The Soldiers' Voting Law

1 üe relator causea tuig Information to be filed, clairning that, at the electioo in the ful! of 1864, he reeeived a majrr ty of tbe legal votes for the office o: Pioseouting Attornii) for the oounty o Washtenaw. The iocumbent, aceord iug to the agi-eed statement ol facts, re ceived a mujority on the home vote and the county canvassers, rojecting the soldiere' vote, gave hirn a certific.ite of eleetion. Had the vote of the soldiers beea counted, lwitchell woiilcl have been found eleeted. The regiilurity of tbe voto a not disputad, and the only queation preaented foï our decisión is, whether the aet of the Legislatura, authorizing the snldiers in tho field to vote out of their own townships is constitutionul. If thu law is valid, Twitch ell is eotitled to the office. If' it is invalid, the inoumbeot has a right to retain it. The argument has beer. extended, and has presented a areat variuty of consideration.w, whicb have been urgec upon us as proper to govern our actioo. The importance of the queatit d, as deterrnining upon the voting privil ees of a large number of electora, s obvious, and a resort to every apprpriate 8ource of light upon the subject is not only permissible, but neoessíiry to a just and complete performance of duty. But tho wide range of argument neces sarily opeued in the case renders it proper to indícate an opinión, to some extent, upon tne proper sourees ol in furmation, in order that no misapprehensiou may arise concerning what may be regarded as legitímate elementa of decisión. The case is bappily free from one class of questions which sometirnes may introduce confusión. ïhe ordinury disputes, conoeruing the distribution of power between the people and their various departinents and agencies of goverument, do not arise in the present controversy. It is conceded that the power of regulating the time and man ner of elections, and the places where they may be held, is one which is legislative in its nature, and belongsto that body which is intrusted with the gen eral logislative authority, unless the üonatitution has liniited or destroyed their control over it. And we are only concerned, therefore, in determining whether the Conítitution oi Michigan has prevented the State Legialature frorn exercising complete control over the locíility of elections, and whether, if suoh control is limited, the limitation is applioable to the subject before us. It was not contended on the argument, that rf the Constitntion a silent on the subject, the Legislature may Dat allovv tho citi-zans of Michigan to vote beyond lts limita. Whether the State can provide such safeguards hgainst abuse abroad as it cari at home, eannot govern l-jgislative action on such a matter. Ifthereis no constitutional prohibition, the Legislature must determine for itself whether the imriortance of securing the privilege of voting to its citizens abroud is overbalaaced by the diffioulty of enforcing all tho safeguard against abuse, which may be enforeed at home in all cases. The panctions :ind puuiilties which are not required by the Öoustitution muy ba dispensad wiih, if that be deetned expedient. So far it ia a mero question of pohcv, whether they ehall be required. We are not in this caso called upon to decide whether the State could, or could not. enforce tbe several dutiea or penulties prescribed in the act, Rhould its provisions havebetü disobayed, and it wonld have been needless to refer to the subject of extra-territorial action at all, had it not entered mto the conhidurution of other courts in dealing with tliis general Kubjact. The concessions made on the argument render it unueeesHary to oobsider at all tho liniits of extra-territorial action ; and