Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-29

J objection. The Democratic party Mort
were opposed to negro suffrage in 1855
and are yet. They have uniformly vote
against the Fifteenth Amendment in q
the Legislatures of the States which hav
either adopted or rejected that measure
And whenever, as 1t has been recent
done in eight States in the North, negr
suffrage has been submitted to the people
the Democrats have voted against tn
monstrosity. The doctrine of negro SUI
frage is Radical and not Democrats
doctrine.
Mr.. Fentress-I rise to q question Of
privilege. The gentleman from Gle
| (Mr. Brown in his remarks upon tn,
minority and majority reports of thu
Committee on Franchise Internationally,
of course, puts those who sustain the mi
nority report in false position. In this,
he assumes that supporting the minority
report, is the same as voting against the
Acknowledgement of the white man, when,
in fact, the distinctive feature of the mi
nority report is that whether the people
OF Tennessee vote negro suffrage up or
down, the 1UIite man shall be enfran-
chised, and the distinctive feature of the
majority report is that whether the people
OF Tennessee vote the proposed Constitu-
ton up or down, the negro Is still an
| actual voter
Mr.. Walters, absent yesterday, was
granted the privilege of recording his
vote. He voted against the minority re-
port.
Mr.. Heiskell proposed to amend the
article reported by the committee by max
ing residence in the county twelve instead
of six months requisite to make voter in
that county.
Afler some discussion, on motion of
Mr.. Seay, the amendment was laid on the
table.
Mr. Porter, of Henry, offered an amend
ment doing away with the poll-taX quail
tication and requiring thirty days resi-
dence in the district or ward.
Mr.. Seay offered an amendment in lieu
of the amendment offered by Mr.. Porter,
to strike out from the report of the COM
mittee the following words, ''entitled to
vote for members of the General Assem-
bly,, and other civil officers for the county
or district In which he resides, and in
sert ga voter. :"
On motion of Mr.. Fulkerson, the
amendment of Mr.. Seay was laid on the
table, the vote being-yeas, 81; nays, II.
On motion of Mr.. Baxter, the amend
ment of Mr.. Porter, of Henry, doing away
with the poll tax qualification to vote,
was laid on the table, yeas, At; nays, 90.
The Convention then adjourned.
Afternoon Session.
The following amendment, offered by
Mr. Heiskell, to the report of the majority,
was adopted: After the words "citizen
of the United States and a, " in the second
line, strike out citizen and insert resident
Of this State for twelve months, and"
Mr.. Kennedy offered an amendment to
the effect that sixty days residence be re-
quired in any district or precinct to entitle
to vote.
Mr. Stephens moved to amend by max
ing it six months.
Mr.. Stephens said he wanted to cut off
the riff-raff and scum who had no home
or abiding place. He wanted it fixed so
that a man would have to be well identi-
fed az a resident before he could vote.
Mr.. Burton thought this last amend
ment would work hardship to many of
the white people who were compelled TO
move every year.
Mr.. Stephens withdrew his amendment,
Mr.. Nicholson moved to strike out
"sixty" and insert "thirty."
Mr.. Fulkerson was opposed to sixty
days; he thought thirty days long enough.
Mr.. House, of Williamson, also opposed
sixty days; he thought that residence of
twelve months in the State, six months
in the county and thirty days in the dis
trict, was ample as to restrictions.
Mr.. Warner and Mr.. Netherland
favored the thirty days.
Mr.. Brown, of Dayinson, thought sixty
days was none too long. He was for
sixty days, but if he could not get that he
was for thirty days
Mr. Garner felt like making a COM
promise; he was in favor Of thirty days.
The sixty days amendment was laid on
the table by vote of rs to 81, thus leaving
this section in this respect as reported By
the Committee.
Mr.. Gibson offered an amendment
striking out from the report of the COM
mittee the poll tax qualification, and was
to make a speech whenhe was
by the President, who decided |
that the substance of the amendment had |
been twice rejected and that it could not |
now be received.
Mr.. Gibson took an appeal from the de- |
cisiOn, which, 10 other member second |
ing, was seconded by the Chair.
Mr. Gibson withdrew the appeal and |
moved to reconsider the vote incorpOrat-
Ing the poll tax qualification.
Mr.. Kennedy moved to lay the mo-
ton to reconsider on the table, and was
by a vote Of 40 to 81.
Mr.. Stephens withdrew the amendment
offered by him in the morning session.
Mr.. Heiskell offered the following |
which was adopted: In the |
ninth line strike out the words, "then due |
by him." and insert t,'for such preceding |
period as the Legislature shall prescribe, |
and at such time as may be prescribed by |
law"
Mr.. Warner moved to strike out the |
word poll from the section. Laid on the |
table by vote of "a to II.
Mr.. Kennedy offered an amendment |
taking the power from the Legislature to
enact laws requiring voters TO vote in the |
election precinct in which they reside, |
and inserting such provision in the first
Of the section under consideration. A |
motion was made to lay it on the table,
which was carried by a vote of As to %. |
Mr.. Coffin offered a substitute in lieu of |
the section reported by the committee. 1t |
provides that the Legislature may fix
poll tax qualification. Laid on the table
by vote of Al to 81.
Mr. Burton moved to strike out the |
word "man" in the first line of the sec
ton, and insert finale person. The |
was adopted. The section,
as amended, was then adopted by the fol- |
lowing vote:
Yeas--Messrs. Bate, Baxter, Blizzard, |
Brandon, Britton, Brown, OF Davidson, |
Burkett, Burton, Byrne, Chowning,
Cummings, Cypert, Desderick, Davenport,
Dibrell, Doherty, Dromgoole, Fielder,
Fulkerson, Gardner, Garner, Gaut, Gibbs,
Gordon, Heiskell, Henderson, Hill, of
Warren, House, of Williamson, House,
of Davidson, Robertson and Montgomery,
Ivie, Jones, of Giles, Kennedy, Key,
Kirkpatrick, Kyle, McDougal, Martin,
Meeks, Netherland, Nicholson, Porter, of
Haywood, Seay, Shelton, Stephens, Taylor,
Thompson, of Davidson, Turner, Warner,
Wright and Mr.. President Brown-50
Nays-Messrs. Branson, Brooks, Brown
of Henry, Carroll, Gibson and Madison,
Campbell, Carter, Coffin, Fentress, Fin
ley, Gibson, Jones of Lincoln, Mabry,
McNabb, Parker, Porter of Henry, Sam
pie, Shepard, Staley, Walters and Viii
liamson--19.
Mr.. Parker, of Scott, in stating his rea-
soy, for voting in tho NEGATIVE on the