The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-25
LegisIative Proceedings.

announced the appointment OF the lollo"AuS
Joint Committee onsthe Geological Survey
of the State, viz: Messrs. Wagner, Wallace,
Steele, Murray, March, Carnahan, and
Line. ~
On the bill for repeating the charter of
the Bank of the State of Indiana: Messrs.
Conley, March, Weir, Wagner, and Hef-
rem.
"A bill amending the Divorce Laws was
engrossed. and passed to its third reading.
Lieutenant Governor Hammond resumed
his seat as presiding officer on Saturday
afternoon. SEA ...srr
The Chairman of the Select Committee,
to whom was referred the bill providing that
the people, at the general election, prior to
the time when the Legislature have Uni
ted States Senator to elect, shall designate
at the ballot box the person whom they wish
to fill the prospective vacancy in the Sena-
torship, and that the will of the majority,
so expressed at the ballot box, shall be bind
ing on all members of the Legislature in
their votes for United States Senators. The
bill was made the special order for Wednes-
day.
In the House a'large number of reports
from Committees, were made. Mr.. Blythe,
from the Judiciary Committee, reported on
the resolution to allow parties to swear to
their book accounts, report that no further
legislation is necessary. Concurred in.
That House bill in reference to justices
of the peace, be laid on the table. Concur
red in.
That House bill prescribing the empan-
neling Of petit jurors, be amended by strik-
ing out section 4, and passed as amended
Concurred in.
The subject of interest and usury was
made the special order for Wednesday in the
House.
The bill to amend the second section of
the Constitution was taken up and debated
Mr.. Gregory, from Ohio, author of the bill,
insisted on the submission of this question
to vote of the people, and shall continue
to do so; first, on the ground that such an
amendment is highly necessary and just ;
and second, that, whether the public senti-
ment of the State is in favor of or against
such an amendment, the people have at least
right to demand that the Legislature shall
allow them the only constitutional method
of an expression of opinion on the subject.
The people of the two counties which
represent are actnated by no hostility to
foreigners in their earnest opposition to alien
suffrage; but they believe with me thaG
the trainers of the Constitution of the United
States did not contemplate that the very
| highest prerogative of citizenship-the right
of suffrage-should be exercised by any but
citizens; and further, that any State Con-
stituton or law which confers the right of
suffrage upon any but citizens of the United
| States, is violation of the Federal Consti-
| tuition. W.
B Why, the very men who framed the
present Constitution, who participated in
the adoption of the alien suffrage clause of
that instrument, regard that clause as the
perfection of demagogueism, and its adop-
ton by the convention as one of those farces
which have made the buncombe legislation
of our country notorious the world over
Ask them why they done it and they will
tell you the Democrats wanted TO wheedle
the foreigners into their support, and the
Wings to accomplish the same object, must
necessarily " cut under the Democracy,
who in turn made still more liberal conces-
sions, until the door was thrown wide open,
and the right of suffrage extended to aliens
four years in advance of their requirement
of the right of citizenship by naturaliza-
ton.
Doeslany intelligent foreigner believe this
to be right or just-sensible or safe Viola
ton of the Federal Constitution we should
always regard as dangerous; and some Of
our ablest statesman-such men as Clay
Webster and Houston--haveo maintained
that no State could confer the right of suf.
frage upon unnaturalized foreigners without
violating the Constitution.
The bill was laid on the table by vote
of 81 to 43.
The Speaker announced the following
House members of the Geological Survey
Committee Smith Of Perry, Treadway
Stan6eld, Dobbins, Lewis, Harrison Dough
erty, Branham and Wildman.