April 5 1792 Veto Message Congressional Redistricting

### About this speech George Washington April 05, 1792 Source Miller Center President Washington returns a congressional redistricting bill citing inconsistencies in the proportion of representatives and the provisions laid out by the Constitution. This is the first presidential veto. [Presidential Speeches](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches) | George Washington Presidency ## April 5, 1792: Veto Message on Congressional Redistricting ### Transcript Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: I have maturely considered the Act passed by the two Houses, intitled, "An Act for an apportionment of Representatives among the several States according to the first enumeration," 44 and I return it to your House, wherein it originated, with the following objections. First: The Constitution has prescribed that Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, according to their respective Numbers: and there is no one proportion or division which, applied to the respective numbers of the States, will yield the number and allotment of Representatives proposed by the bill. Second. The Constitution has also provided that the number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand: which restriction is, by the context, and by fair and obvious construction, to be applied to the seperate and respective numbers of the States: and the bill has allotted to eight of the States more than one for thirty thousand. Previous [October 25, 1791: Third Annual Message to Con
gress](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/october-25-1791-third-annual-message-congress) Next [November 6, 1792: Fourth Annual Message to Congress](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/november-6-1792-fourth-annual-message-congress) ### More George Washington speeches [View all George Washington speeches](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches?field_president_target_id\[44\]=44) [November 6, 1792: Fourth Annual Message to Congress](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/november-6-1792-fourth-annual-message-congress) transcript icon [December 12, 1792: Proclamation Against Crimes Against the Cherokee Nations](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-12-1792-proclamation-against-crimes-against-cherokee) transcript icon [March 4, 1793: Second Inaugural Address](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/march-4-1793-second-inaugural-address) transcript icon [April 22, 1793: Proclamation of Neutrality](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/april-22-1793-proclamation-neutrality) transcript icon [December 3, 1793: Fifth Annual Message to Congress](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-3-1793-fifth-annual-message-congress) transcript icon [August 7, 1794: Proclamation against Opposition to Execution of Laws and Excise Duties in Western Pennsylvania](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-7-1794-proclamation-against-opposition-execution-laws) transcript icon [September 25, 1794: Proclamation of Militia Service](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/september-25-179
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