Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-14

SPEECH OF Mr. BENTON, OF MISSOURI.
In Senate, Friday, May 81, 1912

II SPEECH Mr.. BENTON, OF MISSOURI.
! In Senate, Friday, May q, lc42
on THE APPoRTloNMENT BILL.
i DIR. BENTON said the turn which tins DEBATE ha
taken was organic and fundamental. 1t went 10 W
constitution of the House of Representatives In
permanent character, and not the temporary compos
ton OF that body the point discussed II was no
what wonld be proper number of members oil IN
House for ten years to come, but what would be tn
proper number Tor it in all time 10 come. That wa
the question ngltated. high or low number va
the qneston-a numerous small body was tn
point; and this, with reference 10 the lasting compost
ton and character of the body, Us constituted upon
broad or upon narrow foundation The argument
used were those which belonged TO an organic body
to convention framing constitution for the fous
and taking into consideration all the circumstance
which should govern permanent decision. 10 ~
boundaries to the future growth of the Iouse-to IN,
press upon IT specific character which it should wea
forever-such The character OF the debate, and sue
the objects Of the propositions to establish high
and TO limit or reduce the number of the body. Tn
nature Of the debate here, then organic and funda
mental, not Legislative and temporary II rs to lmpos
constitution the House, not 10 provide law To
it, II is govern its character forever not TO compose
it for ten years The debate is OF this character.
Mr. B. did not consider this TO be the proper business
of the Senate. Its aid wanting in making ter
years aw-not in imposing a constitution. 1t the
House needed fundamental regulation TO control lt
character future, the House. for ITSELF would be the
best Judge Of what much concerned itself; and il
would be Sufficient for the Senae to aid in pefrcting
its regulation Bet, i'll this case, the Senate is no,
ony taking the lead The House. but reversing It's de
c,.ion The House has discussed all these ponts-the
advantage s and disadvantages large and small bodies
the good and tie evil of all ratios from $4,000 to
100 00U-and, after ample debate has decided IN favor
Of an ample body. All the high ratios pu, before
have been passed upon by the House; they have al!
been rejected and rejected with view TO increase the
present number Of the body aud take up these
| and hen nd nttpu a
view to counerac the policy of the House, and to d.
mnsh, instead of increase, the number Of the bndy
All this MIR. u. thought to be uncaled-for and obec
tiondbe. II was something like assuming guardian
ship the fiouse-taking of t-and saving IL
from itself Certainly the Senate had part TO act in
settling The numbers OF the House; but it from
years ten years, and not for pcrpetuty II was III
providing law, and not constitution for IT; IT IN
perecng the details, and carrying out the general de
sign of the bill which the House mig send, with n
to the convenient transaction OF business Tor ten
years to Gomez and in rubbing out the bill of the
liousc-making blank of ii; and then substituting ano
ther with view to change the character of the body
aud impress character upon IT in all time TO
come. Mr. b. believed IL 10 be frultless nnwise
in the Senate 10 undertake this work. 1t task in
which it could not succeed against the will of the
House. The Senate must go Ia the wall IT 1t engaged
in the contest 1t could not push disagreement TO the
loss Of the bill That would be the loss of the people 5
representation-a dissolution Of the Congressman
involve a responsibility which the Senate could not
take.
But the question being made and the arguments, the
propositions and the votes having all taken tile aspect
of constitutional provision, with view 10 the per-
manent character OF the House, and the alternatives
beinr presented between n large end small body,
m free (sad Mr. b. TO avow myself in favor of the
large | am for numerous representation oil the
popular branch OF the Legislature aud that Tor many
and to my mind, most cogent reasons Liberty is safest
in q numerous body. The majority Of small body may
1 h,,. pfriru ha
cred by terror when large number would have resist
ed ALL THIS is reason, and history confirms II. A
fn Par,is msnt or nve ha~L,ei "-o",hHrs made head
aransl the tyrannies of Charles the First: ru'np
Parliament of one hundred were called hard names to
their faces seized by the nape Of their necks and turn
ed out of doors by Cromwell. The Council OF Anc'ents
BETRAYED France into the hands OF Bonaparte Inc
Council of Five Hundred would have saved 1t. lie
gained over majority of the small body, which gave
him the command of the armed force, and charged him
will! the execution OF the decree for transferring the
two councils to St. Cloud. lie could not gain ma.
ory of the large body which denounced and resisted
him. and would have outawed and killed HIM 1t the
sodiery had not been called in. In our own country,
all the measures to which history has assigned the cha
rac.er of corrupon- speak OF long past measures, not
10 be nyidous-he assumption of State debts, the fund
ing the soldiers certificates, and even the fixing the
site of this capita-all were accomplished IN small
bodies. And now, in our own day, we nave all seen
il is in the smaller branches Of the different l.rgsla.
tures TINT The converts made which the interests
of banks, corporations and spectators require Ire
smaller the body, the more accessible to the influences
of seduction and intrigue. An artul man even with
out patronage, may secure clique in d small body
which NAV lead or Illustrate important measures:
designing President may gain majority IN small
BODY by the seductions Of patronage, and then give
what laws he peases to the country. The security
against these dangers is a numerous body-a BODY
100 large to be managed By intrigue, or TO be gained
over by patronage.
hoIv To ho
liberty and the purity Of legislation and where shall
we find such body in our Federal form OF Government
if not the in House of Representatives, All the rest Is
fixed ire vocahy fixed, the monarchc and nilaar-
chic principle Of units or small bodies lhe Executive
mower ;s in one man. the supreme judicial power Is IN
nine men, the half OF the aw-making, treaty -making
and impeuching power is in fftytwo men-that is to
say in The Senate which can never exceed two Tor
each State Here. then, the whole Executive, the
whole judicial, and the one-haf OF all other power III
the hands of little more than half hundred men
and these far removed from the people, indirectly elect
ed by them in instances and not at all IN others
and all holding BY long pnures; some Tor LIE, some Tor
six years one only short as fonr In all conscience
these bodies all small enough. and must the only
remaining BODY the House of Representatives, the inn
MEDIATE and responsible organ of the pcople-the only
one which can become numerous and which The Consti-
,ui;on intended TO he numerous-shal It also be SUBJ
iected to the monarchc ogarchc principle and be
reduced in numbers until II reduced 10 oraef anu oe
corun.
I hold numerous House to be necessary 10 the re-
presentation of the peoplehat without 1t there will
be no popular Representations What is or IS not nu'
merous, is relative and not positive term II de-
Ponds not upon abstraction hn, upon IT'S application
To populaton and to territory. Three hundred would
be numerous representation for small Stale and
handful of people. 1t would not be numerous tor
republic or an empire, measuring two thousand miles
ross possessing seventeen millions oil people now,
and to possess four millions before another nppor
tionment can be made. SO far from being numerous IN
reference to such objects, pronounce three hundred
members TO be inadequate and stinted representa-
ton capable Of that close and intimate connes'oh
with the people which their safety, welfare ana n'er
es, require and which they have in no part Of our
Federal Government, if they do not find IT IN the re-
preventative branch 1t only one member Tor every
fifty thousand souls and these in many instances u.s.
oersed over some hundred miles of territory were 'i'
woud stand bu. little chance to converse WIN
their representative once or twice IN me year,
stead of three hundred members, shonld nave