[House Journal, Thirty-eighth Session, 201.]

Resolved, That in the opinion of this House, the number of senators and representatives could be reduced without detriment to the publle service; and the Committee on Apportionment is hereby instructed to provide in the bill to be reported by them apportioning the number of senators and representatives among the several counties of this State, for thirty senators and seventy representatives, and no more; and that they provide in said bill that the pay of members of the legislature be raised to four dollars per day.

On January 24, the resolution was taken up for consideration. An unsuccessful attempt was made to amend the resolution so as to provide for 24 senators and 100 representatives. The following substitute, substantially identical, was adopted and laid on the table. The provision fixing the salary of members of the General Assembly at three dollars per day was adopted by a vote of 51-29.

[House Journal, Thirty-eighth Session, 224.]

Resolved, That the number of senators and representatives can be reduced without detriment to the public service, and that the Committee on Apportionment of the Senate and House of Representatives be instructed to provide in the bill reported, apportioning the number of senators and representatives among the several counties of this State, for thirty senators and seventy representatives, and no more, and that they provide that the pay of members of the legislature be raised to three dollars a day, and that the Senate be informed of the adoption of this resolution, and their concurrence requested.

159. Suffrage of Aliens (February 5, 1855).

On February 5, Mr. Solomon Meredith, a Republican, introduced a memorial in the House upon the subject “of the right of suffrage as extended ⚫ to foreigners," which was referred to a select committee of three. Apparently no report was made. On February 8, Mr. David F. Huffstetter, a Democrat, introduced a joint resolution in the House on the naturalization of foreigners, which was defeated on February 17 by a vote of 35-46. The exact provisions of this memorial and resolution are not indicated.

160.

[House Journal, Thirty-eighth Session, 387.]

No. 9. A joint resolution on the subject of naturalization laws.

Common School System (February 14, 1855).

Introduced in the House on February 14 by Mr. James M. Frazier,

a Republican; on February 19, the resolution was considered, a slight change was made, and it was then laid on the table. It is impossible to determine from the Journal or other contemporary literature the character of the change proposed.

[House Journal, Thirty-eighth Session, 481.]

Joint resolution No. 14. A joint resolution proposing to amend Article 8 of the State Constitution.

161. Negro Colonization and Discrimination (March 2, 1855).

On March 2, Mr. John Brazelton, a Republican, introduced a resolution in the House to amend the Constitution by repealing Article 8, relative to negro rights and colonization; only a short time before, on the same day, Brazelton had tried unsuccessfully to provide for the repeal of this article (see Document No. 156). The resolution was rejected by a vote of 35-43.

[House Journal, Thirty-eighth Session.]

Joint resolution No. 26. A joint resolution to repeal the thirteenth article of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

THE THIRTY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (1857).

The political complexion of the thirty-ninth General Assembly was as follows: Senate-26 Republicans, 23 Democrats and 1 American. House63 Democrats, 35 Republicans and 2 Americans. Out of the political agitation fostered by the Know Nothing movement and the temperance propaganda had evolved a demand for measures restricting the political rights of unnaturalized aliens and the suppression of the liquor traffic. The Democratic State convention of January 8, 1856, adopted a plank favoring the continuance of the existing naturalization laws under which the speedy assimilation of aliens could be best accomplished. The Republicans in their convention of May 1 went on record in favor of a five year probation period, and in a love feast held in Indianapolis on January 7, 1857; the day before the General Assembly convened, a resolution was adopted which pledged the Republican members of the General Assembly to the proposition "That the Constitution of Indiana ought to be so amended as to limit the right of suffrage to citizens, either by birth or naturalization, under the present laws of Congress." On the same day the Association of Republican Editors of Indiana adopted substantially the same resolution. A month later, on February 7, 1857, the Convention of Americans, assembled in Indianapolis, adopted a resolution to the same purpose. Other amendments desired were the following: the removal of the limitations on sessions of the General Assembly; a restricted form of local legislation; and removal of the requirement that bills be read three several times.

162. Political Resolutions Concerning Suffrage Qualifications of Unnaturalized Aliens (1856).

Both of the leading parties went on record in 1856 on the subject of the

political rights of unnaturalized aliens. At its convention held in Indianapolis on January 8, 1856, the Democratic Party adopted the following resolution:

[Indianapolis Sentinel, January 10, 1856.]

Our naturalization laws * * * have been and are irresistable inducements and invitation to the inhabitants of less favored lands to become citizens of ours; and that past experience, just, sound policy, and national pride, all concur to favor the continuance of our present naturalization laws; that if any abuses have grown up under these laws, they have sprung from their imperfect execution alone and not from inherent defects in the laws themselves, and that we are in favor of that policy which will soonest assimilate naturalized citizens with the mass of our people, and opposed to that anti-American and illiberal policy which proscribes the foreign born citizen for the accident of birth, and drives him in self-defense to antagonism with our native born citizens in feeling, political opinions and conduct.

