Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-03-05


Oregon bill. and inserted therein the amend
neOt which yOv Ssy il could have been "Psr-
fecty proper" to have Inserted in the Mime
sofa bill. II il vas right to suike this alien
provision from the Oregon baiI was wrong to
retain it 10 tSe Minnesstn bill. aud equally
wrong 10 enact any sush provision into a Law.
Il seems to me that sound policy and principle
demands that only citizens Of the United States
nAturaliEsd Aad native without distinction,
should Be- authorised By Congressional enact
ment to form State Governments and Consllu-
tons within our Territories. The importance
Of this restriction and limitation you admit,
aud the evil result likely to SOW from the neg.
leet Of The HOuseto insert it in the Minnesota
bill, you very clearly suggest. This result Ss
stated by yourself is that the people q Min
nesota may under the sanction Of this bill. in
sert in their State Constitution The provisions
that aliens owing allegiance to foreign Govern
ments may exercise the right OF suffrage in
the proposed new STATE Of Minnesota, and send
representatives here to ~legislate oyer citizens Of
the United States.
The uniform practice Of tWeHly,seven States
of the UuiOn excluding aliens from the exercise
Of suffrage speaks in Stern condemnation Of ibis
policy. 1t is one thing 10 confer suffrage upon
aliens within a Territory by a meSn organic acI
for It's government as a Territory. and quite
another thing to authorize aliens by an ena-
bling act to form aStpte Government aud Con-
s%titulion. By the organic act Congress but
prescribes a mode of petition through a Terri
torial Assembly, which petition, or TerritorisI
act, as it is called, il is expressly declared
Congress may allow or refuse at pleasure. bul
by an enabling act, as you state 10 your article
Congress confers upon the people Of the Terri.
tory the absolute right to form a State Conslitr
ton, and which right you say they "must b,
allowed to exercise for themselves subiec
to ne LIMITATIONS or IT strictions. except those
imposed by the enabling act. It does not fol-
low becauSe three or four new States have
without any authority Of law, inauguratsd thi,
alien policy in their State ORGANIC vtiopV. tina
the Representatives in Congress ought to en-,
graft that policy upOUenabling acts, and there
by in advance give to il the sanction of nation
al law. You admit that this ought not to hav,
been done 10 this Minnesota bill, and that i
would have been perfectly proper" to have S,
amended that bill as to have retained the neV
State from extending the right Of suffrage t.
any but citizens OF the United States a
gree with you in that; and because that res'ric
ton was not imposed | voted against that bill
The House JUST fed this vote by inserting III,
amendment in the Oregon bill restricting SUI
frage 10 citizens Of the United States, %naturali
ed and native. 1t is qaite apparent that j
this defect in the Minnesota bill had beer
known before the previous question was deman.
ded and ordered, that bill would have been in
like manner amended The defect was not ap
parent apon the face ofAh& bill, and could on
y be ascertained by a reference to the organi,
avn III hOhOe u eSOapeu tne nottce OF tie Ia
jority Of the House until after their votes had
been recorded in its favor, and the bill had
passed, l doubt not that those who voted for
this bill were actuated by honest purposes and
patriotic motives,
AS Republican, DESTROYS of the speed, and
complete triumph Of aIl the principles set forth
IN the Republican platform, and as a represen.
tstive Of the people, cannot favor any legisla.
ton which is conceded to be wrong both in
principle and policy. l freely accord to others
the privilege of acting up to their convictions
Of duty and dem and The same right for mysel,,
In the exercise Of this undoubted right | voted
for the Oregon bill and against the Minnesota
bill. These two bills were ia direc! conflict in
respect Of a very important provision. anl l
could not, therefore, consistently vote for both.
Very respectfully yours,
JOHN A BINGHAM.