The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-05-20

n
oIn.v /. r,,xerved and all are entitled u
81 V;roinja,
NJ SMITH, Of virginia. or course. tina,
ia ,,,oocr pbraaolopy but. sir. citizens Of
| vi,g;nia are citizrns OF the United States
NJ. MILLION. And now. sir. TO deprive
nv colleague Of the benefit he thinks he
bas secured by the last explanation, | will
teIl him tina, Il he will look at the statues o,
Virginia he will find a law coeyaI with the
earliest history of the Commonwealth of yir.
ginia and existing in the statute book until
four or five years ago. in which the mode il
pointed out for admitting aliens 10 become
citizens OF the State Of Virginia.
Mr.. surTu. Of virginia. | wish 10 AK
nv colleague whether h. does not know that
the act 10 which he refers was ante reyolu.
tionary, and passed before the adoptiou Of
the constitution. and whether il ia not unre-
cognized in the revised code Of virginia 4.
Mr.. MIrIsos. so far from il. will tell
my colleague that il was enacted in 1892,
re-cnacted and continued in the reyisal of
1919, and continued under the constitution
OF 1881, and il was only dropped from the
revised code under the revision Of Messrs.
Patton and Robertson some four or five
years ago. That law, ] will tell my colleague
has never been repealed TO this day, although
omitted in that code.
beg leave 10 ray only this-as do not
wish 10 ietain the House, having promised
10 occupy its attention for few moments
only--that have myself. in my capacity IA
attorney and counselor at law, assisted in
the conlcrrng of citizenship upon many for
cign voters and that nothing was more
common. before warmly contested election
in virginia, than for the county court 10
meet two Or three days before the opening
of election, and sometimes an hour or two
before the election, for the express purpose
Of admitting aliens to the right Of voting,
who never had been naturalized under any
act Of the United States. And again. /
will tell nv colleague that | do not know
that this ri1bt WINS ever auestionod in the
Congress OF the United States. or elsewhere.
hut once II was once questioned in con.
tested election. originating in the District
which I now repr,sn,-- tho contested cleo.
ton between Newton and LAWYER. The
sitting member. MIR. Newton, contested a
number of votes in the vol of Mr.. LAWYER
upon the vround tim, the voter. were not
entitled 10 vote not having been patnralized
under the lawsof the Il. = The ease ,urn.
ed upon that uncs,ion | well remainder /,
arr ior il WINS ,b,ut ,he e.rli,s, nol;,;c,i
clcc,ion I ever wi,n,sscJ | rcmcmher ,ba,
the mniori,v Of Mr.. Newton was about
,Ioven ar ,6;,,,,n and ,b., ohout for,v a,
Gi,v If IN, vote. ,f the cb,racte, I bnys re-
i,rr,d Ia xcr, given for Mr. LAWYER The
IIous, or Ronreseni.,ives in thu, cas-. ia
termincJ that these vot,,a w.r, Wild and h..
yal and Mr. LAWYER took his seat on.,iny
Mr. Newton
Mr.. Svnu of Viryinm. will ask nv
colleague if he knows of anv other district
| viii ask NV other COLLEAGUES If they know
of n siuvI, casa in which anv nreion,r I'm,
n naturalzod foreigner has exercised the
right of suffrage in Virginia. eycept in the
Norfolk district If there il one 1T us
hear IT, / cannot be accountable for what
my colleague may do asa Commemorative
attorney bu, beg him to look to the law
and the authorities which | have quoted.
Mr.. MliIsoS. In reply, can only say
that as ! have never been resident OF any
&C.,, ,h. ',;',rin, b;.h I no. re,rcson,
cannot of course. give nv colleag,e any
personal information in regard to the prac-
'c' at elections III othcr districts. hut l
give MN .no "a" aia Tue constitution ~ t"e
o'a'e o' Virginia sho" MI" ha' th'se
constitutions nave Always admitted To Inc
'Rn. VI '"t"'g ''''"'''s VI thc common
"e"'h VI 'nH,hia a''i point MN 10 'he
law u"ner which 'h''e a''e'~ may De admit,
w, w. 10 ''''"ensn'p III 'he communicable CT
virginia, =" NAT more 'oo'd my 'oh'ague
raso'ap'y demand
l nave risen 'nly Tor 'he purpose of sog'
g,s''ng 10 my colleague that however strong
may be hs objections, land admit Their
lor'e') when ne undertakes TO exc'ade
STATE from the mon because OF the exer-
elsc 1' u RIGHT when h's own state con
st"n'y exercised from The beginnIng OF the
mon w lhc present gay, II strikes me tilat