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

tO0ny, VIII make my reInhfkf 10 mOtTOW.
The question was then taken on Mr.
STEPHENS motion, and il was agreed to.
On Thursday, May 6, the debate ON tn
Minnesota bill was continued In the House
Mr.. SMITH, Of Virginia, spoke in opposi
ton 10 the admission Of the State. III
based bis opposition on the ground Of thu
State Constitution permitting individuals II
vote who had not completed their natural
zation AZ citizens Of the United States. lie
laid down the following proposition and sup
ported il by lengthy citations from the wri'
tings Of JEFFERSON, GALLATIs, HAsmTos,
and MADISON:
lay ii down that the Federal Constitu-
ton gives TO this Government the exclusive
power Of saying who Of the foreign born
shall be citizens, and having exercised that
authority and said who shall be citizens the
exclusive power is In the State government
10 say who Of her ctizens shall exercise the
right OF suffrage. might produce anthori.
ties If had time. might refer TO Chan.
cellor Kent, who assumes. ns matter Of
course, that nobody but citizen has right
to exercise the right Of suffrage.
After quoting the provisions Of the State
Constitution 10 reference TO suffrage, Mr.
SxIrH continued
Now, for whom a.e they to vote? They
are 10 vote for q member OF the House Of
Representatives. lie comes here and VIZ
have right to look into the qualifications
Of the voters who sent him here, and W. have
direct right 10 ASCERTAIN whether he has
been duly elected by citizens Of the United
States. That Ia not AL sir. liy their votes
the Legislature Of the State is elected, which
elects United States Senators. and we have
d right 10 ascertain whether those Senators
have been elected by proper persons But
that is not all Ihee same persons have q
right, il is contendcd, 10 cast their SURFACES
for electors Of the President of the United
States. They may decide Presidential
election. And that il not all The election
Of President may come into the House, and
may turn upon the vote Of single State,
and the election IT that State may have de.
pended upon the vote Of one individual, and
that an unnnturalind foreigner just landed
VIII any gentleman ay that the introduc-
ton Of such u system. affecting, as il does,
the House Of Representatives. the Senate,
and President of the United States, would
not lead to a frightful mass Of evils 10 the
Federal organization If such an idea could
have been thought Of, dreamed Of or i'm.
agined by those who framed the Federal
Constitution when they were seking to &C..
cure uniformity in social intercourse among
The States, IL II to be supposed for an instant,
that they would not have provided against
III But no man ever dreamed, that voters
should ever have been made out of any but
ctizcns Of the United States that the law
Tor the naturalization Of foreigners, was IT.
self to he practically repealed, and that for
cgncrs, before they had remained here five
years, and had acquired the moral and in
tellcctual qualifications required, were to be
put in fall fellowship with our native born
citizens, and allowed to WELD as large a
mass of political power,
Look NJ the consequences Of such con.
diton Of things. From three to five hun.
drcd thousand foreigners many OF them.
admit, very meritorious and unexccptionable
persons come into this country every year
and settle our new States and Territories
and under this system they are to be per.
mlttcd nj once 10 organize themselves into
States, to send representatives TO this House
and to the Senate, and TO participate in the
election Of the President of the United
States. without ever having conformcd 10
the requisition Of the naturalization laws
In the name Of God is it not necessary to
put stop TO this state of things We ARE
running downwaris with hot haste.
Mr. MriisoS, of Virginia, in reply to
Mr.. SMITH, showed that the very state OF
things deP|orcd by that gentleman, ut the
present time existed in the State of Vir
ginia.
Mr.. MrLlsos. desire. Mr.. Speaker to
make few remarks suggested by the re-
marks Of my colleague Mr.. Smith in re
gard to what he charaeterizos as alien suf
iragc. Now, Mr. Speaker, il supposed
that il was at nil competent for Congress 20
pass upon the constitution Of State apply
ing for admission into the Union 10 the ex.
tent OF approving or disappearing any pro-
visions that might he contained in that con
should see more direct appica.
tIon than ] now suppose there is in my cob
leagues remarks.
In what am about TO say do not wish
to be understood as approving of the extern
SION of the right OF suffrage 10 unnatural
lied foreigners tor many il the House may
remember that II was on my motion in the
last tongress, that tn, House adopted an
In the Oregon bill, restricting
the suffrage of the citizens OF the United
States. bat II my colleague objects To the
admission Of state into the Union because
OF an objection Il that character to her
| beg leave to suggest that We
are travelling lar beyond our appropriate
sphere aud woula suggest 10 hun. tur
Their, that in making anuuadvcrsions on the
constitution Of Minnesota, he s anirnadvcrt
ing upon the constitution Of his own State.
ask my colleague whether he did not vote
f,r the rpnsfi,u,tpy Of Xtrointa ,lo,,..l a.,