The Governor And The Constitution

The Governor i;i h'w nicfsage to tjie extra sesgion quotes the followiug ciaueo óf tlie Ounstiiutiun : "But no citizen or " inhabitant shall hu ai) elector, or eri" {.itled to vote at any elecüon, uuless lie ' shall be above t'ue ago oí twonty-ono " years, and has resided in the State three " rponths, and in the township or ward " il) tvhich lfL offers to vote ten dajs next " preceding such eleation." To explaia the crushicg efftct of this clauee, tho Governor reruarks, that " theBe are " fit vrords to fix tho qualifications of " votors, but not to control tho Legisla" tuve as to the places whcre polls of " election shall be established aud votes " offercd and rceeived." This niay be, but it certainly s:iys Y,n f;LI 1 have a right to vote at cerlaia polls wheu the Legislature has íised the places of holding them The Qovoruor sayq the chuso quoted , " speaks dircclly to age aud res.tdence, " and only to these qualificationa. All " else is incidental and explanatory." The Governor then prooeedsto define the the qualificatiocs prescribed by the clausei must be twenty-ane jears oíd, have resided in tbo State, afc some placo or places hvee months, " aud in some particular township or ward ten days next preceding the electiou at tvhi'ch he offers to vote." This would give gref.t scope iudeed, " greater scope," uo doubt, than the framera of the Coastitution ever itaagiued or designed ; but when tbe Goveroor will quote the clause right end first, its pwn lauguage will be found to require the elector to resido " in tic " tpwnship in which he offers to vote ten " days next preceding suelt eleciion," instead of " in some particular township or ward " ten days next preceding the election at '! which be offers to vote," a wide differenee indeed, so wide that they can not be reeonciled or harmonized. The clause is definite. and fixes both theresidence of the voter, and the place of bis voting, aud the Governor's attempt to explain away its restrietions is a bald farce, as the Goveruor witlessly admita when he adda, " the words, no doubt, pre suppcse " that the oflcr to voto will bo mads in "the township or ward in which tho " tor resides, bui they neither require it " to be so, nor forbid it to be otherwise." If they " pre-suppose " it they fix the intention of the ir.struuient and its fravaers, and if they " pre-supposo " it any court will hold that they requii'e it. We are not opposed to any soldier wlio is. a legal voter voting; wo fear no.th.ing from his exercising the cleetive franchise, if exercised in the proper roauner and proper place ; but as well may the balk; box be opeuod for the Michigan merchant in .New York as for the soldier iu the field, and the principie is one that sweeps away every safe-gua?(i of or elections. We do not believo it const;tutional, and that is all we have to say at present. U3C '-T'10 House bas passed a joint resolution reviving the rank of Lieut. General, making euch offioer Communder-in-Chief, and recoinmcnding the I'iv-ideut to appotiut General Gkant. The liepublicaus split upon the bil!, and tts frienda ungiacioutly recetved Democratie aid to pass it. The Sonate Commiüee has roported p.n the resolution, ivcouitnending reviving the rank, but turiking out the clause making the Lieut. General Commnndcr-inCtief, and alao. the recommendation of, GOD. GllANT. tSPThe radical Germán Radical AssociatioD, througliuut the country, are passing strong resolutions ngainst the renornination of Abraham Lincoln, aud lliroatening to bolt miles a cundidate is selected who is sounder on the negro. Forgetting the parody, " Abe moves in a uiysterious way," theyi(eharge him with being loo tender o.f the " peculiar institution." The Germ,ans are l'or Frmmont, or might be nduced to ül!y with the Gkeeí.ky wing and take Ciiase. " We shall see what we shall see." SS" The 30 days' furlough of the Fifth Michigan Infantry - re-enlited in the veterañ corpshaving expirad, the regiment left Detroit on Wednes day, for the Army of the Potomac, expceting to go into its old camp on the farm of John M. Batts, near Culpepper. The regiment carao home with 154 eüective uien, and returns with ÖGO, leaving reeruiting oflioers at Detroit and Grand Rapide. Siuce entering efpryjce the Fifth bas lost Q00 men, includng Col. Gilluly, Lieut. Col. Shei look, and Maj. Fairbanka, and a )i..;ribe. oj Oüplfiipfi nnd Lieutcriante.