The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-08-15
FRIDAY, AUGUsrlzI

.-4t4atElas r-fEft 1ssI
4 lz91s.
VI 0oNsTITUTIoNAL CONVENTION.
: oal 70 FRIDAY. August Z, lSs,. 81
!. Upon the roll-call of the Secretarv. thu
J. loiowmg members were reported absent
n Messrs. Billings, Boles, Coe, Combs. Dick.
erson, Eschlie, Foster, Hall, Kemp. LOVE
MURPHY, Putnem, Peckbam, Robbins Russell
4 S5snnard Smith, Thompson. Walker, and
? Secretary. e - y '''
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
II Mr.. COGGSWELL submitted the follow.
ing resolution: rv7,F5.r~ -
kesotoed, That there shall be submitted IN
!. qualified voters of the Territory, at the time
this Constitution is submitted to them for
their ratification or rejection the following
proposition and il it shall receive MAJORITY
OF al the votes east for or against it. then l.
shall become part and portion Of the Con.
stitution RI. =
! Proposition I. Every male person. of eth
er mixed or full African or negro blood. At
the age OF q years and upwards, and who
shall have resided in this State sx months
next preceding any election, and IN the own
precinct or ward, In which be clair the r;9bt
to vote, ten days next preceedinr the SANE
shall be deemed qualifed elector and ebaII
have the right to vote for oil officer vbioh
may De elected by the people. Z
i - Mr.. CLEGnORN suggested thar ;be reso.
Luton should 60 to the COMMITTEE on ,he
Elective Franchise. - n -
Mr.. COGGSWELL4 The object in Offering
the resolution was simply to ascel tain vbetb,
crit was the expectation of the Conven,ioo
that this proposition should co,ne from the
Committee on the Schedule.
The resolution lies over.
| Mr.. DOOLEY, from the Conn ;ttee on tbs
Elective Franchise, submitted q report. en-
bracing the following resolution,
| Hsotced, That at the same election that
this Constitution is submitted tn the neonie,
for its adoption or rejection. a nronos;t;onr ~
amend The same, by striking out the wori
white" from the article =. Sec / on The
hight OF Suffrage, shall be separately submit
ted to the electors OF tins State 70, adoption
or REJECTION, in manner following. VIZ:
separate ballot may be given by every person
having right to vote at said electionl 70 he
deposited in separate box: and those c;ven
Tor the adoption of such proposition, shall
nave the words, "Shall the word White he
stricken out Of the article - Sec. |. on the
Right Of Suffrage? YES" And those given
against the proposition shall have the same
words with "No.n And if, at said election.
the number Of ballots in favor of said prono.
sltlon shall be a majority of all those cast ON
that subject, the said word "White," shall be
stricken from said article, and be no part
thereof ~ ail f.5ii ''.-'3'7- 1--'t''o F~''
The resolution reported was twice read
laid on the table, and ordered to be I-,nted.
In the order Of unfinished business the
President announced the consideration of
the article in report No IA, frurn the Com
mittee on the Elective Franchise-the cues
tim being on the adoption of Mr.. Fosters sub
stltute for Section l, submitted yester day at
the moment Of adjournment fas printsd in
the proceeding of yesterday mornine,l
Mr.. HAYDON proposed to amend the
substitute, by striking out from the first sec
ton, in the first line, the words g white male
inhabitaIlt" and inserting these words: "citi-
zen of the United States"
The PRESIDENT considered this amend
ment out Of order, as embracing the same
matter which the Convention rejected yester-
day, but withheld the decision.
Mr.. H. made general speech in support
of this amendment. a@
Mr.: PERKINS, also, gave bis views at
length on the questions involved and his rea-
sons for supporting the amendment.
Mr.. GALBRAITH, remarking, that per-
sistent Misrepresentation of mems views comes
with bad grace from the advocates of abb
solute right as the highest expediency, said
he objected to being represented by inuendo
of Mr.. Perkins, that in the discussion of this
question yesterday he had appeared as the
advocate Of e WOunoryc D:~ke.ys
Mr.. PERKINS disclaimed anv such inten-
ton. He bad merely SAID the gentleman
IN his argument, had represented, that the
reason for the exclusion Of negroes from vo-
ting, was no better than that for excluding
women. i-@ia I'D ti-
Mr.. GALBRAITH. That was his argu-
ment. The language of the Declaration of
sAlI men are created eoual.n
and the principle that represents ton and tas-
alton shall be inseperable were the basis of
Ill the Or uments for universal Suffrage. But
u must be clear to all minds, that If equality
Of creation and taxation give the right to
vote, that women should vote also. IL was
not the color we talk about. Il was the dis
distinction between the races distinction
IS fixed and immoveable as the eternal hills,
g palpable as the MONDAY sun. 1t was
distinction that could not be overcome.
whether it came from nature or from educa-
was the fact, to which the moral
of men in general fully respond
ID. If gentlemen propose to correct the
,ublic sentiment on this subject and if they
an do il, well and good. But was It
corrected now2 He affirmed again that
hese were the arguments for negro suffrage
only these and those who st cd by them,
:. be consistent, must also be the advocates
# woman voting, He had said before, and
le said now again, that be should vote against
he amendment, because he could not believe
hat the Africans as class, have the proper
qualifications Of voters.
He would make no stump speech ia this
Convention on the necessity Of difference be-
ween this Constitution and that proposed
% be made in the other end Of the building.
lie rather expected and desired similarity.
We might differ from those gentlemen on
Iuestions Of national politics and policy but