Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-05

not iuliy represented. He believed, also, than
IT would be found that a ratio of 10000 will
ieave an aggregate fraction smaller than any
higher ratio, unless, indeed, the House was
prepared 10 say that they will fix il at So, 900.
This consideration, he conceived was not al
together an unimportaDt one.
de had thought proper to disclaim the con-
seriousness OF any individual bias on this q,res-
ion, because he had understood that lis set
tiement was urged upon the last Congress. al
ITS last session, on the ground that, as the sew
al marshais had not then made their returns.
the ignorance of members would enable.
them to act more wisely, because they would
act IN the dark-in other words without any
uisiinct reference to their own respective, pc
cuiar situations. In any event, the district
"hicli ne mad the honor to represent, in part,
containing population of upwards of 20, coo,
must ne materially dsmembered aud, us re-
garded New York, she would, he trusted, nay
he had no doubt, on this question, as ON all 9th
ers, especially so far as the small states are
to be affected by its decision, shew herself not
only republican by profession bat magnanin-
Gus in practice.
Mr.. WILLIAMSON, of Maine, sud he had
onlya few words to say on this subject. II
had been observed that this House was the
representative body of democratic govern
MINT, and that II ought therefore TO be nu-
merous. He had not been able to sec th,.
iorce OF THIS reasoning and therefore conId
not, perhaps, fairly estimate its weight H.
thought lis democratic character was not de-
rived from its numbers, but from the nature
oil the powers that were confidrd 10 it by the
people. 1t had been also said that it should
bear due proportion To the numbers of the
Senate. But the scale of proportion was the
very question IN dispute. Mr.. W. then advert
ed To The various numbers that had respect
iveiy, and from lime 10 time, comprized the
TWO branches of the legislature. He thought
the example that was given by the Trainers of
the constitution was good one. The duties de
,olving on Congress since that time. wee moi
more arduous nor the trusts more important
Mr. w. replied to the suggestion of the zen
tleinan from Rhode Island, mir. Durfrc. on
a iormer day, that ours was the least n,,.ner-
Gus legislative body in the world, and said
mat admitting the fact To be true, yet, when
taken IN connection with other circumstances.
IL was not matter of surprze Although
me British House of Commons had more.
IMAM 600 members, and the French I.egis-
lature ga, yet this furnished 40 safe analogy
Tor our government. Ours was a con(e,lrra-
ted republic, and the state sovereignti.s. bv
thelr respective legislatures, enacted all thu.
local aud municipal laws that constituted The
great bulk of legislation. In the 81 states
there were probably 5000 legislators, and these
We're IN effect auxiliary To the national lr-
Sis'athre. with respect to its operation on
small states, he would admit that it seemed to
operate hardly on Rhode Island. BIT in mas,
years, with Il population of about 3O,GyO, they
mad had two representatives, whereas thrrr
were many districts in the United States, (oi
which his was one,) that with population o.
oo,Ooo, elected but one representative. He
lhoughi the balance of representation was ful
" MADE up to the small states, by their inf
encf III The Senate; and the greater the ratio
the more favourable It would be- for them
lproporionali.,) in the electoral college. In re-.
terence TO the subject OF Executive influence
ne would only say, il was very clear that the
greater the number of representatives. the les
ser would be the degree ofpprsonaI RESPONSE
blllty-and with regard TO the expense, if all
otner things were equal, it was entitled to SUI.
llcIent consideration to turn the scale I'm fayo,
of IA small number
Mr.. CHAMBERS opposed the ratio az re-
ported, aud was in favor of the number %
i4rty thousand. That rnmbcr would Ieay,
many of the states with the number h.v now
nave. The reported ratio would cut of khod,
Island from halfits representation, and leave
IL with very large fraction. She was n sial
III 'he old constellation, and he could not con
sent 10 strip her of her influence The nun
ner oil 10000 would operate un(ayouabl,
Only on Delaware, and he feared bar cas-,
was lrIetreyable Her small territory. &c
would not enable her to keep peace with he
ssters-and he thought in every view of in,
subject, the number Of 10000 was less ol.;ec
tionable lhln any Other that could be named
mr. FARRELLY was opposed TO the numbr
reported, on different principle. He was i,
favour OF numerous representation i'm thu
1ranch, which was emphaticaily termed In,
mouse OF the people. BY increasing the mum
per Ot representatives,, there was more %
PnoIc sentiment aud public feeling introdnc
a into that body. The representative svs
fem was adopted only because il was mean
'enIeDt for the people To meet in a primary as
-emb'y-but the more we lessen the nn,nbr,
81 representatives, tn. further we depart fron
republican principle. There was another rra
son OF weight against combining the rcpresen
tiilon TO large ratio. Thu fewer the iu,nbrr
u representatives, the less woild their cha
rhciers be known To their constituents, and al
thouglf the range Of selection would be great
=, yer, IN his nplDlOn, the benefits uf the for
ieF consideration, by far outwcished the hat
~ ana I've was not willing to yield t0 ia,
'oFce OF the argument drawn from lncunveni
nee especially when il was opposed 10 priu
ciplc.
Mr.. SANDERS, Of North Carolina. said i
vas with some reluctance he was induced +,
SIX the attention Of the House 10 the subje,.
hen under consideration, as he was not ire.
rom those fears TO which first effort 20 ad
Trss the House seemed so well calculated Il
'rat an alarm. As the object of those vii,
opposed a concurrence with the committee o
ne whole, was, rs he presumed 10 lrsseD In,
atlo and Increase the number nf members
,nd as he bad voted for a much higher ratio
ban even That prOpnsrd. ne W. llniAlIEna. Z.