Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-01-24
FREE SUFFRAGE.

This great measure has passed its third reading
in the Senate Of this State by five votes more than
the Constitutional majority, and now goes to the
House of Commons for the action of that body. See
proceedings of Wednesday in another column.
The bill was so amended as to meet all the objec-
tons urged against it by those who insisted stren
uously on guarding the ballot-box from foreign"
influences; and yet those who thus insisted, deter
mined evidently to be satisfied with nothing short
of the defeat of Free Suffrage ITSELF voted against
the measure. 1t is provided by the bill that per-
son shall vote for Senator who is not /" a native or
naturalizcd citizen of the United States" "; and this
provision is made, not because it appeared to be
necessary, but to quiet certain apprehensons, whe-
ther we'll grounded not, and to settle the question
in many words for all time. Unquestionably, in our
Judgment, foreign born person now vote with
out havingbeen naturalized the federal Constitution
the decisions of the Courts the opinions Of eminent
jursts and statesmen broad, ample and complete
this point, any custom in this any other State
to the contrary Notwithstanding. The substitute of
Mr. Boyd is, therefore, concession to the feeling
now prevailing against foreigners, but merely de-
claraton of existing fact made with the view
above referred to-
of Commons, for the action of that body. We sim
cercy trust the friends OF the in the House
will present one front-rote doom all amendments,
and pass the bill at once by the requisite majority.
The representatives of the landholders have made
tender of this great right to the constituents of the
members of the Commons-the bill through which
this tender is made appears to have been perfected
it has the approval of large majority of the Senate
and this being the case, and the principle invol
we'd has been often approved at the ballot DO Y
and in the Legislature, the people will naturally look
to the Commons for prompt direct and final action
We publish below the bill as it passed the Senate
on "Wednesday last:
4 Bill to amend the Constitution Of the State o.
North Carolina.
WHEREAS, a large number of the people are dis
franchsed by the freehold qualification now rcquir
ed of voters for members oil the Senate,
Sec. l. Taer Jore be it enacted by the Genera
assembly of the State Of North Carolina, and it i
hereby enactcd by the authority Of the same (thret
ifths of the whole number OF the members of each
| house concurring,D that the second clause of the
third section of the first article OF the amended Con
stitution, ratified by the people of North Carolina
on the second Monday of November in the year o
our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty live, Shall bt
| amended to read as follows:
Every free white man OF the age of twenty-ont
| years. being native or naturalized citizen of the
United States and who has been inhabtant of tn,
State for twelve months Immediately proceeding th'
day of any election and snail have paid public tax
es shall be entitled to vote for member Of the Sen
ate for the district in which he resides.
Sec 2. BE IL further enacted, That the Govern
or of the State be, and he is hereby directed to is
sue his proclamation to the people of North Carroll
ma, at least six months before the next election fo
members of the General Assembly, setting forth tn
| Of acta nd amendment Con
sttution herein proposed which proclamation sha
be accompanied by true and perfect copy of tn
act authenticated by the certificate of the Secretary
of State; and both the proclamation and the cop.
of this act, the Governor of the State shall caus
to be published in ten newspapers OF this State,
least six months before the election of members t
the next General Assembly. 4