 constitutional co1npac; give the
sovereign power Of gUsorliug iato tue nsats OF q
majority and hen dong 80 ihay prescribe re-
rarkao. restrictions 10 me political action OF ina;
majority Nss not this proper the majority
.!eav- elected me Governors : MINER Say
a plurality, often. i L men aaTise tor the Con
ven;Iun 10 propose 10 the / ho- people 10 say TO
that rasiori;y that they sh1uid -ect GoTernor for
the y hole DO vas at least 81 yes-s Old ard hac
resided IL the slatr five yeas Surely not The
despotsr. Of majority might be as grinding as
ihat al any indivlIuai potenia;e uncestfained by
fundamental avs They were mere 10 consider tire
best way Of securing and 10 define the rights OF the
whole people according 70 their best sohtvi ard
the propositions of FIVE yesrs residence ana thirty
wears as The .ici. OF age Se:e ne believed entirely
proper
Mr. WARD spoke as l thought in favor OF re-
siricton but could not hear " hat he said neither
did the Delegates pesr ne. hear aim
Mr CHARLES O'CONuR followed Gen. " ard,
and regret INV inability 20 do G,rce 10 the talent
and research displayed oy hn. De said that HE
disquaIticaiuns oi foreign birth aud extreme youth
had both been struck oul b. very strong maJOriies
all that remained OF The section was the residence
I Of tre yes1s he had looked az wnaI mad been
done In The early history OF tue country and found
that in 10 Constitution adopted during ihe REVOLT
tionary Struggle, was foreign birth introduced-he
{ believed thar IN non. Of them was the question OF
( age or youth introduced The wisdom OF The pa,
irloiic men who framed the earlier Constitutions old
not very credably reflect on tie gratitude ot inose
who in after wears Introduced the restrictions upon
! cilizeDs Of Europe OF which they were now get
( tlny rid H.. went on 10 describe IN glowing terms
the services performed for the Republic by La sy :
! cite, haib, S,euben and Pulaski 10 the iA7t OF
whom Il monument had been erected by Georgia
WIKI his name only ; the inscription. indicative mat
tad rff,-Vc Dutl be
forgotten 1t would have been. IN hose days, not
very prudent policy 10 have enSra!ted oa the Con
stitu ions OF the those exclusive and lloera
/ provisions winch later age mad adopted, as II to
! remind the brave men OF every land =" no We're
fighting the battles OF freedom. well "a the cisin
/ gushed generals he mad named, that II they sur
yyed the conflict and sung hl lome IN the land they
/ had ped to save they nus be branded, thereat
! ter az an inferior class Oi Genzens. un"or
tny OF those equal tights a. men. 10 men mar vas
,nIl,ed III the land Tor which thsy mad ri>heu We!'
! lives He then commenced On the lI!ioerai spiru
which had limited the peoples selection OF q Gov
ernor to ireehodrrs. and described freebooter As
the owner OF two feet square OF land IN Jonh
Browns tract, in which the possession OF 4vuo
acres y ould have been evidence Of man poverty
MIR q Conor happily introduced au argument
daell upon strongly by Messrs. IasimadSe and
Nicholas oil letting well enough alone, as lilusEra-
tive OF the liberu splft OF the Convention oil 4e2l
IN introducing for tue first Time SO years nearly al
Ter Nh. independence OF the state, the word ha-
I'VE ns an exclusive mark Of iuicrloriW, when DO
one had asked Tia. body 10 make such change nor
10 exclude and disqIaniy large bodies OF the people
and when spoke Untavorably oi the innabitsnts OF
other c mes The Convention Of l-2l there erred
they should have let we'll enough alone, 10 use
a phras. OF NJ. Talradge, aud his Convention at
an interval Of ii quarter oi century, was called on
TO correct that error.
twas the true principle Of Government in de-
mocrgc State that the constituent body IS the sn-
prcme power. 1t Is the purpose OF Tue fundamental
law or Constitution 10 make known who are The
qualified electors or constituent body and Then 10
define carefully lie powers sud duties OF The agents
OF .te people or of the several departments vi me
Government The constituent body never can uIa-
brace al persons in the State. Ours /, Conicde-
ration uf il t.s,,k he s0tel Natives Indians Nc
eroos. and, Il they pieGseu Ndsafaized CltlZens.
