Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-02-09
THE TWO YEARS AMENDMENT-IT HIS
TORY AND ITS OBJECT.


TORY AND ITS OBJECT.
The amendment to the State Constitution
requiring two years residence after naturaliz-
alton before voting. received the final approval
of the House of Representatives, yesterday af
ternodn. AS this measure is partially the re-
sultof that singular, not to say marvellous po-
i6cal demonstration, which, for three years,
succeeded in electing all its public officers,
without carrying any of its distinctive mea-
sures into the Statutes, it may be interesting to
make brief note of its history and develop
ment "a
twill be generally remembered, that, when
the Know Nothing party first came into power,
the Legislature was flooded with petitions,
looking to the relief of Massachusetts from the
power of the Pope and his emissaries, the Irish.
No'ene was to be naturalized who would not
formally disclaim his allegiance to the Roman
hierarchy. The nunneries were to be imme-
diately purged of their iniquities by legislative
committees. No person born abroad, unless
during the temporary absenceo one or both Of pa
rents in foreign land, to be allowed to vote,
till after residence here of twenty one years.
In fine, all the evils to which the body polite
was exposed from the rest of the wicked world
except the United States, were to be cast out
through the agency of that new party, which
embraced so much of the virtue, the intellect
and the craftsmanship of the land.
Having secured the undisputed control of
the Executive and the Legislative departments
of the State government, the attempt was made
to have the naturalization laws Immediately
changed. But it happened that portion of
the members of the party in power had not en-
tered it for the purpose of effecting any radical
changes in the statutes, much less for fastening
a stigma of shame on large body of their fel-
low citizens, and striking suicidal blow at one
of the great sources of the prosperity of the
Commonwealth. 1t was finally consented, by
way'of compromise, not to exact more than
fourteen years residence, as a compensation for
the privilege Of voting, of that class of our
population, who had the bad sense to be born
abroad. A constitutional amendment was ac-
cordihgly produced in grammatical form, after
several experiments and failures, and the
Legislature attempted to put it through. After
struggle, we believe, of two years and just
at the moment when it was expected to sue
coed, it was check mated in the Senate, by the
proposition which is now about to become
law. 1t had already passed two successive
Houses of Representatives and come up TO the
Senate of 1857 for final appreciation. 1t passed
Its several stages by nearly unanimous vote
After it had been passed to be engrossed, and
after many days delay, it was referred to a
Special Committee of which Hon. George F.
voar of this city was chairman. The COM
iaee. after much consideration, submitted an
i q" 11e s yegrs resi- aa
A. before naturalization This bill passed
che Senate and here the matter rested for that
year. m
This measure, which was very polite one
at the time, excited not little indignation
>zmonsAthe experienced and far-seeing states.
nen who ben filed the Hobbies and controlled
the ORGANS the State government. We>re-
collect. as we Hesume Others do iis5 who OBJ
served the expressions Of public sentiment with
any especial degree of care, that the most ter
rife denunciations were Illuminated against the
friends of the new measure. The peculiar gift
of expression with which the underwriters of
Know Nothingism were endowed, was employ
ed with an JUNCTION seldom equalled in the po-
litical history of the Commonwealth. But
another year of the same judicious reflection
which led to the abatement of the first seven
years from the contemplated period of pro-
scription, induced the several constituencies of
the State to return a Legislature favorable to
another abatement of the same kind Accord
ingly, the Legislature of 1858. ia both branches,
sanctioned the new amendment. 1t received
the support of large portion of the Repub-
lican party, who regarded it rather as peace
offering, than as an act Of which there was the
slightest political necessity in such community
as Massachusetts. Itwas opposed by two class
es, of different, if not hostile opinions. Those
who presumed to legislate on the principle that
foreigner is prima tacie worse than a native
vagabOnd or thief-for both may vote so long
as they are out of the poor-house and the Jail
opposed the measure as too liberal and
those who believed that the naturalization laws
were well enough as they were, and onght not
to be made more severe, except for reasons
which foreigners might control if they would,
opposed it as an act of mingled supererogation
and injustice. Yet the bill passed by very
large vote, and was laid over, under the pro-
visions Of the Constitution, for the action of
the Legislature of 1853. As we have stated
In the commencement of this article, the act
received its final approval in the lower House,
yesterday, by a vote Of 17S to 49,
OF the merits Of the proposition, it is mel
ther necessary nor timely for us to speak at
this stage Of its maturity. Should it be ap-
proved in the Senate, as it undoubtedly will
be, and receive majority Of the votes Of the
people, it will be acquiesced in by the citizens
of the Commonwealth whether favorable or
opposed to its provisions, with that good grace
which is peculiar to them, and which becomes
alaw-abiding people.