they may, therefore, be regarded as uuimpf)rtitnt in disposing of this case. We have had cited beforo us several decisions of different State coarta, upon provisions ot their own Coastitmioiw, auppo.sed to be more or kss like ouis, and we are asktid to iolkw tliem as auUiority. Upon que.stions of thia natura such decisions canonly be valuable frum their inti insic weight aud force of argument. They have all beun made since our own Consütution was adopted. The are all depeodeat upon their oud local regulations, and are placed upou ground3 vvhich savor more or less of thuir own loual customs and ideas. Even where two coristitntions contaio the same puruse or its equival'.'ut, it sf qnite possible that the context may shovv that it does not meao the same thing in both. None oí the duoisions produced bofore us have any bearing upon the present oontroversy, exuept those in Iowa, Culifoi-fiia and Pennsyl vania. The courts of California and Iowa disagree upon the eifect of a phrase idéntica! in the Constitutions of both States. The clause construed by the Supremo Court of Pennsylvania is more nearly like the principal clause in our Co.istitutioD which has been discuased balore us ; but coosidtirations are introduced iuto the discusión whicli do not at al! oxistin Michigan, Whiloit s to be hoped we have been ablo to profit by the arguments and suggestions of those learned tribunal?, ive are, nev ertheleai, iorced to determine, aooordin to ouronn delibérate couclusions, wha't effect is to be giveo to our own Consti tution. It ie not necessary to cite or discuss the various rules of construction which have been from time to time euggested by oourts. Tbey are all düsigoed to aid U8 in determining wbut tho exaot meaninfí of the Constitutitm is. YVtjile men may not lilwaya agree in tbeir opinions, thero can be hut die true lueaning to nny constitu'ional provisión, and it is the duty of i u urt lo deiermine, upon its owo respmisibility, what that true meaning is. If a luw is to be tested by the CmKtitution, it is tlie duty therefora of the court to m'ake such a deuiwinu as aooordi with its ciirofully formed aad spfled convictioiis, afier using all iicocssiblu means of enliliten ment. 'J'he meaning of our Constitution w:ia fixed when it was adopted, and thö question whieh is now bofore us is not different i'rom what it would have been, had tho Uunstitution beon recently adopted. These charters ol jiovernment are adopted by the people lor their own guidaneu, as well as ior the guidance of the government whieh they est;ibüsh. They aro desigaed to próvida for coutingencies not foreseen, as wel! as those whioh are foruseen. It usunlly happens that thejr founderR are more frovident than they themselves imagined at the time of their ac tioü. When they act upon sound gen eral rules, this is almost always the case. ít can hardly be supposed that the framers oí the Conatitution oí the United States, regardod it as possib'e that the integrity of the Uüion should llave beeu as rudely assailed as it bas aeea ; and yet the Constitución has jroved to be as well adapted tó the .iresent exigencies as to thoso of the early days of the republio. Bttt it may easily happen that spedfio provisions nay in unforeseen emergencies, turn ut to haye been inexpedient. Tliin does not niake those provisions any less jinding. Constitutions cannut be' changed by eveuts alone. They remaia. binding as the acts of the people n tbeir sovereign capaoity, as the ira mers oí the governmtnt, until tliey are amended ór abrogated by the actifin )rescribed by tbe authority whioh ureated them. It is not c rnpetent for any departraent of the governinent o change a constitutioo, or to declaro t changed, simply because it appeara 