East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-10-04

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it was proposed to amend, you Will oh,
serve that il creates fee distinct classes OF
voters, as follows
1st. Every white male inhabitant re-
siding in the State on the oath day OF
June, 1885.
"a. Every white male inhabitant re-
siding in the State on the LIST day OF
January, 1850. u = = u |
81. Every white male inhabitant re-
siding in the State on the list day of Jan
uary, 1850, who had declared his inton- |
ton to beeome citizen of the United
States pursuant to the laws thereof, Slr
months preceding an election
4th. Every white male inhabitant of
the State who has resided in the State
two years aud six months, and declared
his intention 10 become a citizen of the
United States six months preceding All
election and h'..,
9TH Every civilized male inhabltant
Of Indian descent, native of the United
States. and not member of any tribe.
On the 10th day of February, 1909,
Mr.. Mcmahon, a Republican member OF
the House, introduced JOINT resolution
proposing to amend the section OF the
Constitution above alluded to, by adding
after, the words "aud not member OF
any tribe" the following: "and every
male nhabitant Of African descent who
/ is the owner in fee of mincumbered real
estate, within this State, of the value of
| S2OOn-ses House JoarRat 1888, page I04.
This proposition would make the negro
A voter after residence within the State
Of eRly three months, as required by the
last clause of section ], of article VII,
while echite foreigners, by subdivisions
three and four, of the same article, are
required to remain in the State tlco gears
and str months before they can become
citizens, ...i ..''
On the 18th Of February, the PROPOSE
ton of Mr.. Mcmahon being under con
sideration in the House, as appears by
the journal, Mr.. Bancroft moved to re-
commit the joint resolution 10 the com
mittee ON State affairs, with instructions
10 amend SO as TO confer the right of
suffrage upon all aliens possessed o: a
freehold, of the value of $3.50" See
House Journal 1859, page 96O.
Had both propositions prevailed, two
additional classes Of voters would have
been created, as follows: H.s''h
1st. Every male inhabitant Of african
descent who is the owner in fee of unn.
numbered real estate, within this State,
of the value of S200--as proposed by a
Republican, Mr.. Mcmahon.
"a. Every white male foreigner pos.
sessed Of freehold of the value of $3.50
AS proposed by democrat, Mr.. Ban
J croft. +i .a
repeat it is clear that Mr.. McMa
hons proposition was intended to admit
negroes to vote witiom preliminary resi-
: dcuce in the State of two years and siN
months, as required Of whitc foreigners
while it is equally clear that the amend
ment ] proposed would simply have
placed white foreigners upon an equality
;, ,--7-..s---i--l-- ---- ---,-i--.' =
make the negro superior.
And thus my object in Offering tn
. motion / did, is perfectly apparent.
c believed that in that Republican House
4 the sentiment Of negro equality wa
strong enough to pass Mr.. Mcmahon
proposition. knew that the Republican
party had its origin with the fragment
airy remains of the Known othing lodge
Of 1854, aud that the controlling spirit
in the party detested white foreigner
quite as cordially as they sympathizet
: with the semi.brutish negro; and sa,
/. in the proposition which was then pend
j. ing a vote in the House, an opportunit
t to place them upon the record in a mos
> contemplate attitude. / improved tn
opportunity, and the result answered m
s anticipatioEs. The question before tn
e House was first taken upon my PROPOSE
T. ton to make the elective franchise NOR
# easily available to foreigners, upon .whic
f the vote was as follows :a'a .I7H 10 ai
G Yeas MesSrs Bancroft, Beers, Beesor
I A. w. Buel, H. S. Buel, Bush, Bushnell
o Carr, Carpenter, Campan, Connor, Da
], ton, Davis, Etsbee, Giles, Grace, Green
d field, McKinly, Monroe, Pratt, Reeves
/ Richardson, Smith, f. II. Thomson
q Warner, Wendell,-26. Five Republic
r. cans, in tale, and II Democrats, i
d Roman.
1t NdyS-4S, dH hepH6HcHnS.
e The question was next taken on NJ,
u McMahon's proposition; or in other word
d whether the Republicans would confe
! upon negroes the same prerogative the
IS had Just denied to white foreigners, an
Q with the following result:
! Yeas-40, all Republicans.
q Nays-Messrs. Bancroft, Beebe, Beer,
IS Beeson, a. w. Buel, II. S. Bucl, Dusl
y BUSHNELL Carr, Carpenter, Clark Campar
e Conner, Dalton, Davis, Dickey, Dunbar
e Frisbec, Gage, Gies, Grace, Greenfield
o McDermott, Mckinley, Monroe, Musse,
n Xaholcnd, Nevman, Pratt, Raymoat
~ Reeves, Richardson, Smith, +. II. Thon
i. SON, Warner, Wendell, Wilkvson, 81, b,
% ing % Democrats and 0 Republicans
&c Sec House Journal, pages 930-31-32
,r The resolution failed, it is true, but
n faded only because of the constitution,
t provision requiring vote Of too-thvc
70 Of both Houses of the legislature to pre-
< pose to the people an amendment to ths
ID instrument. 1t received the vote of fou
10 ffths Of the Republican members an
" was thus adopted by majority of tn.
ie party ms represented in the lower Hous
This gives full answer to your inqur,