Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-02
[RrpoerED FOR THE NATIONAL INrrLLrGE.cER
Eighteenth Congress.
DEBATE
On The amendments 10 he Constitution.
(Continued)
FRIDAY MARCH 10, 1894.
IN SENApE

\
IN SENATE
The unfinished business of Yesterday. being
the consideration of the several resolution ms
proposing Amendments to the Constitution,
IN relation to the election of President and
vice president, was resumed. Mr.. Lanman
was called to the Chair. The question was,
upon Mr.. Mills motion to postpone the sub
Ject indefniieiy.
MIR. HAYNE, of South Carolina, said, that
ms only object in calling up these resolutions
was To obtain some dScisun on them. The
Senate had, for several months, had the sub
Ject before them, and il was due no less To the
public than to the gentlemen who had sub
mitted the propositions, that they should now
be acted on definilively. Mr. Hayne protest
ed that he had not anticipated the course
winch the debate had taken, and, he most SIN
cereIy regretted that certain topics had been
introduced into the discussion, which were
uDfortu naely but too well calculated To- pro
duce painful excitement. As these topics, how
ever, had been discussed, il would become his
duty, in the course ofthe observations he was "a
bout 10 make, to notice them. The cause oftiuth
demanded that arguments calculated to inhu-
ence public opinion, Though founded, as he
believed, in error,) should not go forth to the
world unanswered. He would, i'm the first place,
! however, make "A few remarks on the ques
tons properly before the Senate. There are
two propositions, said Mr.. Ii. now under con
| sideraton. The first is, the proposition re
ported by the Committee To which the honor
| able gentleman from New Jersey was Chair
man, which proposes SD to amend the COnsti-
tuition as to diuide The ,choie of the Unied Slutes
INTO Districts, for the choice of Electors for
President and Vice President, and on the fai-
lure to make a choice at the first ballot, that
the election should deyolve on the Senate and
House % Representatives IN JOINT ballot. The
second proposition, now under consideration,
| rs, the amendment submitted by the honora-
bile gentleman. from Missouri, which differs
from the former, in proposing 10 dispense en-
firety ioih Electors, retaining, however, tina t
prov ision the Constitution which directs
choice by the House of Representatives, (vot-
ing by STATES, In the event of failure of the
election by the people. A motion has now
been madet 10 postpone these resolutions indef-
nitety. hlr. ii. confessed that, though he " AS
decidedly opposed 10 both of them, yet, if he
had any hope that the Senate would act ON them
during the present session, SD far as to enable
the other gentlemen who had submitted pro
positions, To bring them forw ard, with any
prospect, of Favorable hearing and final deci-.
sion, he would vote against the postponcment
He had ascertained, how ever, that a majority
OF the Senate did not deem it expedipnt to
adopt any amendment TO the Constitution
during the present session; and opposed, as
he always was, TO the unnecessary consump-
ton OF time by "A frHitess discussions he should
vote for the indefinite pOstpouement. He
would avail himself of this opportunity, TO say
few words IN reply to what had fallen from
gentlemen on the other side, on the merits of
the first prop0siion-that reported by the
Committee. Bat, before he proceeded To do
so, he would notice some statements made
10y The honorable gentleman from New York
which Mr.. ii. conceived tn be erroneous.
That gentleman, Mr.. Van Buren, had said,
| that the resolution under consideration had
been agreed to in the Committee unanimous
| ly. This, Dir. Hayne said, was "a mistake
He had, himself, voted against the resolution,
and 50 had the gentleman from Missouri. The
gentleman from New Y0rk had also stated in
the course oil ms argument, that resolutions on
| This subject had been eften reported by Gem
rnttees, and had several times passed the Sc
nate, and lie therefore infer5 that the Senate
must be prepared to act upon them now.
am informed, said Mr.. H. that one of the fea-
lures OF the proposition, now before us, has
never before been introduced into this House,
and assuredy has never received, and he trust
ed never would receive, its deliberate sane
ton. lie alluded to that part of the resolu-
ton which proposes to substitute vote by
the Joint ballot Of the Senate and House of
Representatives for the present mode of ,ot-
ing IN the House of Representatives by states.
The gentleman from New York had fallen in
| To another error, which he would take the
liberty dls0 TO correct. He had considered the
proposed amendments TO the constitution, MS
| originating in the dissatisfaction of the small
states, and he represents the large states as
perfectly satisfied with the Constitution as it
now stands, but magnanimously disposed to
! yield to the wishes of the small states, prOvI-
ded they could obtain some reasonable equiv
alent. This is surely, sir, said Mr.. ii. most
mistaken view Of the subject. One of the
| propositions submitted during the present
session, came from the gentleman himself, one
of the Representatives of the great State Of
| New ork, another came from AN honOra BILE
gentleman from observation-disclosures, though
| the gentleman from Missouri comes from
small state, yet he told, US that when he
| considered her destinies, he brought to
the discussion of the subject all the feel
| lngs Of a Representative from a large
state. The gentleman from New York, him
self, tells us that almost every member of the
| House admits that there are defects IN the
Constitution in respect To the provision for the
elec:inn Of a Chief Magistrate, and that we are
! all willing To adopt some amendment; he az
firms, confidently, that the people IN every
| part Of The United States are calling for such
an ameDdment-ihst they are prepared for,
and expect IT, These admissions, surely,
prove that the proposed amendments have a
deeper foundation, than any dissatisfaction on
the part off the small states. The truth is, said
Mr.. u. that not one the propositions which
have been submitted would add u particle tn
the power of The small states, though he be-
lieyed that some ofthem would not impair
their strength. Let ne, SAID Mr.. n. take high