Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-01-14
an amendment to the State Constitu

an amendment to the State Constitu
| ton:
"ReSotced by the Senate. the Assem-
bly, concurring, That section four of
article eight of the constitution of
the State of Wisconsin is amended,
to read as. follows: The State shall
never contract any public debt except
IN tue cases and manner herein pro-
vided, but the Legislature shall pro.
vide by law that for every twenty
continuous miles of railroad, operated
by other than horse pc wer, hereafter
built and equipped as a first class
railroad within this State, there shall
be donated from the State Treasury
to the company building the same,
one hundred thousand dollars. For
that purpose a public debt may be
created, and bonds may be issued in
addition to the debt provided for by
section six and section nine of article
eight.
Also the following:
RESOLVED By the Assembly. the
Senate concurring, That section /, OF
article 3 of the Constitution of the
State of Wisconsin, be amended so as
to read as follows;
Every person OF the age of Il
years or upward, belonging 10 either
of the following classes, who shall
have resided in the State Tor one year
next preceding any election, shall be
deemed a qualified elector at such
election lst. Citizens of the United
States. "a. Persons Of foreign birth,
who shall have declared their inten
ton to become citizens. conformably
to the laws of the United States on
the subject OF naturalization. 3D.
Persons of Indian blood, who have
once been declared by Jaw of Con-
gress to be citizens of the United
| States, any subsequent law of Com
gress TO the contrary notwithstand>
ing. 4th. Civilized persons ofIndian
| descent, not members o: any tribe
providing, that the Legislature may
at any time extend by Law the right
of suffrage TO persons not herein
enumerated; but no such law shall be
| in force until the same shall have
been submitted TO vote of the peo>
pie at a general election, and approx
ed by majority of all the votes
cast at such election.
These propositions have been be-
fore the people for year, and have
doubtless elected considerable dis.
cussion. You are therefore probably
quite well informed as to the views
of your constituents upon the ques-
lions involed. Should your Informal
ton upon the subject lead you to be-
lieve they desire the ratification of
these amendments. you will of course
ratify them, and provide for their
submission. They are traught with
interest and Importance, and should
perhaps be considered by the people
when free from the excitement of a
Presidential campaign. In this view
it might be well, should they receive
your ratification, to postpone their
submission to some general election
subsequent to the next one.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
During the past summerana accurate
survey of the Wisconsin river was
made under the direction of the
United States Government, the result
of which am informed demonstrates
beyond doubt the practicabilty OF
rendering that river navigable st q
much smaller expense than has hith
erto been thought necessary. The
interests of Wisconsin, and indeed OF
the entire Northwest, still call loudly
for the improvement fthe Fox, Wis
consin, and Rock rivers. The former
of these Is being constantly improv-
ed by the Company having it in
charge. A detailed report upon 1.-THE
necessity of the Rock river improve.
ment has been made to me by Com.
mittee of gentlemen appointed for
that purpose, copies of which will, at
ar early day be transmitted for your
information. There is every reason
to believe that National aid will be
rendered in furtherance of the i'm
provements indicated. They are all
ofsuch obvious importance that feel
assured you will embrace every pos
sible opportunity to facilitate their
early consummation.
Seventy miles of the military wag-
on road, from Fort Howard to the
Michigan State line, have been COM
pletd and accepted, and such complies
ton has been certified to the Secre>
tary of the Interior, as required by
law. The entire road will probably
be completed during the coming sum
mcr.
The 100000 acres of land granted
by Congress to aid in the construc-
ton of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal
remain undisposed OF by the State.
In this connection, | desire to re-
new my recommendation of last year,
that your influence be exerted for
the early completion of the Northern
Pacific railroad, and of the ship CAM
al around the Falls of Niagara, both
of which, if in operation, would be
sources of incalculable benefit to the
State and the whole country. Sew
eral new lines of railroad are being
vigorously carried forward, and there
are indications that others will be
commenced within this year. The
people of the sections through which
these roads are being constructed,
alive to the benefits to be derived
from them, are contributing large
sums money in aid oftheir construc
ton. There seems good warrant tor
believing that the day is not far dis
tant when we shall see every portion
of the STATE in possession of abundant
railroad facilities.
| cannot forbear recommending
that you ask the Federal Government
to insist upon full and satisfactory
settlement of the repatriation ques-
ton. The recent reaffirmance by
foreign nation of the doctrine of
feudaI times, in the trial of natural
lied citizens of the United States for
an alleged violation of an allegiance
long since renowned, compels vim