The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-06-24

MI. Ednands argued that registration
was lor the purpose Of securing the right
70 every man qualified to put In his bal,
lot. The thing to be done waS 10 sec,,re
10 the colored man equal RIGHTS. and II
registering officers excluded him from
doing what the State law re1nireJ an
account Of his color, and kept him from
voting, a remedy must be provided for
him. - 3, YEN
Mr.. Morton said he was anxious 70 hay,
the law passed in such q manner that i
should not be subject to future doubts
He argued that so far as all the condi
tions Of voting were concerned they wer'
left to the States, but all State laws mus
apply, to the black man and white mar
Mr.. Thurman spoke in opposition &
The third section Of The bill, and said il
was plain, bold attempt to alter the
election law Of the. States. II Congress
had the right to altar or amtl1 a State
election law, they had the right to rspeal
any such law in any State on the pretext
that itinterfered with the right Of the col
ored man to VOTE He denied that It was
appropriate legislation oenforce the 18th
amendment by changing the election laws
in the States. This bill was made to ap.
ply 10 every election from that for Presi-
dent down 10 the most triaing election in
the humblest hamlet in the land. By II
Congress proposed to change perfectly
constitutional and valid laws enacted
by the people OF State. The passage Of
this bill would be simply saying TO the
States that they had no rights which Con.
gress was bound to respect. .-...,..
Mr.. Edmunds asked il il was not like
the State laws in many States.
Mr.. Thurman-suppose tits: The right
10 pass these laws belongs to the States
and not to Congress. He moved that the
Senate proceed 70 the consideration Of
Executive business. y
F., The amendment Of Mr.. Merriman was
rejected-yeas 16, nays q, Mr.. Booth
voting with the Democrats In the afilrma-
tive.
+ Mr.. Christiancy moved an amendment
to the Sd section 80 as to provide that
the section shall not apply in any State
wherein the. law OF such State is that
no person OF any race or color shall be
allowed to vote without being previously
actually registered. Rejected.
The section as reported by the Com
mittee WIS then agreed to.
The 4th section Of the bill, which pro.
vides that il any person by force, bribery,
threats or intimidation or other unlaw-
ful means shall hinder, prevent or OBJ.
struct or combine to hinder, prevent or
obstruct any citizen from doing any act re-
quired by law to be done 10 qualify him to
vote, on account Of race, color or preyi.
GUS condition OF servitude, shall for every
such offence pay the sum Of $500 TO the
person aggrieved, and also be deemed
guilty Of mpdemeanor and punished by a
fine Of not less than $500 or imprisoned
not less than one month or more than
one year, was agreed to. 80
Mr.. Merriman submitted an amend
ment to the third section, provided that
II any person 30 making and presenting
such affidavit shall wilfully and contrary
to his oath in that behalf, state or
subscribe to any material matter which
he does not believe to be true, shall be
deemed guilty OF perjury and shall on
conviction be liable 10 the penalties pre-
scribed in section $500 OF the revised
statutes Of the United States. Agreed to.
The bill having been considered in Com
,mittee Of the Whole was reported to the
Senate and the amendments made in Com
mittee agreed to. 1t was then read a
third time and passed; yeas %, nays 10.
'sENArE INSISTS ON ITS AMENDMENTS.
The Senate insisted on It's amendments
to the Indian appropriation bill and also
on It's amendments 10 the naval appro-
priation bill, and agreed TO the confer
ences on those bills asked for by the
House OF Representatives. Messrs. Lo.
gan and Ransom were appointed members
OF the committee on the former bill, and
Messrs. Sargent, Cragin and Withers on
the latter. Adjourned. a