Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-10-31

! tive election who possessed a strong evl
dence of enjoying the confidence Of tn
people.
This was the true spirit ard principle 0
| the constitution, whose object was, thro
the several organs of the government
! faithfully to express the public opinion
For this reason he was in favour OF the
proposed amendment. By it we shall
make less innovation on the spirit Of the
constitution than the rejecting it. And
the adopting the report of the selsct COM
alittee There were obvious reasons why
the persons from who1n a choice may be
inade, should be fewer in case ola desig-
nation of the Office, than heretofore Al
present the whole number OF electoral
votes is 176. As the constitution now
stands, four candidates might have an e
qua} number of votes, or three might have
majority, viz. III each. According to
the proposed amendment, but one car
have a majority, and if two persons should
be equal and highest, it is not probable thai
the thire candidate will have many votes.
Mr. Griswold said it was very difficult
to ascertain the precise import Of the a
mendment offered by the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, by barely hearing it read
from the chair. In the meaning therefore.
which he gave it, he might perhaps be
mistaken. If not mistaken, it involved a
principle, and implied change, which he
had never before heard suggested on that
floor, or il the part Of the country from
which he came. 1t is well known 20 every
mem5.r that under3 the constitution as
it at present stands, the votes given for a
President in this house are by states, and
not according to the majority ofthe mem
bers Of the whole body. The Amendments
as reported by the select committee, pre-
serves its original feature of the Constitu-
tien by prescribing that the election shall
be proceeded with as pointed out by the
Constitution. But the present amend.
ment varies this mode, according to which
it is to be made without respect to states
Ofcourse a majority Of the members are
to decide. He submitted it to gentlemen,
whether they were willing in this way to
sacrifice the interests and rights Of the
smaller states. If this be the intention Of
gentlemen, we ought to have time to deli
berate on the subject, before it is pressed
to a decision. The'gentleman from Penn
sylvania Will explain whether this is his In
tention.
Mr.. J. Clay, begged leave explicitly to
state, for the satisfaction of the gentleman
from Connecticut, that it was not his in
tention to change that part of the constitu-
ton which prescribed that the votes should
be by states and if it would induce the
gentleman to vote for the resolution he
had moved, he would ad the words Of the
constitution, viz.
Z" But in choosing the President, the votes
shall be taken by states the representation from
each state having oRe.vote; quorum for this
purpose shall const of member or members from
two,thrds eft the states, and a majority OF all the
states shall be necessary TO choice /,
These words were accordingly added.
Mr.. Lawson observed, that this proposition
had been submitted to the SelecS Committee,
who had considered it more Objectionable than
that reported. Their object was to innovate as
"a
part of it referred to cases extremely remote
as were not likely to happen. The only mate
rial change it made was to reduce the number of
persons from whom chore should be made from
three to two. At present the election for a
President and Vice President was made from the
! FIVE highest on the list. As according 70 tie
proposed amendment designation of the persons
voted for as President aud Vice President was TO
be made, it was considered that BY giving the
three highest to the House Of Representatives
from which to chouae President, and she two
highest to the Senate, from which to choose a
Vice President, the Constitution would Rot be
changed. He hoped, therefore, tie report Of the
COMMITTEE would be agreed to. He believed it
comprehended all Cases which were probable /;
and he further believed that if they spent a
a. 4