Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/442

424 in session four weeks, and frequent references to the all-important topic were made without disturbing the general harmony of the proceedings. The debates on all subjects were conducted with fairness and deliberation. In order to avoid agitation, it was agreed to leave to the vote of the people the question of negroes, free or enslaved, a special provision being made for the addition of certain sections, to be inserted or rejected according to the vote upon them.

The influence of the republican element on the work of the convention was small, except as recusants. Most of the provisions were wise; most of them were politic if not all liberal. Its bill of rights, while it gave to white foreigners who might become residents the same privileges as native-born citizens, gave the legislature the power to restrain and regulate the immigration to the state of persons not qualified to become citizens of the United States: thus reserving to the future state the power, should there not be a majority in favor of excluding free negroes altogether, of restricting their numbers. The article on suffrage declared that no negro, Chinaman, nor mulatto should have the right to vote. Another section, somewhat tinged with prejudice, declared that no Chinaman who