11 adapted to auew state of things. If the people, in establishing their jovernraent, see fit to pluce res;rictou3 ipon the exercis') of any privilege, it iiust be assumed that in their view the xercise oí the privilege without the estriotion would be iuexpedient and iangerou, and would not, theref.tre, lave baeu permitted. Every restriu.ion imposed by the Constitution must )e eonsidered as something wliich was esignsd to guard the pubüc welfare, nd it would be a violation of di.tv to give it any 'ess than the fa;r aud legitilate force wliiob its terras retjnire. What the people have aai] they design, hey have au absoluto and pararnount ight to have resp.cted. It is as oleary their will as any of their granU of irivilege, aai must be construe I ia the ame t-pirit, and neither extended nor urtailed by any eonsidrations, except nch as tend to show its rué meanÍDg. térttrïotions have. it is true, boon fnund lore likely thau grant to be unsuitod o unforeseen ciicumstauces. Chiei iisstiee Mitra'iall, in McCulloch rs, the State of Maryland, 4 Wh. R. 421, has ointed out with great olaarneo's the danger of inaklng consiitutional prortsinu.s too specific; aud it has heen foned very unpleasantly on the aliuntion of our people by the improvident restric tbns ou legislation, whioh have ham W.'d us untler the Constituiion we are now considering. Bat wtcre 'vil arises from the spplication of aiich regulatioufj their force eahnot be deniu-d or evadedf and the remedy conists in repeal or iiineadineni, aud uot iu falae eonstruc tion. Bat I am not able to yiyld niv aaseot t au argument whidi was forqibly urgrid upou iks, that iu coustruing a Coijstituiion we must not t;iko into the account the exisiing stute of thing.s, which is so different from auj'thlng whioh has gouo before, Ttiat the Cónstitntion mcans uothing now liiat. it did not mean whun it wm adopted, I regard as trtie bejond doubt. But it must bu reg;:rdod as moant to apply tn the pros ent eiroinn-auiicbs. lts rea] iotent, likü that oi ;li oli'.er luwa and public iustfuments enn be only dctei;niied whea f'aots uxists whioh oull for dütenuination. It is nut au ubstructioii, bui a ch:irieifor liuin.ui govemuieiit, and it nvíst be coDstrued wilh referenee to reaütie., and lot interpre:ed as if t liad no such' bearing. The rules oí luw aro supposed to be permauent, und ciipable of seHleraeut by the courts, aud vet, wben a eourt announoes a crihciula which a foreign to tho case before it, tho erniuence of tho judgea, and their aoknovviedged ability, wiü not obtaiu for t!nt announcemeut the respect hich bolongs to the resl of thu decisión, bocause, when appliod thoreafier to existiug facts, it muy be found that the j.idgo? have uot seen the matter in all ita hearing, and had hey done so, would hivy oome to a different conohHon. No opinión which ia nicrely ípeoujativfl can ever be reooivud ua entiroty reüable. No court ever rï-fuseï to allgw it miare dicta to be reconsidered, and I shoulil be very unwilling to be buund by auy sueh remark of my owu, as I -liould certaioly declino lo receive bs obligatory, any irrelevant opinion.s of others. To strive to dis-evtr a legal or contitutional provisión frora the only tuut which jiislify u court iu ooDstruing it, would, if euch a severance were possiblej lead to no good result. The Í tion must be re;d io applicable to ent circmnstanoes, for the simple reason ! that it was establ fch-d fur all subsquent circurastances and limes; and we must ' give it the same forue it would receive ! had its language been recently adopted, iü full view of present eii.ergencies, aud must givo to Us terms their fair aod ! ural meamos. in Wbw af the wh'io tener of the instrument, ho far as it' relates lo tho