Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1857-02-21


The Census Bill now Before the House of Rep
resentatives.
There seems to be struggle in the House of
Representatives to so amend the bill to provide
for Constitutional Convention that the legal
voters Of many counties shall not have the right
to be members of that Convention. A voter must,
by our present laws, have resided in the Terrific
~ six months next preceding his offer to vote,
and shall be citizen of the United States, or
shall have declared his intentions to become such.
We learn that it is proposed to carry out the
present very odous law of requiring six months
residence in the county, to enttle the voter to be
4 member of the Convention, as now required to
be member of the Legislature.
Such provision as to a member of the Con-
sttutional Convention, is anti-Democratic, anti
Republican, unequal, unjust, and does not give
equal political rights to the voter. You may vote,
you may help to elect your neighbor, but we don't
intend to allow your neighbor to help you; no
matter if you have resided in Minnesota ever
since the first civilized man came here; no matter
how well qualified; no matter how faithful you
have been, or how much you have done in build
ing up our glorious West; no matter how much
the people may need your service, you shall not
be qualified to be member of this Convention
of the people, because you have not resided in
this or that county six months.
liz tomorrow one tier of townships, or one
township, or one section, or one half section
of land be taken on to Rice county from Dako-
tab, or off any county, and put on to another,
the citizens, although residents of the Territory
twenty years, they are not allowed equal rights
with the citizens of six months residence in the
county to which they are attached.
Equal rights, equal liberty, equal laws are
the beauty of our institutions. To require siz
menths residence in the Territory operates equa
on all, but to allow q man to vote who is an in.
habitant of a county for one month or one day
and then deprive the people of electing that vo-
ter to Office if they choose, is far from equa
rights. We learn that the committee in whose
hands the census bill now is, propose to strike
out of the councll the provision allowing an,
voter to be eligible to seat in the Convention
If they do, we hope that some one of that com
mttee will obige their constituents by giving tn,
names of those who voted to destroy the equa
rights of the voter. The people will have goot
sense enough to elect whom they please.
The voters are the sovereigns, the persons elect
ed the servants, and any man in this Legislature
who votes to destroy the equal rights of the vo
ter, will hereafter have good time among hi
constituents. The rule should always be, to al
low The roter to be voted for, if the people wisI
it; don't then cramp the people, but give then
the largest liberty that will secure equal right
10 all men.
But pass what laws you may on this sub
ject, the people may elect to CONSTITUTIONS
Convention whom they please in one out o
the county. A Delegate Constitutional Con
vention when met, is above your laws an
forms, and above your Organic Acts-it is tn
sovereignty of the people changing their form o
government, and they are to judge of the eligi
bility and qualifications of members of their body
VOX POPULI.