The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1847-02-04

rn.snaaia, lhas the I.egislalnEe eannot aaEss
ahe nsaaasr Mhea onoe regulated ~ laA.
ansss also MAINTAIN fhalshe times and psaess
oaee excl are analaerzbie." In nnasE 70
disproEe this position of he report. he
wear On 10 argue lhat coagrsss might AIR
from The States ali poweEoEeE fiAat. place
and aaaHtr. o. take i - 10 manaeE, and
leave untouched The times and places 10
the States. Al this labor WAS IN vain.
II Is The very Argument | used myself. and
does not II III meet The position taken IN
thai passage of the report alluded To-
The gentleman seems 10 eonstEne The
words = regulated by law" - meaning
regulated By lar Of Congress. | did
moi 50 design % be understood. and II does
not seem 70 me that znF such eonssEne.
ton Ell he nationally placed on my Ian
gnage. OF course The language af The re-
port mast be understood a. meaning . reg-
ulaled BY law Of The Legislature Of .
stale"-for that part Of The report imme-
diaiely preceding j. touching on the pow
ers and nights Of the States and in The
very passage commented on by The gen.
tleman from Rowan. The word " l.eglsla-
lure" occurs just preceding. and in con-
nexion with the words 50 regulated BY law. !"
The doctrine of this par. of the report |
sill maintain. The power Of the States
over the times, places. and manner Of
holiing elections. j. the same, in the first
instance. Congress has assumed the pow
CT oFer the manner. in part only. The
power Of the States, over the remaining
portion Of the manner left them. is still the
same as That over the times and places.
And | DO maintain. which cannot be deni-
Ell. that If the power of the States over
that portion Of the manner lefl ihem-as
for instance the arrangement of the dis
tric,s-when once exerted, cannot he again
exered for ten years: so must the times
and places once fixed BY state legislation,
he also unalierable for the same period.
For they all rest upon the same authority.
and are subject to the same control by
Congress.
The gentleman from Rowan. cited The
authority of Mr.. Madison in the Federal
convention. and OF Mr.. Davis. of kenIuc.
Ky, in the House of Representatives. for
the purpose of sustaining his views. Now
with all dne Difference to the gentleman,
think both are decidedly against him. Mr..
Madison. in his remarks alluded to. was
speaking Of the proprie,y OF giving to
Congress the supervisory power over The
election. which was afterwards engralted
in the Constitution. lie was pointing
out The evils that might superveue, il The
power was left 10 the States wiihou. con-
troll. In every line and word quo:ed from
Mr.. Madison | heartily concm-the very
evil he then predicts has already occurred:
and il is for the purpose in part, of rene
dying this evil iorcseen by Mr.. Madison,
thai the bill now before Us was introduced.
Although the Act of Congress of ~ did
interfere with the State regulations 10
certain extent. vet il did no, interfere far
enough 10 prevent The evils foretold by
Mr.. Madison. The very sentence from
Mr.. Madison's remarks, which the gen.
ileman from Rowan read with so much
emphasis, and on which he seemed prin.
cipally to rely, is the strongest argument
in favor Of the passage Of this bill. II is
this" Whenever The Legislature had 4
favorite measure to carry, they would take
care so to mould their regulations as 10 IA
vor the candidates thew wished to sue
ceed." Why sir, if that great man had
been speaking with the tongue of inspira-
lion. he could not have more exactly FORE
told the conduct and object OF the Demo-
cratic Legislature Of 1928. What +" favor
lie measures" did they have to "carry ?"
Why the reduction oil the Tariff. and The
enactment, of the Sub treasury. How did
they mould their regula,ions!'' Why
BY throwing the Districts into such shapes
in utter disregard of compactness, COM
mani,v. and equality-as to secure the e.
lection Of six OF the nine candidates they
wished to succeed, although in minority
of 1000 in The State. The act of Con-
gress Of az being silent as 10 the arrange
ments of the Districts, the supervisory
power of Congress thus far does not eff
ICdGil EsH lOECtUHi w T.
Madison: and the simple question is, will
this Legislature remedy it, by giving the
District such compactness of form, com.
munity of interest, and equality of mum.
bers, as will restore proper and just ba-
lance of power between the rival parties |!
The gentleman from II ivan was equal.
~ u9fntan.,e IN his reference t. The re-
IN 'rks Of Mr.. Davis in the House of X %.
reseatatises on this very spp"rt oaueni
ac, Of ~. NJ. Davis saws. az gu tied BY
the gentleman. that the ID stress should
be =" la Convenient from. of contiguous
tef r,iory, aud TO remain immuiabie un,li
the spporti 'nmen' ofrepre.enta ion."
Ire IL viii be seem ths, Convenience of
form is made a cana,,ion precedent 10 i'm
mutsbility. | agree With Mr.. Davis, thai
" convenience Of form-wh,rh term may
be said to combine both conpactness of
territory and community Of interests b.
saasa'ted. |. would De good policy tts, The
D"ulcts shout remain /" inmul. bile" Tor
tsa sa.r. AnfI ~ 4. he .us a n ,yan,ano.