The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-23

by law.
Mr.. Ferguson, from the Committee
on the Judiciary, reported back the
bill amending the charter ofthe Marion
and Monongalia Navigation Company,
with an amendment reservfng the
right to the Legislature OF amending or
altering the charter, providing, howev-
er, it shall not affect the rights of pro-
Perty of the Company. Ordered to en-
grossment.
Mr.. smith, of Berkeley. from the
Committee on Counties, Towns, &C.,
reported back the Senate bill amend
ing the charter of the town of South
Wheeling with an amendment to that
portion of it which preSCribeS the quail
tications of voters. the amendment
provides that only those should vote at
the elections of the town who in addi-
ton to the qualifications named in the
bill, "shall have been registered under
the provisions of Chapter IS, Acts of
1866" 1.-THE registry law.)
He, also from the same committee,
reported bill to Incorporate the town
of Lewisburg, in Greeubrier county.
Mr.. Caldwell, from the Committee on
Roads, &C., reported bill authorizing
James A. Boggs to build a mill dam
across Elk river.
Mr.. Bowyer, from the Committee on
Humane and Criminal Institutions, re-
ported bill to appropriate one hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars to the
/ Hospital for the Insane.
The bill to amend the charter of
South Wheeling was taken up and the
amendment of the committee reported.
Mr.. Bickel thought the incorporation
| of the amendment was unnecessary.
! The law made the registration obliga-
tory; and the registration law may be
| repealed at any time, and if the amend
ment be adopted, they would still, I'M
der their charter, have to be registered.
| Mr.. Ferguson thought it would better
accomplish the purpose of the commits
| tee TO say that the voters should be
qualified to vote for members of the
\ Legislature" II this suggestion was
acceptable, the best way would be to re-
ject the amendment proposed by the
committee and then adopt the other.
| Mr.. Wheat favored the amendment
proposed by the committee. There
might be some question as to who was
qualified to vote for members of the
Legislature. Under this amendment
there could be no bubble about who
was entitled to vote.
| Mr.. Ferguson replied that under the
operation of the committees amend
ment, the very trouble anticipated by
the gentleman from Morgan in the
other case, would be liable to arise in
case of repeal of the registry law.
Then no body in that town could vote
without a further amendment of the
charter. AS long as we have Il registry
law no one is qualified to vote for a
| member of the Legislature unless he Is
registered. He must have this in ad-
dition to all the other qualifications re-
| quired; and the words "qualified to
vote for members of the Legislature"
include the registering as well as other
qualifications. Ii the registry law
/ should be repealed, the amendment in
| II Gtil 80 La
object-still require all the qualifica-
lions under the Constitution.
The vote was taken on the amend
ment proposed by the committee, and it
was rejected.
| MIR. Ferguson then moved to insert
his proposition, that the voters should
be qualified to vote for members of the
Legislature"
The portion OF the bill defining the
qualifications of voters would then
read:
THAT for the better government and
we'll ordering OF the affairs of said
town, it shall be lawful for every white
male inhabitant of the age of twenty
one years and upwards, who shall be a
citizen OF this State, and qualified to
| vote tor members of the Legislature
and shall have resided in said town six
months next preceding an election, and
shall have been assessed and paid tax,
said town, on the fourth Monday in
january, 1867, and annually thereafter,
then and there nominate and elect by
ballot seven fit and able men, being
freehoiders, to serve as trustees, &c. "
| Mr.. Wheat said that would allow
any person to vote, who was qualified
to vote for members Ofthe Legislature,
whether registered or not. He thought
il would be so construed, especially
when it was known that the House had
voted down proposition directly re-
quirinG registration.
Mr.. Lane thought the gentleman
from Morgan entirely misapprehended
the law. As he himself understood it,
/ no man was u voter unless he was reg
istered. The House had not voted
down the requirement to be regis tered,
! because before Il man can vote for a
member OF the Legislature he must be
registered.
Mr.. Ferguson would say for the in
formation of the House and more par
ticularly the gentleman from Morgan,
that by the registry law itself no per-
son can vote at any State, county,
township or municipal election,
unless he is registered. This is mu.
nicipal election and the amendment
| proposes he must be qualified to vote
for members of the Legislature. If the
| gentleman could find out how any body
could vote for member of the
/ Without .DelnS registered
under the law, he would like to have
the discovery made.
Mr.. Wheat understood that, but
might not different construction be
| put on the law il put in the shape pro-
| posed by the gentleman from Cabeil?
| MIR. BoremHn said lest there might
| be some bubble and doubt on this point
he would move to add to the language
| proposed by Mr.. Ferguson the words
| 'and shall have been registered accor-
ding to law"
! Mr.. Ferguson said this would be mere
surplusage. It meant no more with
these words added than without them.
MIR. Bickel said the amendment of
| fered by the gentleman from TYLER was
| substantially that reported by the com.
mittee and rejected by the House.
! MIR. Ferguson said, being added to a
different part of the bill, it was parlia-
mentary.
Mr.. Boreman's amendment to Mr..
FerSuson's amendment was agreed to,
and the question recurring on the latter
as amended, il was adopted.
| Mr.. Foreman moved to strike ont the
provision requiring the person before
voting to reside in the town six months
/ next preceding an election, and to have
been assessed and paid taxes.
Mr.. Ferguson said it looked to him il
that amendment prevailed it would al
that corporation. Those were the only
words he believed, that confined the
| voting to the residents of the town.
| Mr.. Foreman said the amendment
I just adopted covered the whole ground
The laws of the State prescribe who
shall vote and where. The party must
be resident of his township and ward
before he can vote. This PROMISES q
qualification in addition to the quaIifi-
cations required by the law of the Stata