. Voting in the field : a forgotten chapter of the Civil War . tion laws,the ballot boxes might be stuffed or destroyed by adisorderly rabble, either of soldiers or of people inthe towns through which the commissioner wouldhave to pass on his return to this State. x On March 18 a minority of the Committee filedan elaborate report holding that the bill was con-stitutional, and recommending that it pass. Theyelaborated the proposition that it is not necessary forthe Constitution to provide that electors may voteout of the State. If the Constitution is silent uponthat subject; if it does not fix
. Voting in the field : a forgotten chapter of the Civil War . tion laws,the ballot boxes might be stuffed or destroyed by adisorderly rabble, either of soldiers or of people inthe towns through which the commissioner wouldhave to pass on his return to this State. x On March 18 a minority of the Committee filedan elaborate report holding that the bill was con-stitutional, and recommending that it pass. Theyelaborated the proposition that it is not necessary forthe Constitution to provide that electors may voteout of the State. If the Constitution is silent uponthat subject; if it does not fix the place of voting,the Legislature may fix it. That is, that the Consti-tution is merely a restraining power and not a grant-ing power. They also quoted the law of Michiganproviding that a man who in fighting a duel inflictsa mortal wound while out of the State, can be pun-ished when he comes into the State for the act donewithout the State. They also say, the Legislaturehas passed an act disfranchising a soldier who deserts, 1 House Journal, 1863, p. MICHIGAN 95 and the act thus punishes desertion whether it occursin Michigan or out of The bill was passedon March 19 by a vote of 54 Republicans to On March 19, a motion to take up the bill whichhad passed the House was made in the Senate, andthe previous question was moved. There was thena motion to adjourn, which was defeated. The callfor the previous question was sustained by a vote of 16 yeas to 13 nays. The main question was ordered, 17 yeas to 10 nays, but the main question, being amotion to take up the bill, was defeated by a vote of15 Republicans to 14 Democrats. Thus died thesoldiers voting bill of 1863, by a majority of one inthe Senate. In 1864, Governor Blair, who was an excellentlawyer, said in his message of January 19: At your session a year ago, a bill passed the House ofRepresentatives, providing for the exercise of the right ofsuffrage in our elections by our soldiers absent from
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectelections, bookyear19
