The Van Buren press., 1868-02-21

After calling the roll. Mr. Brooks
moved the suspension oflth rules to al
/ low the Committee on the Constitution,
its arrangement and phraseology, to re-
port Agreed 10. acre,
Mr.. Hodges, of Pulaski, chairman of
the committee, then submitted a draft of
the entire Constitution, which was read,
occupying three hours in reading. ri
Mr.. Mallory-Mr. President, move
you, sir, that the Constitution, its SEIZED
ule and ordinance be now adopted as a
whole and Without. diUsiYil; provided
that any member may explain his vote on
anv point orpoints and have snch eXpa-
nation entered on the Journal provided
that no member Shall occupy more than
1 tive minutes in such explanation, except
by consent Of the house. | move the
previous eHas.Iu ION. buG iafIu sFll
Mr. Cypelt made the point of order
that the resolution was out of order in
that it cohilictea with, a previous resolur
tion that every iqrdinanse slall be read
three times and the ayes ami noes taken
on its passage. 3" yii1 giii r' ',tiaitg r,'lL
Ayes Messrs, Beldin,, Bal, Blashears,
Brooks, Coates, Dale. Eyaas, Exon,
Gray, fJerfeFson, GRAY, (neqro( ofPlhl
lips; HARRISON. Hatfield, Hawkins, (ne,
srp1 Kinds, hodges. of Pulaski, Hough
ton, Hutchm son, johnson lnegro.) Kyle,
Langley, NiaiiorN. Mason (negro,) Mis-.
ner, Millsaps, Montgomery, Murphy, (ne-
gro, McCown, Mcclure, Oliver, Poole,
Ports, Priddy, Rawlings, Rector, (ne-
gro, Sans, Samuels negro) Sarbcr,
Scott, Simms, Smith, Snyder, White (ne
gro,) Williams, Wyatt, and Mr., Presi-
| dent 40. .gi--..H.t
Noes-Adams, Beasley, Bradley, Cor.
dell, Cypert, Duvall, CAN'T, Hicks, Hnk
lie, Hoge, Matthews, Moore, Norman,
Puntney, Reynolds. 1Rounsaville, Shop.
pach, Van Hook, Walker, Wilson and
Wright-2l. 20 ,... ID
On motion of Mr.. Kinds unanimous
consent was given for debate. 'a -.
Mr.. Matthews then read speech in op
position to the article elating to the elec
tive franchise, taking the ground that it
disfranchiscd such persons as the recon
struetion acts did not contemplate dis
franchiSing. The people would be sure
sure to vote down a Constitution which
while it enfranchised negroes, disfran
chiscd white men for participating in the
rebellion.
Nil Norman read speech to show
that the whole purpose of the reconstruc-
ton acts was to perpetuate the radical
party and that the negro was merely EN-
franchised to elevate certain men to Of
flee. . Thepolicy of the radical party was
like that of the quack doctor, who al,
ways threw his patients into fits because
he was h-ll on fits. Thad Stevens ct
onane ID genas were throwing the country
into confusion to show the world that
they were -h--ll on restriction. The
speaker inveiehed severely against the
eroscriptve clause of, the Constitution.
Murphy (negro) had not intended to
have anything to say, butt was too much
for his feelings to hear his color called a
goat. Gentl'em were a fiinging q fire
brand at them, who had been enriched by
their sweat and labor, and were boast'en
of their great intelligence The gentl Fem
had looked for to find where negroes had
been allowed to vote, but they said they
couldn't find it. Ii they would search
the supreme law Of God, they would find
that his race had not only a right to lb-
ertv, but to all the privileges ofan Amer
lean citizen. His people had faced the
irou hail of battle in defence of the gov
ernment, and now after the war is over,
those whom they have raised, whose
shoes they have tied and who Sc carriages
they have driven, tell them that they have
no privileges call them a. goat. l.''l'a Do
Mr.. Moore did not think it was safe
policy to distranchise. the Intelligence Of
the State The proposed Constitution
offered t. disiraochise persons without
a trial for crime The Speaker eharaG
terizcd the Constitution as an insult to
honesty and to the rights of his people !.
its pro 0,luction was an evidence of want
of moral integrity Oh the part Of It's
trainers. He'll could not furnish q more
abomnabe combination than the mon
X SiNi ,Oii' '''liOl III Witch uc WIS bOTTN
now he had ever been admitted to a seat
Mr.. Bradley said this, body vas in labor
and he hoped its pains would not be az,
gravated, builet tlleiissue be allowed to
come forth oj 'i 'id dsu,@ 30 'e,l io 5a' r..f-.
Mr.. Hinkle said be was one Of the hit
crate old Arkansians, and therefore a set
speech could not be expected from him,
but he thought he could see, when he had
his glasses on, as far into milestone as
the man that Pcc'ts the eye. Here the
speaker paused for some moments, and
being called to-" go on" he said he would
when the President, was donc caucusing.
Having secured the attention Of the Pres
ident, the Speaker said that he had broken
cane in Arkansas and he knew the wishes
Of the people and he had been sent here
to help make'a Constitution, but had not
been put on any committees or allowed a
chance. Three supreme judges were
enough for this little State, Somebody
wanted ofllceand these places had been