Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-20
REPORTED FOR THE sAr,osAL IsrkLLroEScrR.
Eighteenth Congress.
MONDAY, DEcEmsER Is, 1898.

! .hT- MINIS, Senator from the state OF Mas
sachusetis, appeared and took his seat.
| The following communication, received
from the Department of War, was read:
Departmen, of War, Dec. II, 1928.
Sir--in compliance with the 1s SECTION of the act
Of Cung, ess, OF The 6h My, 1899 TO amend nn act
entitled An act To regulate trade and intercourse
w,ii the Indian tribes, and preserve peace on the
frontiers, approved 30ih of March, 1907 trans
init, herewith, ab,rac, OF all licences granted by
The Snperinlendens and Agents of Indian Affairs, to
trade with The Indians, shelving by, and to ~ hon.
when, and where granted, with the amount Of The
bonds and capital employed, far as The same
could he ascertained from the returns which have
been made to this Department..
| have the honor 10 he, your obedieni servant,
&c. CALHOUN
To the President Of the Senate
or the United STATES.
The following petitions and memorials were
presented, and referred TO their appropriate
committees:
by Mr.. Findlay, the memorial Of stIndry
merchants and insurance offices of the city of
Philadelphia, praying the interpretation of go.
vrrnment, IN relation Ia property belonging la
them, which was captured under the Ber1is
decree, in 1907;
BY Mr.. Louvre, the petition Of Way g. Gil
ueon, stating that they have printed AN edition
of the Old Journals of Congress, and request
| ing Congress 10 take such "A number thereof
as they may deem proper;
by Mr. Lowrie, also, the petition of Ed
ward De kraSt, stating that he is about To
print an edition of the Old Journals Of Con-
gress, and requesting their patronage;
BY Mr. Knight, the memorial of sundry CT
tizens Of Rhode Island, praying an increase
OF the duties % woollen goods.
AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION.
la pursuance of notice given ON Friday last
MIR. Hayne rose To ask leave to offer a resol,i-
ii"n To propose, I" the Legislatures of the Sc
N 2; In, ii o.
ton of the United States, SO as Ia provide for
tie election of President and Vicc-Prrsideut
| ny the Electors, and To prevent the election
from ueVolving, IN any event, upon the House
OF Representatives. MIR. II. said that i'm intro
duclns this resolution, he would ask the in
diligence OF the Senate, while he should brief
~ stale MS Views On the subec The number
| of amendments which had already been pro-
posed, and Others hich are contemplated
call The attention of Congress strongly 10
wards Ihls important point. lie did not deny
that visionary schemes, proposing alterations
IN our systems OF government, were but tho
common-he was opposed IN habit aud prin-
cipi", To rash Innovations Bus, though il GER
family Is not proper Ia change the Cunstiiu-
tion for light aud frivolous causes, yei, the ne
cessty certainly may exist, to authorize such
Changes as will tend TO the future security of
the country. The necessity Of some change
Ii Is the duty of nations, as well AS of indi,i-
duais, by foresight, Ia guard against impend-
InS evils. What rational being would not tfu-
'idr against an approaching tempest, that was
threatening to destroy INN? And what ma
non, when ITS enemy was at thr door, would
not provide for defence agains, him ? When
the storm IS impending, it is time to close the
| avenues againstii. Ii we fold our arms, and
wait I'LL the evils come upon us, il " ill then hp
N..x. l.,t..
10" 'a'e 10 provide the remrdy-wein then,
IN the Spirit of the Roman Senate, Niap our
selves IN our robes, and submit Ia our faie.-
But we shall he suhjrc Ia reprOach for not
having exerted ourselves 10 a,e.t the causes
at those evils. IL is worthy Of the deepest re-
iection, that this period is safe nne To insfi-
lute such Improvement rs IS deemed necessary
The moment of actual suffering is certainly
not the most propiti0us fur change nor when
there is a perfect calm in The political concerns
OF the country. But, when the dreaded =, is
ave clearly foreseen, and are yet at distance !;
when nn prrJudices are yet aroused to pre-
vent deliberate Judgment nu the suhect-ilrn
Is the lime to provide against them. That pro-
pltIous moment is the prcscat. The public
mind Is awake to the subject, aud the f;,vura-
DIe period may not again come. That some
amendment IS necessary, some provision a
SaInst tins defect in the constitution, is admit
ted on all hands. Even his venerable friend
| Mr. IL sad.) who had stood here C,r thirty
years, To defrnd the integrity of the consiitti-
ton, (allnding probably Ia Mr.. Macon yirld-
ed To- the conviction that some alterations WAS
necessary in this part of that Instrument
Two classes OF amendment had been suggest
| ed-the one, relating TO the mode Of choosing
t1e electors, ana the other, To the mode OF
choice by The electors. So many different pro
| positions had been offered, in regard to the
manner Ot choosing electors, ihat IL had been
Thought proper Ia waive that subject But
certainly, Mr.. Il. thought il infinitely more
| important that sutne provision should bt: made
To secure the election, actually and in spirit,
! Ivy the electors. In all the modes by which
the electors are chosen, they represent the
! true feelings and views of the people. But this
truly popular mode of election may fail, be
cause the choice does not happen fu be made
~ me hrst ballOting. The election ought not to
come 10 the House of Representatives or the
ornate: fur they are but the representatives
| OF the states IN such IN election aud il NAV
hHppen that small minority may give a pre-
sldent To the nation. By such a course, the
country might he involved ia great difficulty.
! The remedy appeared So obvious, and go inn
medialely upon The surface or the subject, 1Ir.
\ III. was surprised that il had not yet been sug-
grsted-ii ~ "nly to apply the same rule 10
! nus, that IS applied TO all other elections. On
The failure Of the Grst ballUting to produce y
choice, proceed TO the second aud continue
iiIl the election is effected. Mr. u. SAID bis re-
solution proposed that the electors should
n"t be discharged until they had fulfilled their
commission that after the first ballntinp. If
the choice was not made, they should be again
convened, by proclamation of the president.
va their Respective states, or al the seat Of go
Nrfun1rUt. nnf ~.