Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-08-05
From the National LnteHigencer.
THE APPORTIONMENT ACT AND
THE PRESIDENTS APPRO.
VAL OF 1T.

Nv = W. w
the Representatives among The several
States, coupled with an intimatIon by
message that he had "caused the same
TO be deposited in the otiics Of the Sec
retary Of State, accompanied by an ex-
position OF his reasons for giving 10 1t
his SANCTION" induced, as our readers
must remember, a call upon the depart
ment by The House Of Representatives,
Tor an authenticated copy Of those rea.
sons; which copy, when received, was,
with the message, referred to a select
committee, Of which Mr.. Adams was the
chairman, That committee through its
chairman made a report upon The sub
ject on Saturday last, as already noticed
concluding with a resolution proposed
by the committee for adoption, as an
expression Of the opinion Of the com
mitlee and of the House. The greater
part Of the report is a constitutional
examination and argumentalIve denial
of the right Of a President of the UNI
ted States to accompany his approba-
zion Of a bill presented TO him by Con
gress with any qualification or reserva
tion whatever. But the latter part Of
the report is devoted 10 the exposition
by The committee Of its views Of the
reasons given by the President for
those objections TO the act which he
Waived out of Difference TO the expires.
sed will Of Congress: and the subject Of
that part Of the report being Of much
immediate interest and general concern
ment, we have thought that, not being
able readily to spare room at this mo
meni for the whole report, our readers
will be obliged 10 US Tor that part Of il
which bears more directly than the rest
upon the politics Of The day. We in
sert it therefore as follows:
EGtract from Mr. adams report,
The President announces that one o.
his reasons for entertaining deep and
strong doubts OF the conslltulionaIity OIL
the law which he has approved anc
signed is, that it purporls to be manda'
Tory on the States to form districts ioI
the choice Of Representatives in single
districts.
The committee believe this to be BY
far the most important and most useluI
provision OF the act, They believe in
deed, the establishment of the principle
absolutely indispensable to the preserVa
ton Of this Union. The representation
OF the people by single districts is uu-
doubleday the only mode by which tn,
principle Of representation, 10 proper
ton to numbers, can be carried into eX
e%cution. The provision Of the Constr
tuition is, that the representatives shaI
moi exceed one for every thirty lhous
and Of fedora numbers, and every &C
Of apportlOnment has necessarily pres
cribed one member for every addition
Of the common multiple within each q
the several States. A more unequa
mode Of assembling a representation O
the people in a deIlberatiVe body coulC
not easily be contrlVed than that OF on
portion chosen by a general llckO
throughout the Stale, another portion
by single districts, and a third PORTO
partly by single and partly by doublt
treble, and quadruple districts. Thi
forms, in the mass, a representation
not Of one representative for the com
mon standard number throughout tn
whole Union, but Of States, and section
al divisions, in knots and clusters Of poi
u~Iation, Of different dimensions and pre-
portions, more Likely TO be governed b
the sp'TIi oil party than OF PATRIOTISM
At present several Of the smaller State
require an undue SHIRE Of locally con
ceutraled power in the House, by gen
eral ticket elections, sitting the volc
and smothering the opinions Of minor
iies nearly equal TO half the people
the State, thus d~isfranchised by II
Overbearing insolence Of q majority, a
ways meager, and as ii grows Iean'
grows more lnexotable and oppressiv
The larger States have hitherto passt
over with little notice this practical il
EQUITY, by which the State Of Ne
Hampshire, with five members, prepoI
der6,es over the State Of New for
with forty. But it is 10 the nature
things impossible that this should
suffered to continue long. The mann'
of election for The members Of III
House must be Uniform The gener
ticket or the single district must be II
common rule Ior all; and If the small,
States will insist upon sending membe
10 lhls House all of one mind, Ne
York, OF Pennsylvania, or Ohio, or a
three together, will, ere long, teal