Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-15

ton and Baltimore, which will he found under
our telegraphic head.
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE CLAYTON AMERDMINT
RETAINED THE PROOF.
The Administration papers attempt to dis-
credit the assertion that tho Clayton Amend
ment is virtually part aud parcel Of the Ne
braska. Kansas Bill. A brief statement of facts
will place tho matter in y clear light.
The bill which passed the Senate, March 81,
1854, was twofold--providing for the organiaa-
ton Of two Territories, Nebraska and Kansas
and consisted Of thirty seven sections. Section
fifth prescribes the qualifications for voting
and holding Office in Nebraska; section twenty
third, the same in Kansas--both being identical
in meaning and language AS originally re-
ported in the Senate, those sections provided
aThat every free white male inhabitant above
the age Of twenty-one years, who shall be an
actual resident Of said Territory, and shall pos
sess the qualifications hereinafter prescribed,
shall be entitled to vote at the first election,
and shall be eligible to any Office within said
Territory but the qualifications of voters and
of holding flee, at all subsequent elections
shall be such as shall be prescribed by tho
Legislative Assembly: Provided, That the
right Of suffrage and Of holding Office shall be
exercised only by citizens of the United States
and those who shall have declared, on oath, their
intention to become such, and shall have taken
an oath to support the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States and the provisions of this act 1nd
PROVIDED, further, That no cficcr soldier, sea-
9th
navy of the United States or attached to troops
in the service Of the United States, shall DO al
lowed to vote or hold Office in said Territory,
by reason Of being on service therein for six
months, unless said Territory is or has been for
that period otherwise his permanent domicl
residence, habitation, and homeo
These provisions plainly were intended as u
limitation on the rights conferred by the sec
tion, and to be exercised not only before, but
after the first election.
Mr.. Clayton objected to the privileges nc
corded to aliens, and said:
"The non-infercourse act Of 1884 positively
prohibits aliens from gong INTO thls Territory
spithota passport. The reason of that must
be apparent to Senators. British agents were
supposed TO have entered there, and stirred up
the Indians , or it was apprehended there was
danger Of such persons going there to disturb
the Indians against the frontier settlers. In my
opinion, the Constitution demands, and every
dictate Of sound policy demands, that the right
of suffrage and holding Office in these Terrific
RIGS should be restricted to citizens of the Uni
ted States. Unless this be done, these very men
to phom have referred, may go there and
ifgisiate.D
To L.
strike out these words Of the first Proviso--
And those who shall have declared on
oath, their intention TO become SUCH and shall
have taken an oath to support the Constitution
of the United States and the provisions Of this
aotv
So that tho Proviso should then read
Provided, That the right OF suffrage and
holding othco shall be exercised only by citi-
ssns Of the United States
His motion was adopted, by % votes against
22--all the Senators present from the SLAVE
States, and MIR. Bfodhead, Of Pennsylvania,
voting Tor it; all the Senators present from
the free States, except Mr.. Brodhead, voting
against il
Tho Proviso as amended became known as
tho Clayton amendment The record elbows
that Mr.. Clayton believed there was conflict
between the Indian Ioterc ,urfe Act Of 1884,
and the Proviso, as 10 stood in the Bill report
cd from the committee, and that his amend
mont harmonized them, 50 that the act could
still be enforced, 10 the exclusion of aliens
from the Territories.
March Sd, this Bill passed the Senate, and
va sent to the House, where 1t was referred
TO the Committee or the Whole on the state
Of the Union.
Before this, Mr.. Richardson had reported
similar bill for the organization of Nebraska
and Kansas, which WAS referred, January 3Ist,
to the Committee Of the Whole on the state Of
the Union. The SECTIONS in it prescribing tho
qualifications OF voters were tho same IA the
section in tho senate bill, before Mr.. Clayton .
amendment.
May 9th, this Bill having been reached by
an extraordinary procedure in Committee, Mr.
Richardson moved substitate, which no said
wss the same precisely ~ the Senate Bill, with
the omission Of what WINS called the Clayton
amendment In this substitute The 5.h soc.
tion, prescribing the qualifications Of voters in
Nebraska, and tho 2sd>sscsion, tho samc in
Kansas were 30 modified rs to embrace the
original P,oviso, before II was amended on mo.
tion Of Mr.. Clayton, rs follows:
Promdsd That the right Of suffrage and
q holding Office shall be exercised only by citi.
ssno Of tbe United States, and those who shall
h1vo 6oolAred on oath thor intention to become
snoh, and &IsaIl have taken an oath TO support
90 Constellation " The United States and thu
proyiaiens 81 this SCI
With this Psoviso tho Bill was passed, and