St. Mary's gazette., 1866-02-08
miuorlty Report op the Registry Law

Tn addition to the regular committees,
usual 70 delibcrative bodies 1t was found
necessary at the present session OF our state
I.ec;sla,urc to raise Il committee on Regls-
traton to which the petitions OF dlstran-
.ch;scd citizens. seeking relief from the op-
or,t;ons of the Registration Law, could be
referred The committee was accordingly
| constituted and the eminent Pllklnton was
selected as its chairman. As the present
hrcad and future butter Of a ma aJorly OF
this committee depend in large measure
upon the faithful maintenance OF the he
gistry Law, any change or notifications
/ of its provisions was not to be hoped for,
and accordingly we find that no change
has been made and that all petitions for
relief up to present writing have either
been acted upon adversely or not acted
upon at all. The minority have coaxed,
vhc,dled and thundered but i'll vain The
read. but especially the butter. were
found to be too strong for them, and mi
nority protest, submitted By Mr. Jamlson
Of this county, was all that could be. ac-
complished
The undersigned minority Of the Com
mittec On Registration. TO which was re-
tcrrcd slndrv memorials asking the re-
moyal of the constitutional disabilities II
relation to tn. elective franchise, beg leave
! to dissent from the position assumed by th'
majority, and to urge upon the House the ne
ccssitv oftaking such action as will speedllH
remove the disqualifications under which
large majority of our people are laborlng
The lisqualifying provision of our Constl
tuition. if imposed upon the people as pun
ishmcnt. would even under the decision 0
our Court Of Appeals, BE clearly ilcsa
and void.
Believing, as VIC do that the dcpriva-
ton Of the right of suffrage is the scvcres
punishment that can be inflicted upon tht
citizen. and that the visiting Of such !;
penai,v for acts done which were not Grim
ina! !. the time the offences We're commit
ted is contrary to the spirit of free in~ti
tutions, and repugnant 70 the Bill Of klEht
Of MARYLAND and the Constitution of th'
United States; therefore. IN our opinion
those provisions, in order to have the leas
shadow of validity must be regarded a:
prtremtre in their operation and not prtm
aire in heir character. These odious dis
abilities were imposed IN the midst o
sangunary strife. when passion had usurp
ed the domain Of reason; when the bar
ricrs of the Constitution were orcrleapeC
under the plea Of necessity 10 preserve tht
Government: but now all danger has pass
ed. the Southern people have expressed Al
almos. unanimous desire 10 return u then
alleciunce; MANY Of their chosen leader:
are engaged il the peaceful pursuits OF IN
du>,ry: and thus the Cause Of these enact
mrnts being removed Why should not th'
effects cease? Ii the provisions OF th'
+, Constitution are pr rsH'ir,, there beng NJ
longer any danger to oe apprehended, 1t
is nothing short ot oppression to continue
them; and if they are pr''nlfire, they arr
clearly illegal and yori under the deciSioi
Of the Court of Appeals. We cannot be
lievc the disfrauqAi>ement OF our peopi
ius,itiah,e, and. therefore, would say t
those who assumed the power IN tryln:
times, tha, if then excuSable, q heavy res
possibility will rest upon those who persi>
in denying. without reason or Justification
to large majority Of the people OF Mary
land, the dearest rights citizenship. \
this auspicious period, when the dar'
clouds that envelopcd the country for tou
leng and bloody years are passing away
when the bright era of uulty and peace i
dawning upon the Republic; when tn
wise and generous statcsmanshp OF IN
PRESIDENT OF the United States i gecrivn;