subject u coutroversy. As to the niMuner in which a conttution -hould be constiued, it is hardly neccssary to wüy much, as t ho rules which are fmniliur U, all jurists ure uot so rnuo'n technical rule of luw hs auggcütiotir-, to id in ascL'rtiiiuing tho truo muaning, wLioh is tho niily obji-c of any attempt ut o nstruction. But some luíereiice lo the source, and objecta, oí a Statu Constitution, inay indícate tho spirit ïvith which it, shculd ho approaobud. It roct;c;(J.s from th jieople ün thcii' oiigiiml capacily, 88 the soureuofall power in the gov, rnment. Tbeir will, liuiug the supremo law, and bfcing oiily to be iound in tho Coustitutiou which they ordain, ii must be fairly und uhecifully eufijreed aoeording to its tarros, and nu attempt nhould be mudo to evade or defcat it. The OuQBthaiüifl although dr;iwn up by a tíouveution, derives no vitalily fVciii íts framers, but dependa for itö forcé entirely upon the popular lote. Heing designed íor the popular judgment, und owing its exi.-tence to tho popular opproval, its guage must receive Bucb a conatructioii as 3 most consisteut with plain-common sense, unaffected by any passing excitement or prejudice. We are not to apeculate how tlio peoplo would have aoted under other cireuiustances, or whether they wou'd have bound themselves in the same way, had thtv anticipated the future. We must only determiue how they saw fit to act with their sober ju1grnent, tukiug upoo theinselvea such consequenefs aa their aetion tniglit briug ioith io the future. Thd cods itut'iOD is erninently a popular iustrument, biüiling uceording to its tenns, and requiriug for their interpretaron sucli rules as will uot warp ils seribc from what ils langu ai sliows it probably !Hpeiird to those vvho adopted t. Phere has beeo no practical construction which c;id throw any light u pon the question bef'ore u.-. The fuct that electimi laws havo been made on u certaia basis, which does not accord with the principie of tliis bill, is of no weight, because there has nevcr boiore l)een anv occasion for such a liiü Wlwitever valué practical conatructioii has, depend entirely upon its being au open, notoriou-i, and consistent oourse, upon a_quetka now iaooted Practico not ovolving the mooted question ia uo index of oont-truction. We have never 'teforo had occasion tü próvida for voling in an unugual way n Sute utf.iirs. We are theref re thrown b:u-k upon Ihe Constitulion itself, to expound it accorditig to ts (nvn (e or, in thu light of suoli previojs liistorU'al facta as uay legjtimately aid to elucídate t. The provisión oí tho Constitution wbieh s snppo.--ei to be violatöd by tl9 l:uv neder which the rulalur blttfii'iè t. have bis titlo of office establisbed, ia Ihe first suotion of Artielo 7, uoaoel-niug ': Elections." Tilia oíanse provides that every whiiu male uhiztín, CC, ' shall be an elector a;id entiilod to vote ; b'Jt no ei izi.n or in!:abitaut shall be an eleitot or ent lied to vote at any e'ection, unies-, ho shan be above the age of twen', y one ysare, and kas rtsided in this Sta. e tjiree mnnths, and in the township or ward in wk'ici ke offvra lu vole ten days next precedmg such electinn." The next sec nu próvidos ihat all votes shull bo giwn fcy ballot, excopt for such townshin uffi"eis as iniy be authorized hy law tobe oiharwiítj chosa.