Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-10

the people to take part in the business of
building up new government, which
war and rebellion had wrecked.
Mr.. Jordan was in favor of passing the
bill and referring il to the Committee on
the judiciary. He thought the argu~
ments which had been advanced against
the passage of the-bill on its first read-
ing, went to show that the House had not
faith in the patriotism and integrity of
the committee whose particular province
it was to investigate the merits Of bills,
to amend or to reject. lie believed the
committee might be trusted, and even il
the bill passed, the constituents of the
members Of this House had to pronounce
upon the measure deliberately at the
ballot box, for the passage of any mum :
Der of such bills would amount to moths
ing at all, if the people who sent the
members there to do their work, did not
see fit of their own free choice, to have q
convention for the purpose of extending
the franchise.
Mr.. White, of Green, was opposed to
the bill. lie thought it was supported
principally outside by the rebel sheets of
Memphis and Nashville. He was of the
OF inion that all the good-thinking men
who had unfortunately taken part in the
rebellion were already clothed with the
franchise, because they had responded to
the invitation offered to them four years
ago to come in and forget the past, and in
good faith, enter once again within the
folds Of loyalty. Those who were now
laboring under disabilities were the men
who replied to that invitation with SCOTS
and sneers, and bloody threats that they
would die in the last ditch first Men who
did every sort Ofoutrage that was in their
power to do, who robbed the State of the
school fund, devastated the country with
fire and sword, and who spurned every
overture or advance made to them.
He deprecated the wisdom of entertain
ing any such proposition as that con-
tanned in the bill, for Just so long as
they would stand parleying with the
devil, so long wood that master-spirit of
wickedness; continue to gain upon them.
He appealed to the House not to yield to
the petitions and threats and taunts on
the part Of the enemies of the govern
ment of the United States and of the
State of Tennessee He said he would
stick to the platform he had been placed
on two years ago, he would not prove
recreaIt to his friends. He would con-
tinue to love his friends better than Ku-
Klux, Rebels, negroes or carPet-baggerS;
although o number of them who were
elected to the Legislature by negro votes
have gone over to the Rebels, he was not
bound to follow them. He was in favor
OF killing the bill on the very first pre-
sentation Of it, not because he was IN
favorable or diseourteous to the gentle
men from Shelby county, but he thought
the killing might as well be done at once
as be delayed to no good purpose.
Mr.. BOwles moved to indefinitely post
pone.
Mr.. Reed thought the question was
under discussion long enough, and he
called for the previous question.
Mr. Jordan called for the ayes and
noes. The motion was carried by the
following vote ayes 80, noes II.
The motion on postponing was then
submitted and carried by the following
vote:
Ayes-Agee, Allen, Anderson, Bowles,
Blackburn, Broom, Brewer, Chiles,
Carey, eagle, Cordell, Dam, Faulkner,
Griffith, Gilmer, Grays, Hale, Hodges,
Hammer Hacker, Inman, Medlin, Muir
ray, Mynatt, Moore, Pickett, Porter,
Pitts, Reed, Roddy, Sheppard, Smith,
Sparkman, Stone, ThOrnburg Of Granger,
White of Bradley, White of Green-37.
Noes-Brown, Carter, Hunt, Jordan,
Johnson, Kerchival, Lillard, Morris, Me-
Nair, Mason, Reeves, Robinson, Ryder,
Roach, Turner, WoOdcock, Walker, Wil~
liams, Wines and Speaker Richards-2O.
Adjourned until Monday morning at
10 O'Clock.