Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-02-21

received stated that he had an amend "a
ment provided tomest the Gaze vhia a'
he would offer It now If in order. ~.
that not being the case, he moved 70 ~ :.
commit the bill to the judiciary con-.
mittes, with instructions to reno,,
provision substantially, to give farth..
time for completing the census in th.. .
STATS, and that tho next session be NV
thsrizsd to allow, BY law, such add;
tional number Of Representatives Is n.
state may Be sntitlsd to by the ratio non
adopted. Mr.. K. accompanied thi, mn
tion with q plumber Of remarks, fdrth..
explanatory Of the circumstances which
justified the course he proposed.
A pretty wide debate followed, On th;,
motion, Of which the following is brief
summary.
Mr. Holmes, Of Maine, opposed II.
recommitment On account of the deli,
it would cause.
Mr.. Otis also opposed it On tia
ground that the apportionn, 1t wu
made imperative, at particular tim.
by the constitution; that this operation
was indivisible; that it must DO don.
wholly and entirely at one time-pot
partial, Or by piecs-meal, and thst such
IN indulgence would be in violation Of
the constitutional any rate he though,
some partial Inconvenience had bette,
be sustained than a system be commene.
ed which would lead to mischief-hs
inquired whether the same rule could
be applied to laying direct tax. to b
contingent ~ to any one state-and If it
could not in that case, whether it could
in the analogous case Of apportionlug
approximation? He thought the objee.
tion insuperable, and spoke at much
length to sustain his opinions. The
case, he agreed, was q hard one, but it
was without remedy
Mr.. Chandler thought it would open
q WY for unfairneis IN accommodating
the number Of the population to be as.
certaihed to the ratio adopted 90 a. to
avoid large fraction; and that it would
be bad precedent and might hersafts,
be extended to other states.
Mr.. LowYie did not think the recon.
mitmsnt necessary, tho he was friendly
to the amendment. He was opposed to |
any delay in the progress Of the bill to
attain an object which could be accom-.
plished without any delay.
MIR. Walker maintained the propristy
OF the rscommitment, and the delay Of |
few hours or even Of day, ought NO.
to be considered any obstacle, if it were
to avert manifest injustice from state.
He replied to Mr.. Otis at some length,
to obviats his objections, and pointed
out former instances in which turtle.
time was given 70 complete the cen,u,
of . state-at the census of 1890 one Of
the returns was received in l792-but
then, ~ would be in tho case of Alabs.
ma now, the number returned was in
reference to its actual number in 1890,
when the other states were emu merated
There was nothing in the constitution,
he argued, which would forbid even tn,
changing of the ratio, or the making Of
any other regulation concerning the sr
portionment-what was asked now had
boon granted before. A mistake, hs
thought, pervaded all that MIR. O. had
urged, on this subject, to shew which
he cited the cases of the admission Of the
new states, since the last census, pre-
vious to which their population was 10
each instance ascsrtained, and the re.
presentation apportioned. In doing this
the constitutions was fulfilled, net vioit
ed. As to taxation, if a member DO sd,
dsd to Alabama, her taxstion would Of
course be in proportion; but even not
fully represented, and taxation were to
become necessary, land this would 'hs'
the necessity of the CASEY Alabsm
would be taxedaccording to her poeni'
ton, though she were Represented only
Mr.. w. replied at large to
Mr.. Otis, and to sustain the recomnIt
ment.
MIR. Barton was in favor of the rs;ou
mitment, and thought the objections
made to It were not sufficient to DIV"
a state of her constitutional rights.
MIR. Diekerson was in favor Of sdop'
ing some mode which should give tn
state her full representation cou'
not be denied to her-taxation and n
presentation must 60 together, and "
the state would be taxed, if necss's'!
according to her full population, her !!
presentation ought to correspond WIZ
her real population. He thought it ,s
ter, however, to proceed with the 0'E
and pledged himself to support, hsrr
ter, any measure which would dol u'"