Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-26
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Al tAo O0uALo, yossoiuey, oAsoi We "ehI
to press, the amendment proposed to the de-
fciency bill, appropriating s49, 300 Ito lie ex-
pended under the direction of the Secretary
of War; to procure the engraving of maps of
the Pacific railroad surveys, was debated at
length by many Senators; and it was agreed
to-yess 20, nays 19.
Mr.. Hunters pending amendment, appro-
priating an aggregate Of 1901 1863 to supply
deficiencies in last years appropriations for
the public printing and printing paper, was
then agreed to-yeas %, nays IL.
Mr. Bayard moved to amend the bill by
adding a clause, as follows:
"For finishing the portico and extension of
the west wing Of the Patent Office building, to
and lay down the necessary tagging and pave
ments, $50, 1000.
Pending the question on agreeing to this
proposition, they adjourned.
In the House, Mr.. H. Marshall, of Ken
lucky, modified his proposition to amend the
pending bill to define and secure the rights
of voters in Washington city, &s., so as that
it should require one years residence here
after naturalization before foreign-born citi-
zens should be entitled to vote, instead of two
years as he originally proposed. The debate
on his amendment was then continued
the principle which was intended to be incor-
porated in this bill was one that ought to have
been incorporated before, and he was not
aware that 1t would draw, as had been said,
invidiOus distinctions between the native born
and foreign citizen. If it drew a distinction
between these two classes Of citizens, then the
question was whether it was right or wrong
and he supposed that upon that question the
judgment of the House would not be aided
by the use of the word invidious Every cit
izen of the United States moving from any
State into the District Of Columbia brought
with him the ordinary rights of an Amer;-
can citizen; and after he had come here,
having these qualifications, he was required
to reside here a certain length of time
The object Of the amendment, therefore, was
nothing more or less than to prevent an in
vidious distinction against the native born
and in favor Of the foreign. born citizen The
law required that 4 native, having the re.
sponsibilities of citizenship upon him, should
reside here certain length of time before he
should be entitled to vote, while it conferred
upon the foreigner with his naturalization
papers that right instantly, without having
previously resided here as a citizen, and be-
fore he had opportunity or interest enough to
investigate, reflect upon, and know his duties
as citizen of the city. 1t authorized him
to vote Immediately, without, putting any Pc
Rod between the acquisition Of his naturali-
cation and the acquisition of . right to vote.
Another important reason for the adoption of
this amendment was to prevent the naturali-
cation of foreigners on the day before the
election to control it, as it wero. Now on that
day tho court house was crowded with the
rough and raw material who turned the bal
ance against men, native and foreign, who
had been here for five, ten, or twenty years
They were men who knew nothing of the
country or its interests, who had never turned
their attention towards any one Of the great
duties of American citizenship, who had so
little interest in becoming citizens that they
did not, In nine cases out of ten, seek the
courthouse for the purpose of getting out
their naturalization papers, but who were
taken from the purlieus Of the town by thou
sands and brought before the tribunals of the
United States with men standing by them to
pay for their naturalization papers, and those
papers not conGded to their keeping, but the
political line held on them until they ap-
peared in long files at the polls on the day of
the election, where they did not vote, but
were voted by men who held their papers in
their pockets.
Mr.. Meacham said that the bill had been
submitted to the thinking men Of all parties
of the District of Columbia, and had met
their unanimous approval. The House was
legislating for the District of Columbia, and
not for Baltimore or for Kentucky, and he
wondered that the gentleman from Kentucky,
who was on the Judiciary Committee, should
| come here with little patch Of an amend
ment of one year, when his committee had
the power to bring in a general bill to regu-
late the whole naturalization laws. He knew
there was necessity for a change in the nat
uralization laws; and when they come for
ward with general bill regulating the laws
of the whole land, he would go with them,
though he would not say whether he would
mt np fvva nfxyn &xa IL.
was in favor of having a moderate and just
| law for all that would commend itself to every
| mans conscience in the sight of God and
| then he was in favor of having that law en-
forced. He moved to recommit the bill to the
Committee for the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Campbell of Ohio, moved that the re-
commitment to the committee be accompanied
with instructions to them to report the amend
| ment offered by the gentleman from Ken
lucky. Unless some such provision was in
corporated in the bill, it would be within the
power of any Of the parties to bring from adj
joining cities, within a few hours, enough
naturalized foreigners to control the ballot
boxes. He trusted that when they reached
territorial legislation, some such principle
would be incorporated, putting an end to this
system Of pauper influence which now con-
trolled the elections.
Mr.. BOyce held that all citizens should be
equal before the law, and if there was any
property qualification or qualification of resi-
dence, it should apply to all classes of our
citizens. They might make the naturalization
| laws as stringent as they pleased but, after
a man had passed that ordeal and become a
citizen, they should treat him as q citizen
They ought not to hold the word of promise to
the ear and broak it to the hope. After they
had taken a man into the bosom of the Ameri-
can fraternity, and said to him, you are An
American citizen, they should not let it be
| cheat aud dulusiOn. He abhorred all these
| distinctions Of equality before the law between
citizens. 1t was contrary to the spirit of re-
publicanism. After foreigners had been made
| citizens, they ought not to discriminate be-
tween them and the native-born but, by
treating them with magnanimity and generos
ity, make them forget that they we're born on
| foreign soil. After they were taken in as
citizens they should be treated as citizens in
spirit as we'll as in name.
Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, opposed the amend