Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-12-08
QUALIFICATIONS VOTERS

SCAblI ACA IAON~OE WI EhO
This day inaugurates the long desired system of
free suffrage in Virginia. The restrictions and
qualifications of the old constitution are all done
away. and now every citizen, who is qualified
according to the following provision Of the new
constitution, has the right to give his vote, in the
election of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, At
torney General, Senator and Delegates:
ART. III.
SEC. Every white male citizen of the Com
monwealth OF the age OF twentyene years, ioh0 has
been resident Of the Stale for fco gears, and Of the
county, city on t0n icee he offers to uoe for ttveue
months meet preceding election, and no other person.
shall be qualified to vote for members of the General
Assembly and all other officers elective by the peo-
pie; but no person in the military naval marine
service of the United States shall be deemed a resi-
dent OF this State by OF being stationed therein
And person shall have the right'to vote who is of
unsound mind, or Pauper, or none commissioned Of
fcer, soldier, SEAMAN marine in the service OF the
u States, who has been convicted of bribery in an
election or of any Infamous offence
Citizenship age and residence are now there
fore the matters to be inquired inIo in Judging of
the right to vote.
1t has been said that all who were qualified I'M
der the old constitution can vote under the new
This is obviously mistake. The new constu-
tion expressly declares that ''no ether person. than
one having the qualifications which it prescribes
shall be qualified to vote. Those qualifications
are the folio wing
/. The voter must be- white male of the age
of 81 years;
2. He must be citizen of the commonwealth,
and must have resided in it for two years
3. He must have resided in the city, county or
town where he offers to vote for twelve months
next preceding the election; that is, since the 9Th
of December, 1850;
A. He must be neither person OF unsound
| mind; nor papuer nor & noncommissioned Of
hcer, soldier or marine in the ser vice of the u
States; nor person convicted of bribery in an
election, Or of any infamous offence.
The main question in testing the right to vote
will doubtless be as to residence, and this is gen.
orally determined by the PERSONS Intention A
man is held to reside in that place (which he
considers his home, though he may have been
absent from it during the most of the year.
In regard to the time for which the polls may
be kept open, the same law governs this election
that governed former elections az will be seen
by the following provision of the Schedule attach
ed to the new constitution
D. The officers authorized by existing laws to hold
and conduct General Elections shall hold and con-
duct the elections herein required and such officers
and all other persons shall be- governed and controlled
therein 6y the pr9vlsl9ns Of sud lars, so far the
per conducting Of The said elections.
The last Pa rkersburg Gazette announces that
Gen. Watts,'th Wing candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, would address the people of Wood
county at that place on Monday, Dec. LIST.
Gen. Watts spoke in Wheeling to the great
satisfaction Of his Wing hearers.
BRITISH AND FRENC II INTERVENTION.
We published, on Saturday the memorandum
OF Conference between Mr.. Crttenden, Acting
Secretary of State, and Mr.. CHAMPION, Acting
Minister of the British Government, with a note
of instruction from Lord Palmerston to the latter
These papers show the position that was promptly
and firmly taken by the President in regard to the
Intervention of Great Britain
To-day, we insert the correspondence com.
menoed by Mr.. Crttenden with NJ dc Sartipes
the French Minister, and closed by Mr.. Webster.
tpossesses, perhaps still greater interest than the
conference with Mr.. Champion, as the principles
by which the President means to be guided, are
announced with peculiar fullness and emphasis in
Mr.. Crttenden's letter.
Upon these diplomatic intercommuni cations, the
Baltimore American lemaks
The announcement made not long since by the Pre-
sident of the French Republic thai an agreement had
been entered INTO between the governments of Eng
land and France to guarantee to Spain the possession
OF Cuba, is fully sustained by the facts which this
correspondence dscoses. The orders given to the
British and French squadrons in the West Indies If
will be at once, could be enforced without
the serious danger of involving the question Of
the right OF seach and the honor of our flag The as
sumption Implied by England and France IN the claim
they put forth TO act as police agents on the high seas
in the matter in question, takes it for granted either
that the Government of the United States is wanting
IN the ability or the honesty to do its duties 10 other
nations and to Itself IN It's relations of neuraIty
Mr. Crittenden spraks with plainness this point
Tins 81 e o. he says to M de sartises, the
ana IN the PERFORMANCE Of this duty can neither ask
nor receaue foreign aid"
The whole question of the right of search was tho
roughly discussed and definitely settled, so far as the
position OF this country with regard it concerned
when Mr.. Webster concluded with Lord Ashburton
the treaty OF Washington and 1t certainly seems
strange that England should revive pretensons then
understood to be withdrawn, and that France after
having refused to ratliy the Quntnpie Treaty on The
very ground that she would not recognize the right of
search which that treaty proposed make reciprocal
should now assume towards us the attitude in which
she stands on this subject.
The other point of difficulty which this matter in
wolves is that which relatives TO the extension of the
balance OF power system to this country in connec.
uon with me geographical position of Cuba ''The
government OF France and those of other European
nations" says Mr.. Crenden. ''were long since Of
hclaly appraised by this Government that the United
States could not see without that island trans
ferfed by 5 pain to any other European State - and
the ntimaon is given that the introduction Of such
a protectorate as that proposed by England and |
France might lead to results equally Objectionable.
The language of President Monroe in reference to
this subject may be here with propriety called to
mind. at is iimpossibe,' he said, "tha: the Allied
Powers should extend their political system to any
portion of either Continent (Norrh or South Ameri.
ca) without endangerlng our peace and happiness |
if left to themselves would adopt of their own &C.
cord, 1t is equally impossible, therefore, that we