The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-03-13

~. nov,t of the Legislature Of the State to
~ Who shall reside in tho State. will con.
cede that the Constitution OF the United
States provides, and il 10 fundamental prins
ciple 0f the general law OF this country that o
citizen Of one State Is citizen OF all the
States for certain purposes.
But Senators should bear in mind that
these individuals who come in here, come 10
under restrictions from the State whence
they came. They are not citizens OF tne
State from whence they came. They are ae.
barred from the privilege Of irancnise ~ -.
State whence they came. THIS law uo:s no ~.
propose to difsranchise man ~no saa
disfranchised by the laws OF the SIa'e Nnenee
he came; it only places hun ~ me ssme II, "
s;t;on that he was before. II hes not q GU
~, !. IN. state Of Missouri, he is not q cili-
zen IL this State.
v6ll concpde that If he was a citizen o.
the State of Missouri End came here win a.,
the rights of any othe, citizen OF the Y iteo
States. We could not ebar him from being
citizen Of this State bat when be comes nere'
not being a citizen of the United States, nor
. of The State whence he came, can we mol
say Ia this man, .syou shall not become q cit
izen dc this State, you shall not gain resi-
denee here 1t seems TO me we can attach
this principle to this Registry Law IL seems
but a matter of justice to the people OF tne
southern portion of this State that II shouio
be done.
Senator Bennett: The Senator from Johns
son denies the right Of the Legislature TO de-
6ne the word residence, and asks II they can
do so any more than 10 say that black IN
the Constitution means white.
/ should think that the Legislature bad as
unch power to declare thai the word black
meant white, as the Court af johnson coun.
ty. under the democratic regime, had to say
that white man is black.
In the county where the Honorable sena-
tor resides, heard it stated that witness
was once called on the stand and objections
we're made that be had little colored blood
in him. II was impossible 10 tell by casual
inspection whether the objection was well
taken. The court was unable TO decide and
called in a physician aud had him examine
the mans .sioe nails TO determine whether
he had drop Of negro blood in his veins.
believe they determined from an examina-
ton OF the 'ttoe nails that he had little
black blood in him.
Senator Hedges. They ought to look and
see if bis foot was in the middle OF his leg.
Laughter ]
Senator Powers. Does The Senator mean
10 apply the same rule 10 persons IN this
! Amendment
Senator Bennett. II is not proposed to use
/ such close scrutiny in this case.
| Senator Donnan. This question can be
| determined by one simple in,erragative:
| "How far can the Slate Of Missouri dls'ran-
chise?'' She can distranchise as far as her
| own State is coLcernt d. bnt not as Tar as the
| State Of Iowa is concerned. But the State oi
| Missouri by DISTINGUISHING certain class o.
citizens cannot disfrsncLlse these citizens al
Ter they have moved To the State OF Iowa.
| They stand upon the same footing as any
! other class Of citizens coming from any other
| State, New York, for instance and have all
! the rights OF those citizens.
/ Senator Powers claimed that disiran.
chised citizen from Missouri isa disfranchlsed
/ citizen here.
/ The amendment was lost.
! The committee rose and reported back the
/ bill with sundry amendments, and ask that
| they be adopted. and the bill r'iefrtd 10 The
/ Committee On Elections
! The report WAS adopted.
/ Senator Walden offered the following
| amendment which Was referred with the
| amendments recommended by the committee,
viz: No person who comes into tins state
| on account Of having been dis'ranehised, on
| account of participation IN The rebellion and
/ is thereby d.barred The right Of snifrsgs IN
| the State whence he cgme, j., under the
meaning of THIS acl, 10 he considered q citi-
zen, and shall n0t be allowed to register IN
| der this act.