Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-01-25
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
January is.


January is.
Several petitions were presented and re-
terred, amongst which was one from oil.
yer Evans, patensee of sundry improve
ments m milling, counter to that presented
Anew days ago from sundry manufacturers
OF Hour; which was referred to the commit
zee OF Commerce and Manufactures.
Mr.. Cheves, from the committee of WAYS
and Means, reported bill to authorize
loan Tor a sum not exceeding, mil
lions OF dollars a bin authorising the issuing
oil Treasury notes Tor the service of the wear
1918 and bill for the relief of the Bible
society ct Philadelphia which bills were
sevcrally twice read and committed.
On motion OF Mr.. Taliafero, the House
resumed the consideration of a resolution
offered by MIR. Taliafero, directing the com
mttec CT Post Offices & Post Roads to en-
cure INTO the propriety of authorizing the
transportation of the Mails of the United
states by steam Boats, wherever the Post
Mastcr General shall deem that mode of
conveyance expedient. After considerable
conversation, the resolution was agreed to.
with slight amendment.
AMENDMENTTO THE CONSTR
TUITION.
Mr.. Pickens, after observing, that the To
Il,
on mad passed resolution proposing an a.
mendment to the constitution, the object of
winch is to establish throughout the United
otates an uniform mode of Election of Elec
Tors or president and Vice President of the
United States; and that, as he conceived
this 70 dc an suspicious moment for making
what ne deemed an important and necessa-
ry amendment to the constitution of the u
nlted States, and the proper mode of doing
Il 10 be, in the first instance, to propose il
Tor the adoption of Congress offered for
consideration the following resolution:
ReSoEUcd bythr Senate and House of
fefresenfdffveS fthe United States of IL
mersra in Congress .4ssem6led, fzyo thirds
OF ooM Houses concnf7ing therein, that the
following amendment to the constitution OF
the United States he proposed to the Lep;s-
iatnres of the; several states, which. when
rauhed by the Legislatures Of the said states,
Shall be valid to all ntents and purposes as
part OF the said constitution
mar Tor the purpose ofchoosing Repre-
sentatlves IN the Congress Of the United
ota,es. each State shall by its Legislature be
divided into a number OF Districts equal to
the number Of Representatives to which
such State may be entitled.
Those Districts shall be formed of con-
tlguous Territory, and contain as nearly as
may Ge an equal number Of Inhabitants en-
titled by the Constitution 70 be represent
ed: In each District the qualified Voters
shaii elect one Representative and no more.
NAT forthe purpose of appointing cleo
tors OF President and Vice President of the
United States. each State shall, by its Lccis-
lature, be divided into number of Dis
tricts, equal 10 the number Of Electors to
which such. State may be entitled those
Districts shall be composed !of contiguous
territory, and contain as nearly as NAV be
an equal number Of inhabitants entitled nv
the constitution to representation In each |
District the persons qualified to vote for Re- |
representatives. shall appoin, one Elector and |
10 more. The Electors when convened !
shall have power, in case one or more of |
those appointed as above prescribed, shall |
iail to attend for the purposes of their said
appointment ON the day prescribed for gi- |
wing their votes for President and Vice Pre- |
sident ofthe y States, to appoint another |
OF others to act in the place of him or them |
SO failing.to attend.
Neither the Districts for choosing Re- |
personalities, nor those for appointing E |
iectors, shall be altered in any State until a |
Census and apportionment of Representa-
tives uhderit made subsequent to the diysi- |
on CT the State into Districts, shall change |
the number OF Representatives and of Elec |
tors to which such s ate may be entitled
Inc division of the States into Districts
hereby provided for, shall take place imme. !
diateiy after this Amendment shall he q |
doptcd aid ratified as part of the Consti
tuition OF the United States, and successive
ly afterwards whenever by Census and
apporuoament of Representatives under it
tue number OF Representatives and of Elec-
tors 10 which any state may be entitled shall |
be changed tie division Of such State into
Districts l'r the purposes both of choosing
Representatives and of appointing Electors
snail be altered agreeably to the provisions |
ct tins Amendment, and on no other occa- |
sion.
Resoived, That tie Governor of the State
be requested to forward Copy Of the pre-
cc,ing Amendment 10 each of o0r Senators |
and Representatives in the Congress of the
United States, and also to the Executives of
the several States, accompanied with a re
quest that the same may be laid before their |
respective Legislatures"
MIR Rhea moved that the resolution lie |
on the table.--Motion lost.
On motion Of Mr., Pickens. it was referred !
TO committee Of tho whole.
BOUNTY ON ENIISTMRNTS:
Mr.. Condit said II would be recollected |
that by concurrence in the Senate's amend |
mcnts to the bill respecting the present
army, the House had agreed to dispense
with their proposed increase of bounty on
enlistmeats. 1t was the opinion Of Mr.. c.
that this increase Of bounty to future enlist
auCftf~ OUGHT nnf 70, hove Hoo. ,..et.l.1t