The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-31
DAILY.

Mr.. Chairman, 1 will now call the attention of
the committee to the subject referring to
when interrupted for explanations, / mean the
test qualifications under the constitution of New
Hampshire.
, And, sir, will state another fact. In the stron
Democratic towns Of the State of New Hampshire,
where the votes were recorded on each clause of
the constitution, a majority voted for retaining
that clause; and in the Wing townG the reverse
the case.
MIR. HIBBARD. The gentleman's statement is
incorrect. trust shall be allowed moments
interruption.
Mr.. Bell. Not now. III am mistaken you can
correct me hereafter. But | will give you the
facts, which will chow whether ! am right or
wrong. My statement is, of course, based upon
the information have received through the news-
papers of that State. challenge the gentleman
to gather up the vote Of every in the State Of
New Hampshire and if what ! now state be not
proved, will rise upon the floor and candidly ad
init that ] was misinformed Whenever ! per-
ceive that am in error 1t 10 my greatest privilege
to make a correction, especially when the error is
calculated to affect third persons. But, sir, have
no fears in this case, for am right.
The old constitution Of New Hampshire and
which IL still IN force; cortainr the tSliowing.
Article IA, under the head of "torm of govern
urn," PRIV iGes that 'cc"c:y member Of the House
of Representatives. SHALL" among other things,
"bave an estate within the district which he may
be chosen to represent of the value Of Gl00, one
half Of which to be freehold, whereof he is
seized in his own right" and "be OF the Pro-
testant religion, and shall cease TO represent
such town, parish, or place Immediately on his
ceasing to lie Qualified as Aforesaid
Article 30, under same head, contains the fol-
lowing in regard to tue qualifications of Senator's
"No person shall be capable of being elected a
s,Senator who is not of the Protestant religion
Of the value of G200 -
The constitution further provides, Article AZ,
"that person shall be, eligible to the office Of
Governor unless he shall al the same time have
{ n fafp off he enff holf of u,hi cb
shall consist of a freehold in his own right within
This State, and unless he shall be Of the Protest
ant religion"
Article 81. Qualifications for Councillors shall
be the same IA for Senators.
There was a convention called about two years
ago to amend said constitution, of which Mr..
Pierce was elected President. Several ame nd nents
10 that constitution were submitted to the people
to vote upon. One of which amendments proposed
was to strike out from the old constitution that
part which disqualified Catholics from holding Of
fee, and also the property qualification. For it
will be seen that New Hampshire ID one Of the
Democratic States that forbids poor men from hold
ing office. And would say further. Mr.. Chair
man, that believe that every State in the Union
that retains property qualification for holding
office has for many years been, or now ID, under
the government of the self styled Democracy.
What Franklin Pierce said in that convention
know not, nor do care, for 1t was only a prelim
mary proceeding. And l understand, sir, that
there was no division of sentiment among the
the question should be submitted to the people to
vote on. He may have made five minutes peech
Tor Presidential capital abroad; but if he did, l
have understood it after the vote on the rell
gious test question had been taken in convention.
But sir, this is of little importance 1t is the ia.
t1uence that franklin Pierce and his friends exert
ed and the undisputed control they had over the
question that am considering. On the same
day March, 1851 that the vote taken on
the amendments to the constitution, there an
election tor Governor of the State. There were
two Democratic and one Wing candidates. The
Democratic candidates received 80 l59 votes; the
Wing candidate did not receive one third OF the
votes, as he got only S,4s4 The vote on amend
ments to the constitution small, as will be
seen by~returns copied from the New Hampshire
Patriot, Democratic paper. Tue aggregate vote
on the test and property Qualification fol
lows: For abolish,ng 1t, $500; for retaining it,
II ,l22. The Democratic party OF that State at all
times had the power Of abolishing those odious
features in their constitution but refused: "That
the Wings were not accountable for the defeat OF
the amendment abolehing the religious test and
property qualification was clearly demonstrated
by the press of the State at the time, which gave
publicity to the following facts, in contrasting the
votes given in the strougholds of both parties in
favor of the amendment. The comparison Is
made between fifteen towns of each party, fol