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State Legislature

State Legislature image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
March
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Leg'islature have concluded to adjourn to-day. The Señale were occupied quite a number of aays with ihe case of contempt to which we referred n our our Jast. The history of the aiFair is bnefly this. Mr. Willioms, of Sagina wt wns required to appear as a ; witness in tho U. S. Circuit Court, but refns. cd bocause he wns exempted by the State Con stitutinn, while serving as a Senntor. Whereupon Judge Wilkins sent an officer lo arrest him in fiis seat, and bring him to the Court forlhwith; btit Mr. Williams concluded to go '. volur.tarily. But the Senate, being jenlous of ■ their dignity, and without any great deliberaÍ tion, caused the Judge, Clerk of Coort, and the officer who had bronght the precept, to bc arrested and brouplít before them, to be tried for contempt. After several days discussions, it appeared !hat Mr. Pavidson, the officer, hnd suddenly doparted for York State o urgent business and bis case was handed over to the next Legislatura. The Clerk of the Couit was excused, because he had not inlended any disrespect to the Senate; and the case of Judge Wilkins was referred to a committee of 6even, who reported, very wisely, that no furtlier action was necessary. The Senate accepted the Report , and concluded the whole farce by adopting the following resolution:Resolved, Thnt in the opinión of this House, Judge Wilkins had jurisdiction in tlic matter of tliccaee of arrest of thn Hon. G. D. Williams, biit not the person of G. D. Williams, but o the commumcation of Ross Wilkins lins purged him in the cspfir Therefore, resolved, that no further proceediiigs be had in the case. The Scmrte have pasfed a bilí to regúlate the mili lia, simply providing for the nbolition of nnlit ia niustor.s, and the enroUment of the tnilitia by the assessor-. Pr. Dentón made a report on expunging Üie word "Whjtk" from the Constitution; Mr. Prntt made a minority report. We have not eecn either of them. The lutcrnnl Improvement Bills, which were veioed by Gov. Barry, were lost on their final passage The coloFed pcople have petitioned ihe Legislature for ihe iucorporation of the Grane River Instilute, a Semipary commenced by them for the colored youthy We 6ubjoii) ihe fo'lowing debate, that the sentiment s of the severa!' ïuembert ruay be duly appreciated bytheir con jtituents. Let ihose who could sneer at tiie degrado tioii of an oppreseed peoplc, and defend the iniquilous legal provisions which now exist aainst them. be remembeied. - They are quite an honor to "Modern DemocracyP The bill f o incorpórate the Grand River institute for the édu.ralion of co!ored youth hen came tip: Mr. Stone moved ils postponement until May I, on the ground that there was nut time to discus it thoroughly. Mr. Ecklee opposed t!ie motion. There ! was no occrsion to lose time, as the bill was ; f 'roincil from that which had been pnssed fot the establishment f a school at Arm Arbor which had been thorousrbly discussed. Mr. Murrny saw no rcason for snch a bill and objected to the establishment of such insiit ntidtis, as the number of colored youths in the State was very mail. Mr. D. Johnson lioped this would be a test vote, as it was of no use spending half a day in the discusión of this bill. The motien to postpone was lost - ayes 15, noes 31. The nmendments made in com . of the wholc were struck out. Mr. Wyman moved its indefinito postponement. Lost. Mr. D. Johnson moved to strike out section II. He was surprised that the majority of the House should be in favor of incorporaticg such an institntion. He did not think there was a sufficient number of colored persons in the etate to keepupeuch an orgamzition. - lts design was to convey individúala from other states, and edúcate them here for a special purpose. He believed that nine-tenths of this clase in the state were yet uninstructed in readiog and writing, and asked the renson of incorporating such an inslitution as this. - Ele should be greatljr surprised if the legislature pasFod the bill. Mr. Pratt thought the reasons brourht for. ward by Mr. D. Jolinson against the instilution, wero the best that could be brought forward in 6upport of it. Ver few of the colored youth could read and write, and there were prejudices against admitting them into common schools. He should vote in favor of the bill. Mr. Ecklee replied to Mr. D. Johnson, and saw no impropriety in having the institution 6upported by other states, although ils projectors could amply support it. Even a move to raise a degraded class to mental elevation was worthy of approva!. Mr. Cartter hoped thnt those gentlemen who had so much regretted the loss of time in discussing this bill would let it alone. It would have been paseed by thie time if they had not meddled with it. ll thongtn xne bill a good one, and knew not the rea6on of Mr. D. Johnson'santipathy to that unfortunate race. It was proper that some place should be provided for their elevation: and it oughl not to be said that any portion of the people in the state of Michigan were unable toread or write. A great number of the people were in favor of this enactment, and the Legisla - ture ought not to turn their backs upon them. He was not disposed to turn a deaf ear to the wishes of S000 voters of Michigan, whatever ie might think of some of the measures of the abolitionists. Air. Wyman offered an amendment. changmg the location of the institution. Lost. Mr. Bancroft offeredan amendment pronibïiing-the admission of white youth. Mr. Haya offered an amendment to the amendment, which was ocoepted by Mr. Bancroft, to the effect that the Corporation might open a law and medical school, for the education of colored youth in the leg il and medical profeesions. Mr Bancroft eaw no reason to mix up abo litionism cvith the bill. The colored population had claims upon society, and somelliing ought to be done to raise them in the scale of being. He was ooposed to amalgamation, and should regret to see blnck and white mixed up together. He was disposed to do something for the colored people, and should support the bill The ameud inent was sdopted. Mr. A. S. Juhnson offèred an amendment, subjecting the property of the institution to taxfiiion. Adopterf.Mr. Hays hoped that all woiild be struck out afier the enacting clause. He had no' thatsympathy for the race which had been tnanifested by Mr. Cartter, nor did he expeci to get any abolition votes. He was opposed in the out eet to granting tht face any privileges, or passing any Inws which should cause their emigratiori into this state. He saw no reason why they should alwoys be legislating for them, and was opposed to any law granting them privileges wbich they did mt nlreody enjoy. He could eympathize in their physical condition, bui did nst believe that these institntiiins would tend to their elevation. They could never stand on a par u i;h the anglosuxon roce. There would alvvays be prejudices against them, and their edneation would only tend to niake them more miserable. He was opposed to the bill. Mr. Galloway offered an amendment. inaking the instilution a branch of the Oberlin institution in Ohio. Lost. Mr. Ecklee replied to Mr. Hays, and snid that neither this legisl'ature nor nny other Imd spent time legislating for this race. We , were commnnded to do to others as we would they should do unto us, and this was the reai son why he advocated this mensure. He had no expectation of gninrrrg abolition votes.- : Neither the people of Michigan, nor of the States, would lose nny ihing by raising thi3 degraded race. It was noble even to endenvor to elévate from their present poflition. If the blacks were inferior in intellect to ;he whites, it was a good argument vhv ! we should takc them' under onr care, end help them nu much as possible. The bill to 6trike out was lott- yens 19, inays 25. The bill was rhen ordercd fof be" engrossed 'for a third reading. In the Senatc, the to uboüsh the office of Acting Commissioner and reduce the salaries of public offices, was indefínitely jostponed, yeas, á, nay 5.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News