Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-02-25


to say who was authorized under the law Il
conduct the elections. / think it would b,
unwlse aud iDjudic:ous for this Legislatu re L
submit to the people of the State an amend
ment of the Constitution which will, il adopt
ed, revive laws which have led to such confu
sion. While am heartily ia favor of the
general tenor of this amendment; while
would support it here and support it else
where, yet for the reasons have stated shall
refuse to vote in favor of going into commit
tee of the whole for special amendment as in
dicated.
Mr.. Lowry. will vote to go into commit
tee of the whole for the purpose of special a
mendment, and for the simple reason that by
the proposition of the Senator from Tioga We
Will retain these laws for the government o
the elections upon our statute books until bet.
ter ones are substituted in their place. II
this proposition is not carried We will have
as understand it, an amendment of our Con
stitution allowing our soldiers to vote without
any provision whatever as to the manner ol
their voting. Now, sir, 1 am in favor of the
law as 1t now stands. Give us the law as it is
on our statute book until the Senator from
Berks shall give ms something better.
The question being on the motion of Mr..
Wilson. that the Senate resolve itself into
committee of the whole for special amend
ment, by inserting the words Nare or" near
the end of the section.
Inc yeas and nays were required by Mr..
Mott and Mr.. Stein, and were as follows, viz
fEAs-Messrs. Boughter, Bound, ConnelI,
Donovan, Fuller, Graham. Hamilton, Heis.
tand. johnson, Kinsey. Lowry, M'Candless,
M'Sherry, Nichols, Penney. Ridgway. Robin
son, Sorrill, Stutzman, Turreil, Wallace,
White, w ilson and Lawrence, Speaker-24.
NAYs-Messrs. Bucher, Clymer ,Glatz, Lam
berton, Mott, Reilly Smith, Stark and Stein-9.
So the motion war agreed to.
In committee OF the whole, (Mr. Bound in
the cbair,) the amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Wallace desired to submit an amend
mcnt, but as the Senate had gone into COM
mittee of the whole for the purpose of special
ly amending the bill, further amendment was
declared out Of order.1 H
The bill was then reported to the Senate as
amended.
Mr.. Wallace. My object in rising when
the bill was before the comm ittee, was to pro-
pose an amendment, the substance of which
was that none but citizens of this Common
wealth should conduct elections in the army.
As the proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton stands now, person not a citizen of this
Commonwealth may conduct the election.
That is my view OF it. l therefore ask the
unanin GUS consent Of the Senate for the adop-
tion of the following amendment To insert
at the end of the bill the words, ..Prorided,
That none but citizens of this Commonwealth lth
shall act as officers of the election.''
Mr.. Hiestand. 1t strikes me that that pro-
vision would be more appropriate if incorpo-
rated in the law regulating elections. 1t will
be out of place in an amendment to the Con-
stitutiop.
Mr.. Wallace. The objection of the gentleman
from Lancaster is met by reference to the
law, which in no part provides that such per-
sons are to be citizens of the Commonwealth.
Objection being made to the amendment.
Mr.. Wallace moved that the Senate resolve
itself into committee of the whole for the pur-
pose OF amendment, as indicated. a.
Mr.. Penney. 1t seems to me that the a.
mendment of the Senator from CIearfield had
better be made to the law rather than the Con-
We are perhaps going too far into
particulars when We undertake to define in the
Constitution the special manner of holding
elections. The provision of the bill is gen.
eral one, authorizing the holding of elections
in the army, and think that the present pro-
position Is one which enters too far into detail.
Mr.. Wallace. l would not have suggested
the amendment had not the proposition of the
Senator from Tioga been adopted. AS the
matter stands at present, we are in the posi-
tion of passing an amendment to the Consti-
tuition which authorizes the elections, while
at the same time the law does not provide that
those elections shall be conducted by citizens
or voters OF the Commonwealth. Suppose
that we pass this Constitutional amendment.
provision in the manner have indicated, an
election is held. Under the Constitution, an
electiun can then be held by other PERSONS
than voters of this State. 1t was for the pur-
pose of meeting that possible case that pro-
pose the amendment. l suggested it merely
because the previous amendment seemed to
necessitate such provision.
Mr.. Hiestapd. In reply to the Senator
will say that If in the event of ratification of
this amentment the Legislature should not
provide a remedy for the case which he has
then think it is better to extend
to the soldiers the right to vote, even if the
elections are conducted by persons who are
not citizens of this Commonwealth. 1t is of
course for the Legislature to provide a means
Tor regulating the elections, but it they do not
do that, l say that the soldiers should not
therefore be deprived of the rights OF free
men. That is my view of the subject. When
The right of suffrage by our citizens is the
question at issue, l would not stand upon a
mere technicalty as to who shall conduct its
Whether the person holding the |
election is citizen of New York or of any
other State, is a matter of minor importance. |
Mr.. Fuller. The chief difficulty in my mind |
N regard to the amendment of the Senator |
rom Clearfield is that it destroys the effect |
'f the amendment which has just been adopt |
ID. By the present law of the Commonwealth |
he army officers are authorized to hold elec- |
ions. Many of these officers are not citizens |
If this Commonwealth, so that by the adop- |
ion of this amendment. in many instances,
elections would not be held at all.
Mr.. Wilson, think that the proposed g.
nendment entirely stultifies the object of the
amendment offered by myself. The law now
,rescribes that certain persons shall hold elec-
ions in the army. The pending amendment,
adopted, would perhaps allow one company |
o vote, while another. whose captain is per- |
,aps citizen of the State of New York or |
'ome State other than Pennsylvania, would be |
prohibited from voting. If the laws regula- |