Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1802-07-28

'ur political SYST, I'm depended NJ less up !
on the uniinpaired sovercigrtics OF the !
states, than On tnc exercise Of the legiti- I;
mate powers Of the general government F.,
which were intended 70 be federal, leaving
TO the states the legislation OF internal con
Germs. For this obje5, the constitution
was so CONSTRUCTED as to compose the at
ring interests of the states. Extend Il |
!oE,her; LEI it embrace objects for which
it was not designed; let 1t trench upon the
powers OF the states make II a national
government, IN the sense commended for
and It VIII hecons a government vicious
in its orsaniza;ion, siiee the yeasons fer
that organization cease TO apply. whene.
YER II ceases - k6'A goyermept OF states,
and becomes government OF the people
IN the aggregaser
With respe6e, 90 The ef7e6ts OF the ratio
of $4,000 DC Delaware twas replied, tha,
though to DC regretted, that regret was
lessened, when il YVES considered that that
state more than any other participated i'm
thc powers Of the government beyond the
proportion Of her numbers in her having,
Notwithstanding their infcriority, delefa-
ton IN the senate equal to that of the lar.
gcst states.
Such were the abstacf grounds on which
the adoption OF each ratio was urged, most
lof which were nlore ingenious than pro-
round; and neither of which, perhaps, e.
ven allowing them to be pist, concmsiveIv
| established the inference deduced from
them. Under the Disguise OF these theo-
RES iurked more substantial source of
conviction, founded on the basis OF state
interests, and party calculation---Neart the
close OF the debate, general 5. Smith, with
his usual openness,; rent the veil, and OBJ
served, that he hid listened to the dis
courses of genhevH "a on the abstract ques-
! Ton introduced. II had found That every
| gentleman, 'betGF &c sat down, proved
/ himsels to be ~ representative of par
tcaiar State, q I'll that he had said.
The point was, ole aliogether OF calculati
or. The gentlemen from Conne6ficut
(Alr. Griswoid) had been strong Tor 40
600, and now, afteryinal,ine his calculate
ons, he agrees with his friend from Della.
ware tMr. Bayard> in preferring $4,000,
not, perhaps, because it peculiarly benefits
Connecticut, but because it benefits the
! party with whom he acts. Let us
( view the gentleman from Delaware, and
we see him pursuing the interests of Dela-
ware, and caring nothing for the other
states, and thus he shews us that he Is the
representative Of the State Of Delaware.
he gentleman from North Carolina, mr..
Macon) heretofore always economical of
the public money is for once prodieai in
wishing an enlarged representation and
Why Because he hereby will promote
The interest of his state. This was per-
fe6tly fair md right; and ifhe Mr.. Smith,
were similarly situated he should act in
the same way. But Maryland happened
to be differently situated. The ratio Of
5000 -@oaidiE,ve a. 6{ion 10 Y.7r CAD.
600. Could it therefore be expected that
any member Of that state would be for that
ratio p
After these discussions, which occupied
the deiiberation OF several days, the cues
tion was taken on striking out the ratio
OF 4" thirty threethousand,' and lost--Avcs
42--Noes AZ. After various Efforts 10 de-
feat, or postpone the bill, it was Ultimate
y, on the 9Th OF January, read third time
snd passed-.iyes S5-Noes 4 ; and af.
ter a feeble opposition confirmed in the Sc
rate.
During the progress Of this discussion,
the pelPetual exhibition of discordant in.
terest, more imaginary than real, and the
com6ustiblc passions which a sense of it
perpetueiiy excited, clemonstratedthee xpe-
cheney Of placing the ratio of representa-
ton beyond the reach OF Legislative control.
Whatevertends to division, without bring
ing with IL abeneht, at least equal TO the
concentrate evil, ought to be avoided, so
taras human wisdom can devise a rene
dy. IN thc ezGtcise ofthis power, the re-
medy IS the most easy of attainment. In
stead of allowing a discretion to the lepis-
lative body to apportion its own members
among the states, which in the best of
times produces division and jealousy, and
may, N the worst, produce Injustice and
corruption, the constitution should rigidJv
determine the number OF representatives
ccnfoTTDed TO the successive rradations of
population. And until this is done. nal
liatiyc should be found in the DESIGNATION
by lazy OF the ratio by the Congress sitting
antecedently to the pronunciation of the
census. Thus, in the adoption of abstra9
principles whose local application could
not be ioreseea,@ grounds determination,
and al apprehension of oppression enter.
tanned by the srlaIler states, would be re-
moved.
------e1s @ esss----
fiOH1 tic BosToN CHaovrcLz.