Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-06-23
5M:assaeb,,sstt5 Iegialatl,rs.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WEDNESDAY, June Is.
Highly important m0tion.

Few IudlClOuS ailQ ptItfbSHt 'iCttitiil1eiy &c
marks, laid the following motion or the ta-
bic which after being read, was assign
ed for consideration tomorrow at II o.
clock.
Whereas by the constitution of the u
aired States it is provided that the repre-
sentatiyes shall'be apportioned among the
several states, according to their respective
numbers, which shall be determined By ad-
ding 10 the whole number Of free persons,
including those bound to service for term
Of years, and excluding indians not taxed
three-Gfrhs of all other persons; and fur
cher, that for the choice Of the president
and vice. president OF the United States
each state shall appoint number Of cleo
tors, equal 10 the whole number ofssenators
and representatives to which the state may
be entitled o tha congress-
And whereas the said provisions were
50 rnsaife3tly uaequal az the time the con-
sti.uiou was formed, thai they could have
resulted orIv from the spirit IT eoncilia-
tion aad compromise whica Influenced che
eastern states beaaase, IN consequence
thereof a representation 81 ne states a pros
dec.li, uni st and iniul .c1a n its operate
on, both as il regards tl2e a{}iil9er OF sec 10
haoitants ii he several states AID their PrJ-
perry
As in state where the slavery Of man
is established by law, the slaves have no
voice in the elections but planter pos
sessing fry slaves, may b considered as
having thirty votes, while a fsrmer oye 4fas-
sachue5ts, having equal or greater proper.
" is confned 10 a single vote.
And whereas the etf7cr OF these progisi-
ons has been rendered sill more un@iuai
and injurious, by the course of events,
since the constitution was established, BY
an augmentation the number of Saves n
the southern states, and alSo by an increase
of personal property in the eastern states,
arising from the commercial spirit OF its In
habtants--
And whereas the said provisions have
been rendered more injurious by important
political changes, introduced during the
present administration, in the purchase Of
Louisiana, an extensive country, which
will require great number Of slaves for It's
cultivation, and when admitted into the u
mon, agreeably to the cession, will contri-
butte, by the number OF It's slaves, te de-
strov the realinhuence Of the eastern states
in the national government, and also in the
alteration of the original mode of electng
the president of the United States, where
by, in the appointment Of that important
magistrate, the weight Of the smalI states
(among which are most OF the eastern states
where there are few or no slaves is great
" diminished
And whereas the apportionment of the
direct tax, the only compensation propos-
ed by the constitution to the states nothoId-
ing slaves, for the aforesaid unequal prin-
cipie in representation, is now merelg nc
minal, as the national revenues are pfinci-
pally derived from commercial lmposts
the present administrator having repeaiee
the excise laws, wliich operated, in som
measure, by tax on tQxuries, 10 eqaal ze
among the several states, tbs contribution
to the bubhc burthens.; ana HAVING a!se
recently assessed additional millions o.
commerce, Of which he eastern states must
pay much more than thei. due proportion
so that instead of contributing less thar
their proportlonate share fpablIc expene4s
as was contemplated BY the constitution a.
a counterpart TO unequal representation
they contribute more
And whereas a union Of the states,
measure SO imporantin its consequences,
cannot harmoniousy exist for a long peri
Cd, unless it Be fountted On principles
which shall secure to all free citizens equai
politicalrights and privileges in the govern
ment, SO that minority may not govern
a majority; an event which. on the prin-
CipleS of representation now established,