936

CONGRESS REFUSES MISSOURI CONSTITUTION.

1820.

There were several features in the constitution quite objectionable to the people. These were the officer of chancellor, with a salary of two thousand dollars per annum; and tbe salaries of the governor and the judges of the supreme and circuit courts being fixed at not less than two thousand dollars per annum for each officer.

The mode provided for amending the constitution was by a vote of two-thirds of each House of the General Assembly proposing amendments; these to be published in all the newspapers in the State three times, at least twelve months before the next general election; and if, at the first session of the next General Assembly after such general election, two-thirds of each House, by yeas and nays, ratify such proposed amendments, after three separate readings, on three several days, the amendments become parts of the constitution.

At a special session of the General Assembly, in 1821, amendments were proposed to remove the objectionable features, and passed by the constitutional majority. The next General Assembly at its first session ratified them.

At the first session of the General Assembly in 1820, Thomas H. Benton and David Barton were elected senators, to represent the new State in the Congress of the United States. The senators and representative were at Washington city at the opening of the session, when, on presenting the constitution, and claiming admittance as a State into the Union, they met a repulse. In article third, defining the legislative power of the General Assembly, was the following injunction:

"It shall be their duty, as soon as may be, to pass such laws as may be necessary, to prevent free negroes and mulattoes from coming to, and settling in this State, under any pretext whatsoever."

To this clause objections were made in Congress, the State was refused admittance into the Union, and another discussion followed. The objection was, that "free negroes and mulattoes" were citizens of some of the States, and the clause infringed on the rights of such as were guaranteed in the constitution of the United States.

The words of the constitution are: " The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States." The difficulty was increased by remonstrances from the legislatures of Vermont and New York, against the "Mis-