Report: Of The Judiciary Committee Relative To Amendment Of ...

The judiciary committee,to whom have been referred numerous petitions, praying the legislature '!to take the legislative action necessary for amending the constitution of this state by expunging from :thesecond article thercof the word'white 'andthus secu reto all citizens ot'lhis state, irrcspectiveofcolor,equal political rights," have according fo f rier had the same under consideration, and begleaveto submit the following report: Your committce belleve that "all political power is inherent in the people." That the power given to the legislature, : is delegaied to them for the benefit of the people, and that such power is rightly exercised only when employed for the genera] welfare of the whole cornmunity. That it is the rightof any portion of the people, conceiving tbemselves aggrieved, to j)olition ihe legislature for redress, or to ask that the subject of their complaint bc referred to people for their decisión. And in the opinión of your committee when thé number of petitioners is respectable,& the question presentedby thera im portant. it would be arrogating too much for the legislature to assume the decisión óf such. a question in opposition to the prayer of the petitioners, and in exclusión of the solicited action of the people, to whose united wisdom, patriotisni and virtjuo, all political questions may ever e safely intrusted. Your petitioners on :ie subject under consideration, are nunerous and respectable, and consist of esidents of almost every portion of the tate, and they attach much consequenceo the subject of their petitions. In view f the large number, respcctability and ntelligence of your petitioners, your ommittee believe it would unwarrantable assumption in them to undettake to pronounce that consequence fictitious which lie petitioners have attached to thé subect, and which they deern real. Your committee wou'd therefore respectfully recommend that ihe prayer of lie petitioners begranted, tlnd beg leave o introduce the accompanying jóintteslution Resolved hy tíie Senate and House f Riypresentatims iic State of Michgatiy That the following amendment of ection one, article two of the constituion of this state, be, and the same is herey proposed, to wit: Strike out the word white' in the first and third lines of said ection, so that when so amended said ection shall read: '1. In all elections, every málecitizen of the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the . state six "nonths hex-t preceding any election, shall e enütled to vote at such election; and every male inhabitant of the age aforesaid, wno may be a resident of this state at the time of the signtng of this constituion, shall have the right of voting as a"oresaid. but no such citizen or inhabitant shall be entitled to vote except in the district, county or township in which he shall actually reside at time of such elecion.' N. R. RAMSDELL. Chairman of Judiciary Commitlee. It will be seen from the preceding Reort that the Committee maintain an attitude perfectly non-cornmittal respecting the merits of the object of the petitioners. Thcy do not express an opüiion of its proiriety, even in the abstract. This, we think, properly came within their provtnce, had they chosen to do so. But as they have reported unanimously for al the petitioners asked,and in very gentlemanly terms also, a fault-finding dispositíon inusmight scem quite innppropriate. We wait now the action of the Legislature.