There were certain rules required, but The Conven-
lion was not there 10 lay restraints on The political
action of the people but only TO ascertain who the
people are No restraint could be laid on the whole
people when they we're acting II their severe n
capacity Tor the purposes OF government. w ben
the people came 10 exercise the right Ui sovereign
w. The Convention could impose but Ibis restraint
uoon its action that u should not elect Strangers
Starting with tina, principle. he tor striking out
the whole section Mr.. Russell : amend meut would
be idle Alter remerkng that the Chlet justice OF
these. n,eL States light be taken from any class
of clzens native or naturhlzed, ireeholder or mol
freeholder he said that the Convention OF 1871 VIZ
uaiv provided thar there never should be another.
by the provision il made for amending It's own acts,
but even that did not bind The people. who had. by
a vast majority II aside; and they the Couven-
top} were now siGlng there a. Special Commit
tee OF the whole electors oil the STATE. The i've
wears residence was futile "a chcck-tor the resi-
dcucc might be the first i've years OF man 5 life,
and thus a man who had lived all his life but the
first five wears in India might be eligible, elected,
and come and iake the rei0s oil Office. BE did not
suppose that any who sat there had f. constltu-
ency who believed That Il majority OF the 100000
electors OF the State would elect for Governor Il
man mo knew less than any voter who has had
i've wears residence; and It III became that Con
vention freely chosen without any such limitation
as This. TO turn round and reproach the electors with
incapacity and want OF judg Lnent aud attempt 10
bind down their tree action. lest they should not
otherwise KNOX bat man or man OF what age 10
choose The present Constitution imposed no re-
striction on the electors 10 the tree choice OF any
other officer in the STATE; and be was Tor removing
this last remnant OF iberaliiy and returning to the
true democratic principle and 10 the well defined line
of the duties of The Convention
Mr. H.HIIs OF Albany, followed Mr.. o Conor on
this the most brilliant day OF the session. OF the pro-
ceedings OF when eau convey but faint Idea
Nj Harris tall said aud an impressive and earnest
speaker reasons closely rises out seldom, and SITS
down when YOU think ne ought 10 have gone on,
for II is pleasant 10 listen 20 hum.
He regarded II a. unlmportant whether the re-
s,tictioa remain be remoyed-6elle.ed II had
been and would be useess-aad had no idea that
The people would be likely TO cleo. any man who
had not gl the quaIe. II required or give prefer
euce 10 any Stranger or foreigner who might take
the stump. Gentlemen seemed TO think mat they
were trencbing on the peoples rights when ihey
touch any ihI.g bat " hst bad been the =uoject Of
cotnplant-no such narrow limits should con6ne
him-he would 20 for any measure that would, n
his judgment, best promote The welfare OF The PEG
pie 4 Constitution intended 10 provide the
machinery by which the people were 10 carry
ON tie great work OF self government sat hen The
Convention defined and limited DELEGATED power
il did lis caIy-ou., -aid Mr.. Harris, transcend
our duty teheH prescribe 20 the sogereisn Doesr,
the People, rhGt uey shat DO aud rh0l they shQA
slsct' Were he siI.Ins 20 nominate Candidate for
Governor be would there be guided by the views
of these members VINO were tor rescrction-he
would desire candidate having the qualifications
they seek 10 euersfl OF The Con=utoIlon-but when
tney were not choosing Candidates, bat making
frame oi government, this was no proper place 10
( consider such matters. he referred Mr. Tall
msdse's slmile OF the wagon. Suppose Il were