The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-06

| tatned in any Constitution In Alabama, until after the civil war? Mir. Oates--No; and 1t Is not contain
 ed in one Constitution in twenty of the States of the Union.
 l MT. O'Neal 0auderdale)-Is 1t not a
 fact that 1t Is not in the Constitution | of 1919, and was not incorporated in
 any other Constitution? | MT. Oates-Never, in any, until 1875. i, MT. O'Neal Q4aude rdale)-I will ask \ you further question. If making all persons who declare their intention to
 become citizens of the United States, citizens of the State of Alabama, would
 not make them electors under the first section of the suffrage provision, as re-
 reported by the committed? Mir. Oates-Weil. probably not. Mir. O'Neal Lauderdalel-Why not? Mir. Oates-But 1t might give rise to confusion, and there Is no necessity of | retaining it as 1t is. | Mir. O'Neal-If they are citizens of the | State of Alabama, would they not be | electors, if they had resided here two years?
 MT. oates-That is what it might do,
 because it confers upon them all
 rights
 | MT. O'Neal LauderdaIe)-It says if they are citizens of Alabama Mir. Oates-But think the court, con-
 sidering the whole instrument, togeth- | CT, he would not be held to be entitled
 to the rights of suffrage under the re- port of the committee, but as there is
 no use for this language, and 1t does
 not impair the rights of the people | when they are not electors. it ought not
 to be retained, and I am in favor of | the amendment.
 Mir Sorrell-I move the previous question on the amendment of the gen.
 tleman from Montgomery and the sec- | ton.
 MT. Pettus-I will ask the gentleman to withdraw 1t.
 MT. Sanford-I hope the amendment suggested will be adopted. We know that all the questions The President-The gentleman from Tallapoosa has moved the previous question upon the section and the amendment.
 The main question was ordered. Mir. Sanford--Now, Mir. President. of all the questions that have disturbed Christendom. that of citizenship has
 been the most universal The President-The chair will state | to the gentleman from Montgomery | that the previous question has been or dered.
 MT. o'Neal-I rise to a point of or der. The gentleman introduced the amendment, and has the right to con- clude the argument, even after the pre- vious question is ordered. MT. Sanford-It has always been done
 The President-The previous ques- | tion has been ordered upon the proposed amendment and the section proposed by the committee, and the gentleman from Montgomery (Mr. LomaD chair I man of the committee, has the right to | conclude, unless he yields to the gen. l tleman.
 MT. Lomax-I do not care to say any, thing.
 Mir. Sanford (Montgomery)-As re- marked, you remember, and this Con- yention remembers, that in 1850 or 'bl, | Coster, an Austrian citizen. had de- clared his intention to become a citi- gen of the United States. or had be- come one. He was in the East. One of tke Austrian vessels seized him as citizen of Austria. and then 1t was that Lieutenant Ingram told them unless they released him that he would blow their ships out of the water. l mention that incident to show that the fact that a man may declare, his intention does not make him a citizen. There was a long controversy between Chevalier Houselman and Mir. Webster, then Sec retary of State, upon the subject. we remember also until since the war Tn
 Alabama, no man who was not na-
 turalized citizen could hold real estate | in this commonwealth. MT. Oates-Allow me to call your at- tention to another fact, that this pro- | vision which gives full citizenhip to those who have legally declared their intention, has given rise to controveries
 between this Government and foreign Governments about the relations they hold to it.
 MT. sanford-Time and again, until
 many Germans are afraid to go to Ger many today, where they have simply declared their intention, unless they be
 seized and placed in the army.
 So I say they are not citizens of this
 country. They are citizens of their
 native places, and you know that as
 general principle nothing reverts so
 soon to its original condition as citi-
 zenship, and. therefore, it has been the
 cause of much negotiation and some hostile feelings between the. different na-
 tions. Why should man who is not
 citizen of Alabama, or, rather. of the
 United States, enjoy the rights and privileges which only citizens enjoy?
 Citizenship is a high privilege. It Is
 great distinction to be an American citizen. He becomes a sovereign power in this land when he is a citizen. and why we should seek to confer the great rights upon men who owe their ale glance to Turkey, to China, to Eng
 land. to France, Belgium and all the
 foreign countries. and put them upon an equality with our own native born and naturalized citizens I am at loss to know.
 The fact that 1t never existed in this
 State until within the last twenty-five
 years is a good reason for recurring to
 the former basis. Therefore, l hope
 that the amendment will prevail.
 Mir. Coleman (Greene)-I hope that
 the gentleman will withdraw his mo-
 tion for the previous question.
 MT. Pettus--I rise to point of order.
 MT. Heflin (Chambers)-I make the
 point of order that the previous ques-
 tion has been ordered.
 The President-The previous question
 has been ordered. It can only be taken
 up on a motion to reconsider.
 MT. O'Neal Gauderdale)-Can that
 be taken up now? A motion to recon slider?
 The Presidential might, by sus-
 pension of the rules.
 Mr. O'Neal Lauderdale)--I move that the rules be suspended, and that
 the Convention reconsider the vote by
 which the previous question was or dered on this Section.
 Upon a vote being taken the rules
 were suspended.
 The President-The question is on the