ï. Furtber seuti.ins próvido agaiust loss of rciideuce by ab-cnco or miüfaiy serviue, and cotitain Boma o'.liur eafeguards against ..'leelors büing preventcd frorii at'endiuij; eloction-, and lor preserving the puri'y uf elaoüona. It is claimud by the relator tbat offt-ring to vle ai. ;iu elootiou ia a tovvnsnip or ward, does uot prevent casting lbo voto beyotfd tlae State limiis, whilu tho rospoiidoiit insistí that the act of the elector must bj dono within his owii townsliip To determine wi;ie!i i tlu correct conclusión, '.vc mast Hts; seo whut providions in thU sootian oonceniing elootions, are ioo pliia to be queptiomod. By cximiaiug tlio sscfion, y iinJ that it, malies provisiou for cv-jry posible eleoti'm wliioíi can ba huil at all, ander tha uut.Wity of the State. " Nu citi.m or inliabitiuit s!i:i!1 b: ai c'ieet t, - eittkil tv cole ut iinjj etïclün, "uulcss ha shall como v it hi 'i iii'. sabaeiju ut provftions. lu the nest ple èvefj tilüetla mast by a scuue tjwnsliip ur wurd ; for the votar to " tote nf ani eletlion" must " offer to v.tr:' in the " iownthip or wanï' i which he has rosijed " tea dajs nut preceding stick eettio.-t.'" liu gives iu bis vot ■ on the sp-it, or whetlitr it is givcyn in fact somewheftj ei.s?, u bcome hy eouio lè'a] oonstructicn a vo'.o in t!ia to'.vualiip, he must vote at tha ulection in the towpship or not atnll; thas ín-: thore is üo possibility óf misc ïns'rue'bii. Agaih, ttté pkes in w'us% he offers to is i)f' neoe.ssity thé place wbere fie vot s, if the ufFor i.s aoccdüd to ; for the offjf mast b made te somo 0:10 authorized to aocept it, aot] whon aeoe'ptéd, the vo'e is completo. For tha vote is by tfciü ícetíeíi uad tb act of the elector hiuis.-lf, and when his üfferèd b.tllot is aecepted, there 'm do fithèr aot whiéh ha ouh pöifo:1n t láaks i": ocr.itive. That the tiïwnsbip is a tiiToAasay [il.ico for the vital parpóse of tLe aw is mai:if'jit, fr nu offjr to voto in any other townahip but tbat of the voter's rosidenoe, is permil'tcd by tho constitution. Au'.i it buiug a necessary pluce (or eleotion purpoes, and the ouly placo wbioh is referred ío, it májr be r.ecsssarj to coneider what purp"tes are lo be sabservej by itfiy ttxïéa of loeaüty. For we ca:ioot ba poniii : tod to suppnso that a restriotio:i bas boeo imposid without uecessitv, or wilhout me.nnig, neither are W8 at liber'y to disreg-ri any word or p!ira-e whicti bas b. en insjrted in the iupreiria law f il. e Stite. Il luw ii' i boen ilt'iiii il by ai,y uur, rui do I 1I11 k it eun be na Ouablj (linbud, r ha t tl. e tiiat impris.on any out wonlil itccívb in in readuig ibis sidiuu, Wi uIm b th at lbo vu.luT uii'st utléiid the rlfctioii il) bis uwn townnbip, Xur cai ii lio aiiy muro d.JUDtcd tli:it the iirdiknv iiiean tor .ix venliiii; fViiuduleht vi'iin by b:illot ccquirü s;cb presenta. Tiie n utíoii fjr uÜowuiii Vüting by bal ntj iiiotí-ad of vita voce, b ia ulttays bceu c'aiiiied to be that the rot.rby baMoi iiiizi.i preserve secrtcy is to vote, n' o mus i-fccape tha dunner uf oppreusive jiifluenocg. But bc this as il muy, u bailut cdicö cast furuishes nu tnoaiïs of lai-iitn'ying lbo vutor, Wlw by volutg fuo toce, is tiren and lufDgn.zed by "11 prex'-nt. Uulcss, lln-rvfoi e, thuro in sume otliui nie:;ii8 uf identifying hitn, ihuru in im -ccuritv agaioat ii lw id illugiti votintt II rotf r i?1 rcquireii l [jl'esoljt liMiistlf pLi'sciinilly ut iiib own p'lncM ut' abodo, lus in inhburs wilt fcitow lus pur non, .11, d will bu ükcl} to know lus qual ifio:.ti(u,fl. 1 1' lii can 7i te üLsewiioro, nuil bnve bil vo'o ti-an m '! U'u ur ctmiiu-il :ti t , wnt-h i n, Ito lïiay be kuüvvn pr ■'inüv to thosu wbo WO ',vl!Li'i.' Ik; 18, fi:'aiid. I ut 1 1 cy W by a iumhb likulj to kuow iiif actual ppsidertee, nor, i! be Tiolatcd the lnvv, cH hiscriuic büüsreadj iGiitificd or proven Thai othei luaiiR of prote(üi"ti muy be deviso'! 