Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-08-24

uOptcu mat pILuIAPiC 40 O ~Nil~~@ ""S
tional mode, we then Propoied. that the whole
Of the electors ihould be chofsn in that man
ner To this propoGtion, the managers OF the
honorable fcnate did not accede.
The honourable fcnatc, having By their hrit
refolve, ALTO provided for the choice OF tue Of
the eleSl1r5 BY the be2pL on general ticket, your
managers conceiving thar this mode was unex-
ceptionable, TO the honourablc ienate, ~ point
Of principle, and that thereby the whole Peo-
pie of the fate, would fPeak with one voice III
this important election, and thar this mode
was, in their opinion, mott conformable to the
fpirit OF the contribution, which provides, that
" each fate flialI APPOINT electors in iuch man
ner as the Legislature thereof may direct = pro-
pofed, that it fhould be recommended TO the
honorable fenate to recede from their vote or
non-concurrencc on the third reiolve OF the
houfe, which refolve provided for the election
Of the whole number Of the electors by that
mode. Ft<
To this propoGtion il was objected, that this
mode of election was unpopular, and that the
relolve required the voters in each congretion-
al ditri6t to felea one elector from their own
difri6ts excepting the two to be choten at
large; which point was conceded by US, and
the objection removed by our content, to re-
commend that this reltriction fhould not be re-
CURED by the houle but. the managers OF the
honorable ienate, would not accedeto our propo-
lition, even after this modification.
The managers on the part Of the houte OF
representatives, were extremely dchrous that
the conference fhould not terminate, until they
had made proportions in every way, and man
ner, calculated to remove all thole objections,
which had been urged by the managers OF the
honorable lenate, if they could not all thoie
which e1yfed
They were aware that the methods, they
had propofed, and which had been retuled 6y
the managers on the part of the honorable ie-
nate, deltroyed the hope, that the majority OF
the people Of the fate Gas evinced by their
votes at the laf elections, decided majority
Of which, were given to men in the executive,
and the two branches of the Legislative depart
ments Of the government, who concur in polt-
iCal fentiments with the honie Of rePretenta-
tives) could decide the vote of the itats, or e
ven gain the largeft number Of the electors /;
owing, perhaps TO the peculiar arrangements,
made in the diftri6ting of the tate, tor the
choice Of the members of one OF the branche;
of the Legislative department, which arrange
ment has fuch an unfortunate controlling inHu-
ence over the public will. But knowing the
folicitude Of that branch Of the legislature they
reprefented that fome mode fhould be adopted
whereby this privilege, guaranteed to US oy our
contribution, fhould be exerciled; even though
the relult might not be 70 favorable TO their
views, or 70 conformablc to the publick tentl-
ments as could be wifhed and knowing ALTO
their fearful approximations, that if in the pre-
fent unpropitious Rate of cur publick affairs,
this great commonwealth, which is 70 much
iutereited in the commercial prosperity OF the
country, fhould not have a voice in the elec-
ton of the next prefident of the United States
and that one lhould be placed over them, with
out their content, it would tend to endanger
the public tranquility, and might in Gome de-
gree, ALLEVIATE the affections of the people from
the union Of the itates, which it is 70 deiirabl-
fhould be fupported and preierved on the orig
inal principles Of mutual conceillon and pro-
te6ion, on which it was founded the mana.
gers Of the houie, thought it proper, to propofe
fuch other modes conformable 10 the ipirit OF
the three relolyes paGed by the houfe of rep.
refentatiyes, as could be devfed flor healing the
differences between the two houfes) upon
which, neither Of the two branches had COM
mitted themfelVes, by their votes.
The managers on the part Of the houle, then
propoied, that the commonwealth ihOuld be
). divided into two great dlvifons, and that the
diRria Of Mafachufrtts, fhould be entitled TO
| fifteen electors, and the diaria Of Maine to
feven to be cholen by the people in each diVi-
fon on general ticket, which propoftion was
not agreed to by the managers on the part Of
I the honorable tcnate.
| We then fropoled, that the commonwealth
fhould be divided into three difri6ts, of nearly
equal population and that the people OF
Maine, lbould choofe feyen the counties Of