The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1822-02-13

oos sscnstect how many Representatives, tho
peop'e OF the Cnlted States ate enliiI<d 10 |!
Are w TO inquire oi him how iont; and brood
Is thu hall, aud then deal out tepresenra,,oA
by geometrical sdmessufe n,en,-.-bt the lock
aHd The xa'ds II II DO q large room, ihs1
The peof7s Of the UnieJ States may hate q
aiEe representation; II IL be q sr.aii root7,,
then thsy must son,eni the emssftes with 4
s'naii representation. Sir, tie iaterest Of 4
great na'ion 10 not 10 be controlled by eonsi.
dsistiohs like these. The Iimll. of ,h,s hi.
cannot prsssriSs bounds % their reprssenvA-
lion. a,
Having. % thinA, Sir, noticed the moss
imporient objections which have heea u, eea
10 an ,ocfesse OF ont iepfescntation, in lust
proporuob 10 our 0fowth as nation, pelWii
me TO call The aucGiion ofthe House 70 seme
eosaidsi stioos whieh appear tn me 10 iusuts
sash an Increase. hnd here, Sir, permit NO
10 observe, thai The eres,ion what number us
feptcsents,ises given population is enli,tcd
to- ID question at no ordinary difficulty. 1
agree w,th gentlemen that il ,es,s upon on
dehaed, broad, end general principes--it ops
ens-so tho view . wide snd extensive field
which presents TO landmarks 10 disect ,be
course Of che traveller 30 o pr oper ,ermina-
tion. affords no data from which 10 COM
msnce oor calculations ~ order 10 arrive u
tbe proper conclusion. Tie rule Of deter
Tniuiag The humbe, oI representatives, by pop
uisIion Is 4 ruie entirely Of mods.n .nv.n,on.
Inc history of goveihtnent is .silcot On lhS
subject, bot this, Si., history yet enables Us
| TO ssy, with sIme degree Of Certainty, hat no
hsaion, with " population consisting OF nearly
ten in'iio0s OF iDbablsnts eves had "a Iess
nj ks nI a, A, l.. 4
| the Unnec. Upon this question The Cons,i-
'ouon, II mus DO Admitted, ~ but An imper-
ieSt guide. That inslrumsnt provide, ,has
the humber Of representatives shall not bp
less than ono Tor evs'y thit,y Thousand, and
ON this negative PsovisIpn an sfiii native
power Is inferred 10 inciesse the ratio TO any
sssignablo 0umber. do iiu, mention thIs
uslsnce, Sir, for the purpose Of calling
the correctness OF the inference In qucstlop.
feel no disposition TO throw myself in,o the
list against those veteran Legislators who
framed the Constitution and gave II is FIST
constructioo, but l rnentioo II tor',be purpose
ol saying, that il 10 o, mos, but d eiiona,y
power, and a. Apch ought u DC exercised
With The utmost caution, Ii juslihss no ssd-
dcp tfsnsitious from tnode'ate 10 nigh 20.
uo--no ssdden departure iom the precsPt
oi examples ssnctiuood BY experiences.
Bot, Sir, 10 dete, mining upon tho 10 .naer
10 which this powes should be exefcised, we
must be governed by other conslcera,isns
than merely that ot nou,ber. In d.cidin,s
| upon the humber of rep .eseutslIsee, winch y
given population should Deve, ilis evl9v. IL
| that We ought 10 tske in,o view i,stcHArGCler,
F, a population coma, ,i,Dg OF simple hush ,li
| men, eugaged IA the same put.uils hating
| tho ssrnc general Interests, Nuh the same or
similar feelings, with the liko habits, cpiG-
ions, spd msnners, eat, in ono VOID, posses
siny the same ooifofm character, viii Ie equire
q less numbor OF repI cseu, ,auves, 10 order 10
! d fair expression u thui, Interests and opin-
ions, than population di.ided toto vorIous
classes, and whose interests and opinions u, q
principally determined by the diifeteor psr.
suits in which they are engaged. A popols.
lica Of charactef tha, uo,iorm Can BE- l.irlj
represented wi.hou, officially, w q small
number. But; Sir, When tha, popuia'i6o has
| vastly increased IN oumbe, has divided Il.
self into ali tho vafious classes Of Ia, mere
mechanics, manufactures, and merchants, il
reqaires q large representation 10 o. dor that
the interests, feelings and views, OF these dif-
ferent classes nigh, be i.irly undoIao ood, q
| at least felt, q the representative body.
| But, Sir, there Is another eo6.idossdoD %
be taken into sicw |; m is tho ex,en, Of ,c,rilo-
ry over which the population 10 be represent
ed 10 spread. Where Q people occupies
sthall srea--vhers the pop1laion l. very
dense, and ssn,imeni s6d opinion ate easily
communicated from breast 10 cssi-where
the same or slo,il.r feeling can 10 sho,
time, be transferred through tho whole mass
of which the community is composed, such 4
| populations can; unquestiohabIy, be more easi:
| " REPRESENTED than one spread over vast
extent Of territory with its parts separated, in
some instances, By miles, leaving but iDper-
feei tommuoications oi indiyidusi feelings and
opinions. Now, Sir, by tho first census our
population consisted Of 3.6i4,si4 Tho
number Of Representatives, which such pop
u!ation was considSred eoutisd 10 for the pur-
pose Of q fair expression Of public opinion,
consisted Of ono hundred end fve--snd this
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