The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-27

course, be first taken his amendment, being the
highest, to insert n 900 the ratio, which would
give one hundred and ninety three members, without
regard to fractions. lie believed that the House wa
loo large and the people complained of long sessions
and of doing nothing therefore, they looked upon il
| as nuisance Ii was time to change the number,
and he would go for the highest ratio that he could
get. He then called for the yeas and nays, which
were ordered.
| Mr.. PRESTON concurred with the view ex-
pressed by the Senator from Arkankas, that uhe
| House should be smaller than II was. lie thought
that the proportion of three members to every Sena-
tor would be about right He therefore proposed
| $4,000 as the ratio BY this, the REPRESENTATIVES
which would be apportioned to the various ola.es ~
the Union would be one hundred and slxly-hVe anu
| by an adherence to the amendment WIN regaru W
fractions, six more representatives would DC auueu
making hundred and seventy-one members III az
This was the general result taken in conjunction WIN
the rule already adopted.
| Mr. SEWER Withdrew his call Tor the yeas ana
nays, to enable the Senator from South Carolina 10
| submit his amendment
| Mr. CALHOUN thought that an increase oil the
present number of the House would not have bene'
| icial effect In 1910 when the number was but one
hundred and forty, the House was nearly as quel
and orderly the Senate. lie thought that the first
| thing TO be settled whether they ought TO have
large or small ratio, they would have great DIM
Guilty in fixing the ratio in the manner proposed.
| Mr.. WOODBURY. in conformity with the idea
Just advanced ndu drawn up RESOLUTION, IcsOl'ihE
as the sense othe Senate that before hllng the blahh
IN the Till they would first increase the number OF me
| House of representatives.. ihis he thought, would
| test the sense of the Senate.
] Mr. CRlTIENDEN sad that nothing could be
accomplished by such resolution and that the only
practical and efectua mode to arrive al the result de-
sired by voting the various proi ositions when
had already heen submitted. Some OF them were
| high, and oilers low.
| Mr.. ALLEN believed that The people desired Q
MI. Of oh, I'D mi.
more acceptable to the State of which he was Sena
tor than any other. The difficulties in the populai
branch, III his opinion, were owing to the costruc'
ton Of the Hail. far more than any disposition oil the
members lie knew that harsh language was some
times used, but onehaf of the eplthets were IN con
sequence of one gentleman not hearing what anoth
said and that superinduced call for explanation
which led to hot blood and produced III feeling Inc
desks ought to be taken out and the Hall made square
or some suitable room should be selected, not 1oi
show, but utility and then the House would be very
near, if not quite, as orderly the Senate.
| Mr. SEWER said, it was obvious that the House
was too large, and TO the structure of the Hall be
ing the of the disorders in that body, it was al
Heather and prunella." There was no question Ia
ken on any bill at this at the last session, but VIVA
they had to make some rule by which TO decide The
question: and Immediately after some member woult
move the previous question, to put It beyond recon
sideraton the next day. All this was the resut o
the large number Of Representatives.
|
! senatives ought 10 be composed OF such number al
would best consult the interests Of the people, an
render the Representatives directly possible re
| sponsblc TO their constituents. He thought that q
House OF two hundred members would be sufficiently
large and MT too lalgc to transact rapidly, but with
prudence the business of the country. lie deslr,
that the House should be large that the political IN
| fuence of the President could not corrupt II ht
thought that two hundred would be sufficient to guare
against such result and he would 20 for Keeping
the House as near possible to two hdndred mom-
bcrs, and resist every altemp at lower reduction
| Mr. SMITH OF Connec icu', was understood tf
! be in ia, or Of an Increased number of Represents
tves, and in favor OF the ratio it came from the
| House.
Messrs. CRIT'TENDEN, SEWER, CALHOUN
! WOODBURY., and PRESTON, made some further
remarks, and the Senate, at 5 o'clock, adjourned
ERRATUM-In the list of yeas and nays taken II
the Senate on Wednesday, concurrng N the
amendment to the Apportionment bill, proposing tt
give additional representative to each State hav
ing fraction greater than the ratio of representa-
ton, the name of Mr. PREsToN was placed upon botl
sides Of the question He voted in the negative, and
! Mr.. PoRTERs name should have been inserted in thu
4 place Of that Of Mr.. PREsToN, where It appears il
| ~. 4, -.