8 posniblo. Hu: tbü test by neit(hbiriiig (■yo. witnessi'H, hs always bóea the ite rsort of the law, as ït is tho bot. But it ifrsuffi.ient for n.y present pur pone to know tliat, hpther the best or ïio', it is simple il 1 1 cl viiliiüble. Tho in(rpri'l!it.!oii, thon, which holds t bat the r!ue rrquirinjj VOtin to bo in tb township f the voUt's ' rosidenc?. was neant to seeun? his prcs'Mico whiro lic is known is not utúy the primaiy and iiittnr! nfcrencf, bi:t is also foundcd on h ri'aaon aliich is of soine weight in se euring ihc pnrity of elecritnis wliich is ene of the prominent pirposes-of the itt oli cuntaicing the seetion fa contro'lbo othor view which irt tukon of thi cciim), must cijua !j Imld ihat the ilta il i.ieniity for t-ome purposé is impera Mve. Tho lowTwtiip i the roteV's residrnce i u neodvsiiry elénieiit io everv eluolion. . The elector must offer to vate"1 in tli:it loivtifhip H tl; is does nut ineüii tbitt lio 'b to vote therein porin, ihen Rome ollier salisfnetorv (neaniiix'inust !ie preseiüed. Tlifs necoudary 'uoaiiing, in order to oómniiinu our respect, must pos.st'ss feveral qualities, It üi'ial, iu the ftrst place, be a naínrrf] ! ietniiig, Kuch iis the words fairiv ut; tbr Uie lariguugo s ordiuury lunf-uago, md by cveiy rule of cójistnicliuB in'jst be userl ia au oidinary seiii-e In the aeennd place, t must bo such as 'o matte the provisión subserve eome usoai purpose, iu proteeting eleeti':a ; for it would btí nothiiig hort of' absurd lo hold thüt a voter'a rights were solemulv reatiicctfby a usulcws provisión, which the legislativo authority canoot resciitd or rary. OVmstitutions are r.ot to be contrued na ineant for any but solemn and taluablc purposes. And thirdly, it inusl bo pucIi as to subserve lbo purposes indicatcd by the Oonstitutiou betier, and moro complotely, thun any other meanTlio only othiT meaniai whicii has been iniyf.iested is t bat the GoimtitulioB luerely jutonds to próvida tbat ilicvoti; Bhall taks effect in the towuship vher,e tlic vutor reciüus. Tliis phr'ase does aot, te niy niiud, ronvey u vuiy clear impreaskfi, bu' tfiB intentimi seema to bo tliat the T.);c d have the sairiO effect as if t hád been aotually east tbere. It eannot be nlauned thut nny loss ihan this wiil sntisfy tbe Goristitution, for tjie voter in-ist offer lovoie in that iownahip, and. of c)ur, Bowhere else The laoguage is crclu=ivo. Tliis construction appo ira to to be nadaussiblu ou saveral gromida. J ignota Btitiiral ennstruoiion, and does nut jjive rc!S(naile valuó to tik: words aud, It provides for a onsíructivu otitg, wuefl the Constituiion requisa expreslj an actual vo'e by ballot sojjiqwliere, and alluwg BO place for an elcctio;) bul tUe tüwnsliip. Whon the vo'.ers lisvo all cast tlicir billnts tho electinn h.'ts been holil, and if tilia has been duin.' in Tuüücsíue, irtiil tlie votes an; fterw;ii ds llowcd iu v Sownshig liero, the electiu i biia [iovcrtiialei-s heD huid, am'. ho voter h:a voU'd n Tennessee. TIn; vo'o mu', fako effect as a vote at thé electiftu, on the day and at the placa wheru tkü Contitu'ion lias fixd tho ek'oiion. I ean not approci.üe tlio toree of nn interpretntion whicli ignores tho actual eote and tbo aeüial election daj, the placo lemnly appninted by the Cönstitution fir tho holding njf an election, except ai pUoo in which tho votes given at au oloctinn held on tho regalar ok'otioii day oiiiewliore elae sbri!l bo óonftiderecl to hava leen given hy u legal fiction. But if the word will authonze an interpiitation which willpennit a fictitious prmonoe and vote, it is not easy to disoovor liow any guod end ca.n bo securod by eountirig the voti'g. in onu ti.wnsinp rather ttian ín anothor. For tho eleclion of townsliip ofEner thcy miglit be vailublc, but these olScers neer! not iuider tlio Ciüstitution bo elected by ballm go that the provisión ciiuld not hve bsen de-igned for tbat purpnse - For anv hut town officers, tlu votos inay be mnoli more convunicntly countod in Itie dintriut olcetiug them, a.