The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-07-02

OF the Senate. Yet, a man who has
agreed with me alwavs-and tba. is the
only bad sign about ii laughter under
takes TO sit in judgment on my legal at
tainments! II his authority is worth any
thing, it is with me, for he has concurrcd
with me. On all the contested election
cases, we have agreed, except, perhaps, in
the Phelps case. There he may have
differed from me; but il lie did the Senate
overruled him.
That, however, is not the question which
l was approaching. said that what he
stated IN reierel . to the constitution of
South Carolina was not i'll response TO any
thing which had fallen from me, and that
there WAS no such thing to be found in the
constitution Of South Carolina as he has
quoted. | will read the clause:
mo person shall be eligible to a seat
III the House OF Representatives, unless he
is free white man, Of the age of twenty.
one years, and hath been citizen and
resident of this State three years previous
to his election. If Il resident in The elec.
ton district, lie shall not lie elcgble to a
| seat in the House Of representatives,, unless
he he legally seized and possessed, in his
, own right, Of II settled freehold estate of
live hundred acres Of land, and ten ne
Sroes; or OF real estate of the value of
one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling.
! clear OF debt. II a NONRESIDENT, he shall
be legally seized and possessed of a settled
freehold estate therein OF the value OF lv c
hundred pounds sterling, clear of debt
venture TO say that nearly half Of the
members oi the Legislature OF South Car
DINA, particularly those who come from
The towns and cities, do not own negro
! ut all; and very few Of them, as NV col.
league knows, own five hundred acres @,
land. Merchants do not want il: LAWYERS
do not want it. The tenure bv which
they hold their offices is mainly ky the
latter clause, which The Senator left out.
that man TO be eligible to seat in the
House OF Representatives must own prop
erty to the amount Of ESQ sterling, clear
OF debt. This is "A little over 800. Now
| have got him; call on Senators to con.
Wet him. There is but one verdict which
can be rendered. lie has gone cut of the
way TO assail the constitution of SoutL
Carolina, and, in assailing it, lie is guilty
OF the worst Of all faults. | cannot CON.
ceire of worse prcdicament than his
who, protesting pcdantic accuracy, and
sitting III Judgment on the quotations OF
others, is rcducec to the alternative Of ad.
mltiIng that he never read what hc quoted
or, II he had read it, could not UNDERSTAND
it, or garbled it. I.
Again, sir, he says the constitution OF
South Carolina is republican only in form
say there is no State in the Union whose
constitution gives more enlarged right ul
suffrage. | have not the provision now
before me, but can state what my col.
league knows to he the fact, that every
Tree white man OF South Carolina, Of the
age Of twenty-one, has right Of suffrage,
provided he pays seventeen shillings oi
tax. may be mistaken perhaps in the
amount
MIR. EVANS. There is no tax at all re-
! qulred if he is "a resident, and has resided
SIX months in the election district. Th en
he is entitled to vote without property
! q ratification.
Mr. BUTLER. II he has resided there
for six months, no property qualification
| Is required; but, il he has not resided so.
long, he must have very small amount
ot land. Our people do not even pay n
poll tax. Here is the provision of the
South Carolina constitution:
'ENcry free white man Of the age Of
twenty -onc years, being citizen of this
State, and having resided therein two
years previous TO the day OF election. and
who hath freehold of fifty acres Of land,
| or town lot Of which he hath been legal.
ly seized and possessed at least six months
before such election, or, not having such
! freehold or town lot ,iIath been resident in
the election district in which he offers to
give his vote six months before the said
election, aud bath paid tax the proceed
ing year or three sbillings sterling towards
the support Of this government, shall have
a right TO vote for member or members
to sesve in either branch of the Legi>la-
ture. for the election district in Which he
holds such property, OF is so resident"
The Senator has presumed TO charac
terlze her constitution as republican only
in form, when il has the frcest and most
enlarged right Of suffrage Of aay State in
The Union, grant you that, when the
Legislature Comes into operation under
the constitution, theEs are conservative ele.
ments which, thank God, have with
stood the wild feeling Of what is called the
, progress Of the times; but it does not be.
come me to allude to them now.
l come next TO an allegation which, it
the Senator were here, think he would
not look me in the face when repeat il,
and that is, his insolent and untrue charge
Of the "shamefaI imbecility" Of South
Carolina during the war Of the Revolution
in consequence Of slavery. Sir, ingrati-
tude IS the monster Of vices, and when IL
is associated with injustice, il ought 10 be
condemned by the consuming indignation
Of oves those who may tomorrow be our
advcrsaries. What are the facts The
news OF the battle Of Lexington was car
ried 10 Charleston by express; and the
very day they received The intelligence
the Liberty Men, as they were called,