The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-02-11
TIEKRRINq THE CONSTITUTION

WAsHISGToS Feb. lO.-SENArE.- Tues.
days debate on the constitutional amend
Gnent was prolonged through the night and
until ll;3O O'Clock Wednesday morning
when the senate adjourned, meeting again
at II O'Clock. Finally at 1870 O'Clock
Wednesday afternoon, the amendment was
adopted b. vote OF ~ to 10, il the follow
ing words:
A joint resolution proposing an amendment {,
the constitution Of the United States:
BE Il resolrs3 By the Senate and House Of Repre-
Ientatres, etc, tWo-tbirds of both houses concur
ring, that the following articles be proposed tc
the Legislatures Of the several states, as amend
ments 20 the constitution of the United States
either Of which, when ratified by three -fourths
of said legislatures, shall be held as n part of
said constitution.
AR. Is. No discrimination shall be made in
the United States among the citizens of the
United States, in the exercise OF the elective
franchfe, or the right to hold office in any state,
on account Of race, or color, nativity, property,
condition, or creed
ANT. 10. The second clause Of the FIRST section
Of the second article Of the constitution Of the
United states shall be amended 80 as to read as
follows: Each state shall appoint, by vote
for representatives in congress- a number Of cleo
tors, equal TO the whole number of senators and
representatives to which said state shall be emit
tied in congress, but no senator or representa-
tive, or person holding any Office Of trust or
profit under the United States, shall be appoint
ed an elector and congress shall have no power
TO prescribe the manner in which such electors
shall be chosen by the people"
The joint resolution in it's present form.
is altogether different from the simple one
which passed the house. The judiciary
committee reported substitute, which was
laid aside, aud dozen or more other prop.
ositions, submitted BY individual senators
were in turn rejected.
The amendment which stands above as
Article ID, was offered by Mr.. Wilson. of
Mass, and was adopted by 81 to y.
Mr.. TrumbuIl called attention to the fact
that this proposition would abolish the pro.
vision in the constitutions Of several states
requiring that governors Of states shall be
native born,
Article lG, providing for the choice of
presidential electors by districts, was offered
by Mr.. Morton, of Indiana, and was first
rejected by 70 to u, aud then adopted by
II TO 20, aud finally reaiirmed by - TO u.
A good many republicans were strongly op.
posed 10 II, and at one time it threatened 10
swamp the suffrage clause.
When the final vote on the Joint resola.
ton was reached, there came up a sharp
struggle to get a separate call on each OF
the two propositions - Wilson's and Nor.
ton's-but Mr. Wade ruled them out Of or
der. Several senators threatened to vote
against the whole thing rather than accept
Mr. Morton's, and for some minutes there
was considerable private consultation. Had
there been two months more of session, de.
feat would have come, but everybody saw
that, at this period of the winter, it was this
or nothing, and 60 both propositions finally
went through BY 40 to l6, the republicans
who voted in the negative being Msssrs.