The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-02-18
IN ERROR. V
The Statement that the MisceRenation
Act is no Act,
Corrected by Investigation of the
Official Records.

The m~lscegenatlon repeal bill came
up as the special order of business
before the house yesterday afternoon,
and the repeal of the blotting enact
ment Of the first legislative assembly OF
the territory vas ably urged by its sup
porters, chief among whom stood Mr..
Hardin, who spoke more thoroughly
from an earnest feeling in the matter
than any of the others, perhaps. Space
forbids a synopsis Of his argument,
which were earnest and eloquent, brist-
ling with facts, some Of them surpri-
sing, but all Of them facts, neverthe-
less,
There was n statement which was
very startling, and all the more 80 that
1t seemed to be true. The statement
was that the law in question, entitled
Anact to prevent intermarriage between
white persons and those Of negro or
monaghan blood, never was a law;
that the act never was enacted and that
the bill found Its place in the records
through some trickery.
The statement was made that the
bill first passed both houses and was
vetoed by the governor, In the council
It was passed owe the veto, but was
lost in the house by a tie vote.
So far so good, but the gentlemen
making the statement were in error,
not Intentionally, to be sure, but
through overlooking a certain portion
Of the record, which follows.
During the afternoon session Of the
10th days session of the first legislative
assembly Of this territory, held in 1859,
G. F. No. 40, a bill for An act to pre-
vent intermarriages between white
persons and those of one-eighth or
more negro or monaghan blood, having
already passed the council, was taken
up In the house and read a third time
and passed. Ayes, Messrs. Douglass,
Holbrook, Menefee, Sheeks, Strong,
Wilson and Mr.. Speaker Is. NJ. Curran)
II. Nays, Messrs, Abney, Herrick
and Haas.
The bill passed and the title agreed
to.
The measure went to Gov. Campbell
for approval, but he did just what he
ought to have done, he returned it
oithout his approval, stating very
plainly and concisely in his message his
reasons for 80 doing.
notwithstanding the veto the
council again considered the bill and
again passed 1t by a vote of 8 ayes to l
nay.
The house then proceeded to recon-
slider the bill, the question being the
passage of the bill over the governors
veto, with the following result :
Ayes, Messrs. Douglass, Holbrook,
Miller, Manefee, Sebree and Mr..
Speaker-6.
Nays-Messrs. Abney, Herrick, Haas,
Sheeks, Strong and Wilson,.
And thus the bill did not pass.
But the history Of the measure does
not stop here, and in ceasing their in
vestigations, the gentlemen in
accepting the records at this point
as final make an error.
During the morning session of De-
cember 7th, the 45th day, Mr.. Sheeks
moved a reconsideration Of the bill and
the motion was carried, the vote upon
the passage Of the bill over the COVER
nor's veto, resulting !:
Ayes-Messrs. Douglass, Holbrook,
Miller, Menefee, Sheeks, Sebree, Strong
and MI. Speakers.
Nays-Messrs. Abney, Herrick and
Haas,
Thus the bill passed over the gov
ernor's veto and the title was agreed to.
The bill in question was received and
| placed on file in the office Of the secre-
tary Of the territory, Edward NJ. Lee,
ON December 10, and Incorporated in the
volume of the laws Of 1869.
The statements are all verified by the
published journal Of the house, for the
session Of 1859, and, we hope, will hasten
action upon the pending bill Of repeal.