The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-02-04

The molten did not prevail. It went TO tie
Senate. where the opposition 70 It has increased
and il Is now committed 10 that body.
The Bill di,trictinr the state fJr the choice 81
I Representatives % Congress was again takenHF
| III tie House % Friday. Before the question e.
passing the bill TO be enacted was put mohoI
was made Nv .dlr. .WcCoJb 70 commit u 70 a 81
| Iect committee Of the house, consisting Of one
\ from each county. in order 10 make the districts
more equal than those contained ~ the present.
! bill
mr.. TTdlEngford supported the motion. Efc
said the principle adopted in the I'LL now before
I the house was, in his opinion, extremely unjust
he said that he was not personally interested n
the question, for the county from which be cane
! was as well arranged as It probably could be
hut when he looked at some of the districts and
compared thoJa with others he was perfectly as
tonished that principle unjust and prepostcr-
Gus should evor have obtained the sanction the
house. The county Of Oxford, said ne, with a
population of $1,000, elects one representative:
while the county Of Lincoln, containing $4,000.
elects but one representative. This is in effect
DISTINGUISHING part Of the population Of Lncola.
nearly as large az the whole population Of OK
ford. lie said lie never could give bis assent %
bin with such provisions, and LIE hoped il would
| be committed and receive snch corrections as 70
give more inst and equal representation TO the
different sections Of tie state.
mr.. Leach was opposed 10 the nation. Tie re-
sult ofthe present bill. he said, had been come AZ
By compromise, with much difficulty and trouis-
ie and it appeared to have been generally salts
factory TO the members from the different coun-
ties. The object had been to preserve county
lines entire, and this was done without violating
any principle of our own constitution and laws
mr. of4 no or,J -
Where then lies the difficulty The principle
adopted in tits BILL said he, is the same in It's
operation, as that on which the representation
of the L. s. is founded. The state of Delaware.
with population more than 10000, is entitled
to one representative, while another state wiib
10000 would be entitled to two.
Mr. ADAMS, Of Portland, was opposed to tie
motion. lie said the house lad arrived at the
present result, through many conflicting opin-
ions; result which lie had supposed to be gem
orally satisfactory. 1.-THE bill j. again commit
ted there will be the same trouble and difficulty,
the some disagreement and discussion this sub
jcct, if set afoat again, mightsbe the means Of
keeping the legislature 10 session week or
fortnight longer, without any reasonable grounds
OF hope that we shall make more satisfactory
arrangement lie hoped the subject would be
finally acted upon at this time.
Gen. .b0lCeH was opposed TO the commitment
lie thought the subject had been thoroughly and
sufficiently investigated, and that the people
would be satisfied with the result: he did not see
any advantage that could be derived from OPEN
ing it again to discussion.
Mr.. WltlfGnzs was opposed 70 the motion. Tie
said that county lines seemed to him to be tie
proper principle TO be adopted, where it conven-
iently could be; and that it had been done ia
this case, to the satisfaction Of a large majority
hp hra ~ IL A.
from Kennebrnk he said, shoullha taken the
ratio at AZ Or $1,000, for that would be the c1r-
rect ratio for the state; in that case Lincoln
would not lose 50 much as the gentleman rad
stated; York and Cumberland willing to
give up something in favour Of county lines and
he believed that the large counties were willing
TO have fraction unrcpresented and make some
sacrifices in order 10 be kept entire. Now if tho
people themselves were satisfied with the arrange
ment made, it violated no principle of constitu-
tonal law, he did not see any reasonfor further
agitation of the question: the numerous difficult
ties attending the subject had been arranged he
thought as well as could have been expected
Mr.. Thatcher hoped the motion for commit
ment would prevail. lie thought the bill as it
now stood was UNCONSTITUTIONAL and unjust: the law
OF the u s. provides that there shall be repre-
sentative for every 10000 inhabitants; now he
did not know by what right this house assumed
to say 70 Oxford you shall have representative
with population Of 27,G00 and to Lincoln, YOU
shall have but one for $1,000. He thought that
the bare mention Of such doctrine woulI re-
volt any one he could not consent that Lis cour-
~, with population Of $4,000 should have no
more weight il Congress than the county Of Ok
ford he did not know why one man III Oxford
shonid have rights nearly equal to two IN Lin-
coin as IT regards the privilege Of being repre-
scented in Congress The argument OF the gen
tieman from Vassalborough, was not applicable
to the present question he says the principle Of
the bill before u.s. is the same as that of the law
oil tie L. States, which declares the ratio in that
case, a certHin principle is established bearing
upon the different governments, throughout the
whole country, where fixed rule must prevaii-
but in the bill before US said he, we provide one
rule for one part of the state and another ride
for different part, and this it was that DESTROYED
the equality which should be the basis Of the dis
trl.ts. lie said he was as unwilling as any mem
Der TO set this subject afoat again, to create cr
barrassncnt and delay, and would therefore con-
sent that the committee should be restricted in
Their enquiries to the Objectionable parts alone OF
the bill. lie did not wonder that the gentlemen
from Cumberland and York and Kennebec we're
satisfied with the bill as il stood for 50 far AZ II
related to themselves they were all the gamers,
Tor they kept their counties entire, and lad but
snalfraction unrepresented but he hoped thrv
would look to other counties, and mcte on! to
them the same measure that they would have
meted to themselves.
he question On commitment was rejected Nv