The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-10-28

Mr.. Dearborn said he believed the commit
tee were DESTROYS that substitute should be
| offered before the vote of reconsideration was
taken and wished that all the substitutes should
| be offered and considered together.
Among those which were offered was the
| following, by Gen. Wingatr, to commence af
| Ter the 9Th line, "a section -
And the Legislature shall further apportlon
| the Representatives, SO assigned TO the re-
spective counties, among their respective
| towns, as near as may be, in the following
| manner, TO wit, to the additional number OF
| inhabitants equal TO the number required in
each county, to enlitle town 10 one Repre-
sentative, fifty per cent. shall be added, 10
entItle said town 10 second Representative,
and for every additional number OF Inhabi-
tsnts equal to the number required 10 entitie
| town to elect second Representative, an
additional Representative may be elected in
| such town: Provided, hozgerer, that no town
shall ever be entitled TO more than seven Re
representatives. And towns and plantations
not entitled TO one Representative shall lie
classed as conveniently as may be, into dis
! trcts containing sufficient number 10 entitle
| said district to elect not more than one Repre-
| sentative, and so as not to divide towns and
| pIantati ons-and when on this apportionment,
the House of Representatives shall contain TWO
| hundred members, different apporIonment
| shall take place upon the above principle.
Judge Paris said, although this PROPOSE
ton was not exactly what be should wish, yet
be thought it preferable TO that reported and
| hoped it would be adopted,
Mr.. Dearborn, of Hallowell, stated that he
| was opposed TO almost every part of the re
port of the committee on the subject Of repre-
sentaton, and TO the schedule annexed for the
| classification of towns.
Perhaps (said Mr.. D. as the subject n6w
under consideration has been again brought
before The Convention on my motion, It may
be required of me to give my reasons for op
posing the report of the committee !; He would
briefly stale, that be objected first, 10 the inc
quality of representation, which must inevi-
tably grow out of the system; second, 10 ihe
impi acticabity Of carrying it into effect, up
on the principle assumed and lastly, the fear
| he entertained that this clause would defeat
| the adoption o! the Constitution. Mr. ID
! then stated that be would prove, incontrover
| tibiy, by making an example Of single cpun-
| ty, that the committee themselves were unable
to carry their project into effect without de
reelection from the principles by them eslab
lished and as The county of York had. been
cited by the committee as specimen of &C
commodation, he would confne his remarks
TO that county alone. Sir, (said Mr.. ID } the
committee found it necessary TO apportion "a
members TO the county OF York, but, Sir, they
could not provide for choosing that number
without breaking down the very principles by
them established, Of which now complain,
and which is vigorously enforced upon every
other county. They, Sir, provided that the
town of York should send two Representatives
but the town Of York is entitled to but one
falling short of the number of inhabitants re-
CURED by the bill to the amount Of nearly
thousand and that the towns OF Newheld.
Cornish, Limerick and Alfred, should each
elect one, when, Sir, neither Of those towns
are entitled 10 Repre sentative, and the whole
four together are entitled 10 but two Thus,
Sir, have they overleaped the bounds of the ir
own bill for the purpose of accommodating
York with three Representatives that 90 not
belong TO them, and which they are not en-
titled to elect.
MIR. ID. then proceeded 10 give his reasons
at large for opposing the Cd and 81 sections
Of the 18th article, and closed by stating that
the first Legislature would have a multiplicity
of business before them, and that it was NOT
probable tha; any Legislature would follow It
whose proceedings would be so important and
interesting to the people as that Of the first
choice H was therefore exceedingly anx-
ious that fair and equal representation OF the
people should be had in the first House OF
kepreseD
Mr.. Sheptey approved the amendment pro-
posed. We have, said he, suffered our feel
ings TO mislead our judgment and TO remedy
Inconvenience. abapdoned principles, and
given the minority the power TO rule the ma
jority. The only correct ground IS TO give 10
an equal number an equal right OF rePresen-
tatOn
The committee then rose reported progress,
and bad leave to sit again. Adj.
In the afternoon the convention again went
into committee of the whole to resume the
unfinished business OF representation a We
nv warm debate arose on this interesting sub
ject, which was carried Oh through the after
noon and evening until half past ten o'clock
without coming to decision
Our limits will no, admit Of even an outline
81 Il l.