The Republicans in their convention held in Indianapolis on May 1 adopted the following resolution:

[New Albany Daily Ledger, May 3, 1856.]

Resolved, That we are in favor of the naturalization laws of Congress, with the five years probation, and that the right of suffrage should accompany and not precede naturalization.

At a Republican love feast held in Indianapolis on January 7, 1857, to formulate a plan of operation for the Republican members of the legislature, the following resolution was adopted:

[Indianapolis Journal, January 8, 1857.]

Resolved, That the Constitution of Indiana ought to be so amended as to limit the right of suffrage to citizens, either by birth or naturalization, under the present laws of Congress.

On the same day the Association of Republican Editors of Indiana adopted a similar resolution:

[Indianapolis Journal, January 8, 1857.]

Resolved, That the Constitution of Indiana should be so amended as to limit the right of suffrage and holding office to citizens of the United States, either by birth or by naturalization.

The convention of Americans which met in Indianapolis on February 17, adopted a resolution of similar import.

[Indianapolis Journal and Sentinel, February 18, 1857.]

Resolved, That it is wholly incompatible with the genius and spirit of our American institutions to permit aliens to exercise the right of suffrage, and hold office or place under the Federal, State or Territorial governments. Hence the Constitution of Indiana should be so amended as to limit the right of suffrage, and to hold office, to those only who are citizens of the United States, either by birth or naturalization, according to the laws of Congress.

In his biennial message to the General Assembly, the Governor urged vigorously the adoption of more stringent measures to insure the purity of the ballot box.

163.

Residential Qualifications for Suffrage (January 13, 1857).

On January 13, a resolution of inquiry, relative to residential qualifications for suffrage, was introduced in the Senate and adopted.

[Senate Journal, Thirty-ninth Session, 74.]

Resolved, That the Judiciary Committee be instructed to inquire into, and report to the Senate at an early date of this session, whether, under Article 2 and Section 2 of the Constitution of this State, it is within the power of the General Assembly to enact a law defining the requisites constituting a residence, and the length of the same, in order to the exercise of the right to vote at the general elections.

164.

Residential and Other Qualifications for Suffrage (January 19, 1857).

Introduced in the House on January 19, by Mr. John W. Wright, an American; on January 20, the resolution was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 62-31. By this proposed amendment foreigners would be required to be naturalized citizens, and to have a residence of forty days in the county and ten days in the precinct before voting.

[House Journal, Thirty-ninth Session, 174.]

House Joint Resolution No. 5. A joint resolution proposing certain amendments to the Constitution of the State.

165.

Number of Senators and Representatives (January 21, 1857). On January 21, a resolution fixing the number of senators at 30 and the number of representatives at 70 was adopted by the House.

[House Journal, Thirty-ninth Session, 199.]

Resolved, That the Committee on Apportionment inquire into the expediency of reducing the number of senators and representatives among the several counties of this State to thirty senators and seventy representatives, and report by bill or otherwise.

166. Residential Qualifications for Suffrage (January 23, 1857).

On January 23, 1857, Mr. Francis P. Smith, a Democrat, introduced a bill in the House to safeguard the right of suffrage. On January 26, the bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee; on February 11, the bill was reported back to the House with the recommendation that it pass. This bill was designed to amend the Constitution so as to require a residence qualification of voters of forty days in the township and ten days in the precinct. On third reading, on February 16, several amendments were offered. One amendment provided a residence of twenty days in the county before voting. This amendment was rejected. A second amendment, requiring a residence of forty days in the county and ten days in the township, was rejected by a vote of 29-54. A third amendment, proposed by a Republican, was designed to limit the right of suffrage to native born and naturalized citizens. By invoking the previous question, this amendment was rejected. The bill failed to pass at this time by a vote of 49-38, a constitutional majority not being obtained. On March 4, the bill passed by a vote of 63-23. The Senate never took any action on the bill besides formally receiving it.

[House Journal, Thirty-ninth Session, 243.]

No. 101. A bill to amend Section 2 of Article 2 of the Constitution of the State.

167.

Annual Unlimited Sessions of the General Assembly; Annual
Elections and Local Legislation (January 27, 1857).

On January 27, Mr. John W. Blake, a Democrat, introduced a bill in the House to amend Sections 3 and 9 of Article 4 of the Constitution; on January 28, the bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee, who, on February 13, reported favorably; on February 21, the bill was referred to a select committee of three with instructions to make certain minor changes, and on February 24, the committee reported the bill back to the House. The constitutional changes proposed in this bill were to provide for annual sessions of the legislature, unlimited as to length, annual elections and local legislation. An amendment proposed by Mr. James D. Williams, a Democrat, to limit legislative sessions to forty days, and to insert the following section in lieu of Article 4, Section 3, was rejected by a vote of 36-46:

[House Journal, Thirty-ninth Session, 776.]

Sec. 3. Senators shall be elected for the term of three years and representatives for the term of one year from the day next