Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-01


be to decide, should be actuated by spirit
! adverse to the public sentiment. Results
.ungratefsl to the public feeling might In
deed become sources of discomfort truly
to be lamented. The demon of discord
might be called forth, and stalking over
our land, might unfortunately produce a
-state things very different mthatpeace-
full, tranquil state, which would follow de-
cision more conformable the will of the
people. Such a decision, he said, he be-
lieved. would be ensured were the election
to be confined to those two persons only,
who. had received the most mpleaestimo-
ny.of the public confidence, -orto those, who
had been stamped with equal testimonials
OF. that confidence.
For the reasons, Mr.. c. said, which he
had stated he.was IN favour of the amend
mendment as proposed by the gentleman
from Pennsylvania. He had indeed, he
said, prepared an amendment to the same
effect, but was anticipated by the gentle
man. He said, if it were in order, he
would oferit as asubstitute for that amend
ment. He then read it.in his place, as fol-
lows:
6 l'he electors shall make two lists, one ef
which shall contain the names Of all the persons
voted for as president and the number OF votes
given to each person respectively; the Other
list Shall contain the names of all the persons
votei for as Vice President, and the runber of
votes given to each person spettively which
two lists they shall sign AID certify, and trans
nit sealed to the seat at governmental tine Unit
ed States, directed TO the president of the senate
The president Of the senate shall, in the presence
of the Senate ard House OF Representatives, open
all the certificates, and -the4vo:es shall then be
counted The person having the eatest nun.
Der of votes ON the LIST containing the votes for
president, shaiisbe the president, if such number
be a maio,ity of sl!e whole number of electors
appointed. If on the Iist containing the votes
for president no person have majority Of the
whole number OF electors appointed, then from
the TWO highest on that list the House of Repre-
sentatives shall Immediately chuse, by ballot, one
of them for president, unIess more than two per.
sons have All equal number Of votes, and that
punber shall be the highest On the list; in such
acase the said house shall, III like manner chuse
one of those persons for president: but, if one
person only l,ayethe highest number on the li.t
and that number be not majority of the whole
number of electors appointed, and if two or more
other persons have all equal number of votes, if
that number be the next highest, then from the
person having the highest number and the per-
sons having equal woes the said House of Repre-
sentattves, shall, in like manner, chusc one for
president"
MI, Cioptou said hewas not tenacious Of his
own composition, but he believed what be had
prepared went somewhat further than the amend
ment proposed by the gentleman from Pennsyi.
v,nla. and provided more explicitly as to the mode
Of proceeding of the eiettor, in making lists of
their votes. He said that on subject of such.
immense importance as the present-a subject
which might involve the liberty and the happiness
OF millions, yet unborn, it was necessary thatsthe
expressions should be as clear and as defaite as
possible, that there ought TO be no ambiguity, no
expression which, nigh admit of nisconstruc
tions; that he had endeavoured so to draw that
which he had read to the committee, in which he
had thought 1t safer to repeat phrases than refer
to them by relative expressions. He hoped that
the decision would be Confonnablc to the ideas
contained in the proposed amendment.
The Speaker sad 1t was not in order to receive
the amendment of the gentleman from Virginia,
unless that of the gentleman from Pennsylvania
was previously withdrawn.
Mr.. Gregg saidit was impossible fully to COM
prehend the two proportions offered barely by
hearing them read. Amendments to the Con
stitution were of great importance. He felt at
loss how to act in the present instance, not
clearly understanding the resolutions proposed He |
wasin f2vour eflherpincipie they contained, and
had always been So. He had been in Congress in
the year 1895 when the first proposition 70 this
effect was made ty gentleman from New.
Hampshire. The inconvenieucics attending the
last election had stfeng thened his conviction of
the proprietv Of an amendment similar in suhstance