Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-09

| ly asks " IT am prepared to surrender any
power Of the small states ,ciihout on eqoira-
s. tent, without price, and adds, that he is
not willingto do So" Now, said Mr.. ii.
the proposition have submitted, has for its
| object To effect The election Of The President by
HE People, and to keepit entirely out of III :
hands Of Congress. Ifthis involved the sur
render of the contingent power of the small
states, tn elect the President by states in the
event "f the Gailure of the election by the Peo
pie. that surrender was founded On the belief
that, In elect the President Ivy the People, was
| 10 carry INTO effect nc true intrntion of he con-
sittuiion, and to avoid evils ofvery great mag
nitudr, which must result from an election by
Congress.
| Mr.. Hayue said Inc was satisfied that the
small states, from their devotion To the Union,
| would he willing To give up the contingent
potcer alluded Ia. provided, plan could be
devised by which the choice of the President,
| 6y The electors, could be secured and they
would DO this without any equivalent" ex-
| cert that which would he derived from pro-
| noting the permanent prosperity and glory of
| the country. He was persuaded that the pat
rioiic state he had the honor in part to repre-
sent would prefer ;hat the President should,
| in all cases, hp chosen by the electors, than
that he should he chosen by the House of Re-
representatives., voting even by states. To
keep that election from Congress, IAN election
which, with attendant circumstances, could
not Int disturb the harmony and impair the
purity Of that body,) the small states would, he
was confident, he found willing to unite in an
amendment of the constitution. Bat, ii the
course of legislation was TO be disturbed, and
| Congress are 10 eject NE President, the small
stntPs never would, and never OuS ht to consent
tn change IN" mode Of voting. They would.
from their devotion To liberty, make sacrifice
| OF portion of their power on the altar of their
country hut they would never make il mere
| ly To add Ia the power of others. The differ
eDce, then, said Mr.. Il. between the gentleman
! from New Jersey and himself consisted in
| this--the gentleman was willing tn surrender
the power of voting for President by states,
and was disposed To accept in lieu oft Joint
| ballot of TN" Senate and House of Represen-
tativps while Mr.. III. on the other hand, was
| unwilling Ia make that surrender, unless the
choice of the President by the people could be
secured, without any possible interference by
| Congress. Mr.. II. said he was satisfied that
the state he represented, and the small statrs
generally, would never he tempted, 10 wish
that the election nf a President should fail even
| though their influence in the election might
thereby be increased. This was the principle
on which he was prepared 10 act Ii did not
! appear 10 him To he imprGcficnbie so to amend
the constitution as to secure mn election by The
! Electors. In the event Of a failure al the first
! ballot, let them he required to make a second
attempt, under such circumstances as will So
cure an election. He saw no insuperabe diff
Guilty in arranging the details Of such plan
| But, II the gentleman could shcw that the plan
! was wholly impractcab!c, and the election
cannot, by any means, he kept ont of Con
| gross, then, Mr.. n. said, he would he cHmpel-
led TO come to The conclusion, that the consii-
| rpD furfI ,pro
rirnce shall suggest a remedy for the evils we
are destined to suffer. One thing he consid-
cred certain that the small states never would
consent tn chang the present mode ofelection
in the House of RPprrs. natives for any other
in which Congress should hare amy concern,
however they might be disposed to unite in
any plan which would effect TIE choice of the
Chief Magistrate by the unbiased s:'ffrages Of
| til" people.
Mr.. DICKERsoN replied, that he had not
misunderstood the gentleman. He had no.
supposed his argument in favor of an election
cf President hy the House of Representa-
tives. hEt exactly the reverse. When, Row
ever, the operations of the resolutions report
ed. are considered, il ought to he with refer
puCe To the constitution as il now stands. Is
! il mere safe To trust The two Houses of Con-
gross, voting by Joint ballot, with the election
of President, or to trrst the House of Repre-
seutatives alone, voting by states ? The pro-
position Of the gentleman, to send the cleo
tion hack To the electors, after their first ballot
shall have failed, i subject to nsuperabIe oh =
ieciions, as may be shewn when this pont
shall he considered One decisive AFFECTION
is, that no good could result from sending the
question back 20 the men who had made up
and expressed their minds upon the subject
who had decided. and by their decision, pre-
cludPd all reasonable hone Of coming bv fair
means 10 n choice by the requisite majority.
| But, There were no objections of this charac-
ter against this proposition, it would still he as
much an abandonment Of the rights of the
small states; as choice by the two Houses of
Congress in the last resort and much more
40 than is contemplated by the resolution re-
ported, as that requires an eqHal concession Of
power on the part Of the great states. Yet no
suspicion can be entertained, that the hnnora-
bic gentleman has any unfre dly feelings to-
wards the small states. flr considers the p
lection Of a President in the House Of Repre-
sPntatives, under any circumstances, ms anpnnr-
nous evil, which he would remedy by making
n sacrifice greater. perhaps, than may be found
r7sary, and certainly too great, If il is To he
at the expense Of the small states exclusively.
! Mr.. MACoN rose in explanation of the aiu-
sion made by his honorable COLLEAGUES to his
remark, that the President had always been,
with the exception of General Washington,
elected by Congress. He repeated the obsPr-
vation, with firm conviction Of ifs correctness,
that this had bten the case, ard in his opinion,
! ii always rOuH be the case. If the members
Of Congress dld not act in caucus, they would
! influence the people in some other way. The
people WEIR always writing IN the mpinhfrs 10
! get their opinion upon the different candidates,
| and their opinions would have great effect
/ Mr. NJ. said ne was willing 10 alter the cOnst-