Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-12-22
Gdncrsts cf tbs 1iaitgo 9ttatss.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WedneE1ay, DeeemEeYI5.

9th init. containing an ae!sraet OK all thT
returns made to him by the collectors ter
the different ports in the United States,
purfuant 70 ,hc stt for the relief md pro-
lection of American ieanaen; ALTO extracts
from the communications received from
the agents in foreign countries Tor che re-
def OF American teamen.
Ordered 10 lie on the table.
The committee Of elections made fur
ther report, Eating certain members to be
daly elected; and further fated, thar in
confequence of the erection of the Milf
hppi Terri:ory,i under the ordinance Of
Congrefs, that Territory was entitled to
a delegate, when the territory was entitled
to a Legislature. This period having ar
rived, the committee report an opinion,
that Narfworrh Hunter be confdered as a
Delegate, with the right Of celebrating,
but nor ot'voting.
MIR. Miliedge could not agree to the
report, as by 70 doing he would vote for
q n,eature that would affect the lovereign-
~ otGeorgia. He therefore moved a re-
ference TO committee of the whole, in
order to have the fnbjcct diGuhcd.-
Agreed to, ard made the order for Friday.
RATIO OF REPRESENTATION.
The houie then took up the following
. refolution, reported by the cous:n.s,ee OF
the whole on the tate of the union.
ReI,kve6, Tha, the apo :ionment of re-
prefensasives amonga the feveral fa,es,
according to the iecond enumeration OF
the people, ought to be in rario Of or,
representative tor every thirty three thou
1sni perlons in each fate.
Mr.. Griiwold remarked that the eii;ed
of adopting this recitation would be an
increaie OF members in that hop:e; that
the number would amount to nearly Iso.
He was of opinion that the pre!ent houfe
was flsHciently numerous for every cor
req purpefe, as we'll Oflegi1aiion, as for
obtaining all detirable information from
the people. Should an augmentation be
made, the consequences would be an in
create Of expeace, and buGnels would in
evi,ably be prorraeted. He moved. there
fore, TO trike OUT the words thirty
three" meaning if they were hricken
out, to propoie the fabitsutisn Of a lsrg-
err number. On this motion deful1ory
debate enfued, in which MeArs. Gr.i.
void, S. Smith, Nichoiion, Giles, Bay
ard, Allaon, Elmer, Eaitis, Sprigg, and
other gentlemen, took part.
Mr.. Griiwold food alon. in advocating
an apportionment of one member, to eve
rys4o, coo perions.
MeGrs. Giles, and Bayard, were foronc
member for every 10000.
Meffs. S. Smith, Nicholion, and Eu-
fis, were for one member for $1,000,
4 MIR. A,iioo was in favor of one repre-
tentative for every 3r,ooo.
The preferences avowed by the feveral
ipeakers, appeared to arife from the app!i-
cation of that diviior, to the fate from
which each member came, which left the
leaf traction.
Some gentlemen, however, declared,
and particularly MIR. Giles, that he had
made no calculation, ana tl.as his prefer
ence of the fu,al!ett ratio proeoled was the
preference of principle.
Thoie in favor of finall ratio argued
thar, though the expeuce attending the
compensation of the members might be
fomewhas increaied yet tina. it would
be ,rihns com. ared with the great ad-
vantages that would re!u!t from larger
experimentation; that fueh repIefen,asi.
on would be productive of true economy
as it would oppofe all extravaganza ex-
peadi,ure of money; that the weight
Of cxpencc incurred by the government
did net arife from the exsence o. the ci-.
vii lit, which formed bu, fpsck in the
mais of expenditure. That it was i'm
persans to this government to adop, ,hoie
neaiares which woula ihfare the rc.pett
and the confidence Of the people; that
this end would be beif attended b.'esch
representative being Familiarity acqazinr-
cd with the in,erelts of his continents
snd that this could only be the cafe, when
the number Of his conaisuents was H.
mited within certain bounds. e was
true that it had been laid that BODY OF
more than one hundred, even tho oompoi-