The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1847-02-04
Mr. Rayner's Second Speech.
on me BIN fer Rs-Disiliriing tie Slsle. in he
ito0se - comHOns. DrsiE rs. Isle.

u
Me-. RAINIER said. q would be Tscol
/ leeied By the House. that in his opening
, Speech On his question. De- had laid down
distinctly the grounds On which the pro.
} posed measure could be sustained; lllal
he had al least attempted 10 show both
he eenslIIuIianalily and expectancy, &C.
e"Idlng TO The strict principles Of logical
aigumenIallnn. Aud il was 10 him q
matter Of graduation. that his arguments
still stood untouched. aud he might al.
mast say unasssiled. They had NOT been
answered. For nosu outstanding lsaiI
Mr.. X the ingenious speech nf the gem
i!emsn from Rowan. MIR. Ellis.) h. has
managed 10 eEade all the prominent points
ut my argument; has represented me as
ahsnidly maintaining doctrines which I
never ASSERTED; and has indnlgrd in e..
nerai''Ies or abstract propositions. Win b
haze nothing To do with nv argument.
aud IN mnsI uf which | heartily concur.
The gentlemen from Rowan says iha,
ihe power Of the General Assembly to
re-dis.rlei the Stale al this time, ~ claim.
ed by me. 10 ia violation Of The minority
principle oG the constitution. For This
the gentleman gives us his own assertions
merely. What provision Of the eansli.
tuition he alluded Ia, he did not drign 10
Inform ns. Ii he meant that greal pTin.
eip!e OF representation. hight aud justice.
which peryades the structure of our 90.
seTnmenl. IL he means that far aud squal
distribution Of power. between rival in
teresls, aud conflicting views If public
policy, which enters into the basis Of all
our free institutions. then | take issue
with him. Aud will call back his re.
enllecii"n 10 The views presented, to
show that this bill was framed with view
of combining the great elements which
should enter into an arrangement of this
Kind, 90 as 10 result ia dividing, as fairly
as fairly rs possible, the representative
power Of the Stale. between The lwo 10.
litical parties. What then does the cen.
lleman mean by the minority principle
Does he mean the right Of the minority
10 have the predominance over the main-
rliy IN the national representation. ~ pro-
yided Tor by The &C, uf 'f3! If thai v
Democratic doctrine. then | deny there
is any such principle recognized By The
Constitution; aud ] call for The reading Of
il. il there is. The gentleman complains
most bitterly, and reems TO regard il as an
act Of party tyranny, that under the bill
now before Ne. the Wing party with
majority Of 1000 in the State, will have
the preponderance Of representation in
Congress. lie says that under this bill
the Wings viii have six members, and
the Democrats three. | showed in nv
first speech on this question, that the De.
mncrais could not consistently DENY that
this bill gave them fur membership
suppose il 10 he as the gentleman SAYS. II
it be- TYRANNY. that the Wings with a ma
jorny uf 1000 in the State. have six
members out Of nine under this bill
how much greater tyranny laii, how
much mere in,nlerable grievance, tha, un.
der the act Of 10 the Democrats in mi.
nority of 1000 should have six oul of
the nine! Is this Democrats justice !
Is this Democratic equality Is this
Democratic devotion Ia popular rights !
If the predominance Of The majority is
so tyrsnnical ant oppressive, how murh
more CALLING TO The pride and Independ.
ence Of freemen. how much more in
conflict with the just design Of our insl.
tu;ions, mus, be The tlespotic rule Of
minority over majority which was ef-
fected by the ac, of -. and which the
bill before US is calculated TO proven, for
the future.
The gentleman assumed that the object,
and the only object Of this bill was 10 sc.
cure 10 the ascendant, party in the State,
the majority of representatives in The Con,
gress Of the United States. And he went
on to show at considerable length The C.
wills that would necessarily result from
constant change Of the Districts as one
party or the other happened to be in pow
err. agree with all The general reason.
sUning of the gentleman in pointing out
such evils, growing on, Of such motives,
as he has assigned. Blu, then this does
no. touch my pos'iIons. | would appeal
To The gen,lenan's csndor, and ask him il
il is a fair way Of answering an argument,
TO try TO make up issues which do no, ie-
giumately grow out Of The subject under
discussion lie represents me as insist.
ing that the distribution of political pow.
err is the first great primary consideration
which should enter into the arrangement
Of Congressional Districts. laid down
no snch doctrine. The House will bear
me witness, that | distinctly stated tina, the
primary elements which should enter into
such an arrangement, were compaciness
of territory, community Of interests, and
equality Of numbers - and that these
should, If possible, be SO harmonized as
to work Out the secondary and identical
result Of fair and proportionate dislri.
button Of power between the rival inter-
ests of political policy. How does the
gentleman meet this argument Does he
attempt TO eontroyer, ~ Not 81 all. He