The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-11-02

stituenis, remain silent Notwithstanding the
numerous projects on your Honor's table, |
do not vet feel satisfied thatapy one has been
offered which ought TO take precedence OF the
amendment proposed.
| am sill of the same opinion, notwithstand-
ing all the ingenuity which has been display
ed by various gentlemen OF this Convealon,
that distficiing upon an extensive plan, and
sppc inned to the population of counties, will
1 be iJuH he the most equal and convenient
isFsiea- he representation OF this State
never ,ai 'o exceed one hundred members.
Th.- num1e- lssamply sufficient for all the
purposes - .egislation. Let the counties be
dstricted equally on the population, and pay
the members out of the public chest, and
make it imperative that all those returned
members to the Legislature should, at every
session, be at the post of their duty. Here,
Sir, you have an equal representation, formed
on tine basis OF strict justice to all, which will
cost the State one thirdaless than the proposed
plan; but, Sir, on the reported system. al
! least rs 600 of your freeneu are deprived OF
the right of representation Where, Sir, do
we find these $4,000 DISTINGUISHED citizens
part of them fall on the class to which the
| town have the honor to represent is annex
| ed. We had more than sufficient in numbers
to entitle this town 10 one Representative, yet
! the committee joined another TO it because
they knew not what else 10 do with it. Az
other portion OF the loss falls on the town Of
Portland, which, on every principle of equal
! representation, is entitled to six Representa-
iyes.-Aud thus unequalIy does this classic
cation OF parto; the towns operate through
out the new State.
Sir, This system, if system it can be called,
which mas neither proportion, form or comeli-
ness-has all the odious features of districting,
somneh dreaded and deprecated, without any
ofjts equal advantages. Towns of less than
1900 send Representative, while classes
exceeding 5000 also send but one.-l confess
| do not understand why thousand inhabit
ants OF the town of HsIoweI are not equally
| entitled to- their right OF suffrage as the same
number IN any other part of the country.
confess, Sir, have meme of these ieaousies-
do BOT perceive why the interests of the
great and the small towns are not identified --
Nor can | understand the motives of gentle
men, who have attempted TO excite the dis
trust OF the small against the large towns.
do lament, Sir, that the Hon. gentleman from
Alfred should have made use of any expires
lslons having this tendency. He has given Us
the high authority of the Sage and Phileso-
pher of Monticello, (" that great cities are
great sores p do not believe this to be true
as applied TO well regulated cities, nor do
believe IN the infallibily of all the speculative
opinions OF that truly great man. In the
same work, quoted by the Hon gentleman
| from Alfred, may also be found sentiment Of
THIS SOFT" that il matters not what mans
religion IS, 50 long as it neither picks nv
pocket or breaks my leg" Perhaps, Sir, as
general principle, OF not interfering with
the religion or rights of conscience of others.
this may be correct-but, Sir, the want of
| Tins same religion has picked many a mans
pocket and broken many neck. The Pres
Ideni here interrupted aud doubted whether
The gentleman was perfectly IN order( Mr.
A. explained. Sir, | have not taken a wider
range than the gentleman from Alfred (Mr.
Eiolmes) was INDUCED ia. He alluded to the
same parsonage and TO the same work, and
thought 1t proper IN this way to reply to that
part OF his argument. (The President deoid-
Ell that Mr. A. was ia order and DIRECTED him
to proceed.) II was far from nay intention,
mr. President, 10 detFact in the least from the
merits Of the great parsonage in question:
de IS undoubtedly one OF the distinguished
lights and ornaments of this country; but his
speculative opinrps are as open to animadyer-
sion as those OF any other man,
hexttc the system of general districting
(it this cannot be altaihed) would hold fast
to the plan proposed by the Hon. gentleman
from Bath, (Gen. Wingate) as being the next
best ystem. Sir, ADMIRE the magnanimity
OF this gentleman for presenting US with
system which, il adopted, will rise superior
10 all petty distinctions and jealousies be-
tween the great towns and the small. To
THIS Sir, let US cleave as to the sheet anchor
OF our satety-as TO our last .orlorn hope.
Lei Us not al the outset deprive one quarter
part Of our fellow citizens of their elective
franchise. But let US seasonabIy take warn
ing from the disturbances and massacres which
have recently happened 10 a.other country on
account of the peoples conteuding tor the
very rights we are about to deny to our own
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, OCT. 90.
Mr.. ,Lo,v, OF Lyman, the oldest member Of