New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-17
The Right of Suffrage.


Gov Bouck's Repor, on the Elective Franchise
enbodies many provisions which are decided i'm
provemenis On the existing provisions. The requi
stion Of sixty days residence ip The Election Dis
trct where the eector offers il Dot only just
In itself bat rendered indispensable by the morally
certain adoption Of ibe District System for the choice
Of Legislators When our Wards become separate
Assembly Districts 1t will be impossible 10 prevent
wholesale pipe-laying unless some previous resi-
dence In the District is required The correspond
ing requirement OF sixty days citizenship before vot
ing L. also just and necessary to prevent fraudulent
Naturalizarons the or in the midst Of an excit
cd Election The distinction between this case and
that persons becoming voters by attaining the age
Of twenty one years is very obvious. The latter
cannot hasten the time at which they become emit
lied to vote. A citizen by choice should become
such by actual, deliberate, dsin,eresied choice no,
Ia the heat Of and for the sake Of securing
the triumph of some person party. This will
neasurably be secured by the exac,ion OF Natural
iss.ion at least sixty day before voting.
AS TO deprving Of the Right of Suffrage in any
contingency. those citizens who csnno, read the
Ansish Language, we doubt alike lis policy and
in justice Sane men Of toler able capacity and no
very distorted idea OF Public Affairs would be di-
hsnehised by it, while thousands know how to read
who know very little else either naturally or by &C
qakemeot If the citizen unable TO read were al
ways In fault for his ignorance we would not object
70 punisbing him for it; but we know that many OF
the ignorant the victims Of misfortune and desti
tuition, and ralher TO be pitied than punished
The grea, difficulty Of determining whether man
can read or not, IL also obvious Half dozen men
arc challenged this ground and all read more or
less badly how shall it be settled that this man will
lost pass and that one reads little worse and won
dot We do not positively object TO the test pro
posed we know il Is well intended but we
sure it's practical operation will give rise to perpet
ual charges of party iavoriism and foul play on the
part of inspectors.
We hardly know whh, will be local office"
according to Sec. 7, but we consider ali the latter
part of that section superHuous and better dropped
than enacted.
We have similar opinion OF Sec. 9. II may be
very proper that Federal officer should not hold
State Office OF the same time but we think the Peo
pie might take care Of this.
The only proper proof" of a right 10 vote
should be proofa ndduced before the day Of
Election and consumma,ed by inscrbing the voters
name on Registry of the Election District in which
he res des. We do hope, though family that the
Convention will provide expressly for Registry.
AS to the color OF Voters. the Convention should
insist on more specific designation Beauty, they
say Is but skindeep, aud would seem that fitness
10 vote Is equally superficial. Complexion being
deemed 30 important, there should be- very definite
provisions for determining it. A rhite man aloneis;o
vote; but many persons who are partially OF African
descent far whittier than others rho supposed
not to be- Is brown European to be entitled TO
vote, and pale Quadroon not 10 BET Is man
whose blood is one.eighlh onesixleenth, or one
thirty second African be excluded that &C
COUNT IL half blood Indian and European white
enough7 II not will one only quarter Indian
swer9 Are Moors white enough7 If yes, will
Chinese and Malays do If no. will Spaniards
Let us know distinctly what Loco Focoism consid
ere white enough TO vo,e2
As to the separate submission OF the Right Of
Colored Men to vote, we must take what we can
get But the requirement of such Submission gives
the lie TO the Declaration of Independence and
brands our fathers who fought at Bunker Hill Us
rebels. More hereafter.