The Weekly register. (Ponola [sic] Panola, Miss.) 1843-1844, 1844-07-27
N U M b Err so

candidate for his suffrage. An elector,
residing in one extreme of the Staie'
cannot be presumed to know a candl-
date living at distance from him, per-
haps at the other extreme. BY the gen
cral ticket the minority in State is
completely smo,hered, From these
ano other views ofthe subject, it has been
long a patriotic wish entertained that
there should be some uniform mode,
both of elecling members to the House
i Of Representatives and choosing cleo
tors of President and Vice President
rccollect well, some twenty years ago,
when public opinion appeared to be al
most unanimous upon this subject
Well, the last whig Congress, in order
| to prevent the abuses, and to correct the
! inequality, arising out of the diverse
modes ofeleciing members of the House
Of Representatives, passed an act re
curing that it should be uniform and
by districts. This act was in conformi-
ty with an express grant Of power con-
tanned in the constitution Of the United
States, which declares that "the times,
places, and manner, of holding the cleo
tons for Senators and Representatives,
shall be prescribed in each State by the
Legislature thereof; bwt The Congress
mag, at any Time. By 1ao make or alter
such regulations; except as TO The place
of choosing Senator's" With that rea;
sonable, equal, and just act of Congress
every whig State, whose Legislature
assembled in time after its passage,
strictly complied, and laid off their re-
spective States into districts according
Ily. But the four States, with Demo
cratic Legislatures, of Georgia, Missis-
sippi, Missouri and New Hampshire re-
fused 10 conform to the law, treatedit
with contemptous neglect, and suffered
the elections for members { dis House
Of Representatives 10 proceed in total
disregard Of is provisions. This was
a new species Of notification, not less
reprehensibe than that which was at
tempted formerly in another State,
though admitting Of more easy and
peaceful remedy. That remedy was to
/ refuse TO allow the members, returned
from the four States, 10 take their seats
tin the House Of R representatives., which
they had no constitutional or legal
right TO occupy. That question the
present House Of Representatives had
10 decide. Bat was predicted, long
before they assembled, confidently pre-
dic;ed, that the members of the four re-
fraetory States would be allowed 10
take their seats, the constitution and
The law Notwithstanding Why was it
sorredicted! Was it not because it
was known, from the general character
and conduct Of the dominant party, in
The House, that it would not hesitate to
trample under foot both law and consli-
tuition, if necessary to the accomplish
ment of party object? Accordingly,
the question recently came upin the
House, and the members of tie four
States were admitted to their seats
And what, fellow citizens do you sup
pose was the process CT reasoning by
which this most extraordinary result
was brought about? Congress ytsu
have seen is invested with unlir.nted
power to make regulations rs 20 the
time, places, and manner Of holding
elections for representatives, or to alter
those which might have been previous
ly made by the State Legislatures
There is nothing in the grant Of aho
power which enjoins upon Congress 10
exercise the whole oft, or none. Con
siderations of ebvious convenience con-
cur in leaving TO the several States
themselves, the f.xation Of the times and
places OF ho ding those elections. In
that each state may be governed by its
sense o. lis own convenience, without
my fously affecting other States. But it
5 different with the manner Of holding
elections, that is whether it be by the
general ticket or by the district system.
If some States elect by genera! ticket,
it gives 10 them an undue advantage
over those States which elect by the
i:s.r;ot ovctoo, 'PLa ,oo,,,,