-i thcre muet limyn bo n district canvass. iSueh votes cm in no sense bu suid to. take etTiic-t in the towBship, and it is inconeeivlile that uch a purpose could have ver been dcemed worthy of being inlurnd by a Cbnstiiutioniil provisión. If, as I have already endeavorcd to how, a C-inaïitiitional provisión niust, if poan!b{t), be considerod us dusigncd for ome r'iounble and iiícíu' parpóse, íor the wull b;:ing. of tho iSta'e, and if a natural lueaBÍug, plaúi, and obvioaa, and eonsatont, aud uuf;il, sugjests itself, I tannot j iHtitiy rnys-lf in di.w;;uiling it for one which, to uy miad seerus for fetclied nd Uiiiutu"a!, and which can servu uo nüi.'ful púrp'iBü whatever iffiícticg, or dopcndfiit on, the locality whish has n ubsolutely rcquired by the Coi.stitu fcion tu bo the place of the legal eleetion. I büve given my views at longtli on the Oonstiiut'ü;:l ijuestion, as :i uure matter f eoni-tr'.ieiion, becausc tlie proTiion hs benn difierontly applird by a departuiout of tho gec nniont wJloü action we ure c:illud upon to reviow, ani; the i-am: is one et nmru ri.an u?-,ri! itu irt;inoe. And a deooi1 r nt'c; for tint importes'. icJ rwjuiitc '".it tíu rcudinui of apy adverse deoisiji sh"ulJ be fullv gi ven. Had nol he nn'uro of tliu liilH eulty den ai:ded t h is, I .-h'uld have fit t niy tlii:y to rely ouly on the historied proofs beuring on ilio uljoc'. This Uonstiliitidti is mcrely the successor, nnd -uppnsed fHipiovmeot of.a foriucr ouej and is not tli -j órigin of out' State government 15y nur first Costitution ït was provfdfd that no " citüteu or iiihabitaiit. sliould b'J eii'ii-!-e! to vute, exc pt in tlio district, coanfy or towosl.ip u wliicli ie slüill üctu'illy n BJdo t the timo of sucb election " This provisioti i, in all important i-espects, likc the one uijder cqnsideiation, escept that it does not eöiïfinl) i hu vote tt fho townsl.ip. Under it any mie coülil vote, foj' any ofScéf o vvbose district lic resided in anj part Oi' the dtsti'ict, wbieh tniglxb inslado tbc on'.ire Sta to, or any lesser territory. - Tluee yeurs' expei'ienco of this brought ib'nt tho M?et'si'y í'or a chanco; and we ktmw, :i a matter orhistory, that the. e il.s cxp.'i'i'uiced grew out oï the diiüealty of inflcntifjitig legul voters, aiid tbc fueility of tloub'e votiug. In 1838 au1 ■■amciidi))!'!)! wiis prripösed, and sub-e(uiMitly adoptod in tli. o v ord.s ; '-That no mucb oí the iirst Beo: ion of theseoond: nrticle of tho Cofratitutioti ast : thr in whick an elector may vote, and wliieb is in thcS woids, lo wit : -Disiriot; county, or township,' b-e aholisbei, audthat tho fullowing be Eubstihitcd' in tho place tbvreof, to wit: 'Twnship or leawf1'1 R. L. 18-iG, pp. 19, 30. Here we have tbc Constiiutiou by tho people tfceinselves, as authoTs of tho tion, decisring thia provisión to be one of place, mid makiii" a change which could be of no avail whatever except on tluit suppositioti. The pr i teut constitutional-restrio', ion ís i'ou'id io the same o: uid expresses the Bíirae idea, wh&tever that iduu may be. I caimot tliorcfore, attnch to it itny other ineaiiing ihan that the votei1 uïvst eaaf. lus vote, pemmally, iu bis owu to uship or ward. And I atn, thcrel'ore, Ootüpelfed to dec'aro tiat, in my opjiiioB, ffie act of the Legislnturo, authorizing voting on a different (Kibis, is iiivalid. PaMrc duty will not pormit me, as a magistrale, to offer excusos for perforaiing an n;;ivotd;ible office. If our Conslituti'in ile)iivc3 of the privilege of vo ting a class af men to whom we are lurgely rnjehled for having the right preerved to oursulves, the only remedy is to iiivüko tho peoplo to ainend a re&tiietion wliicli has become too narrow for complete justicc.