The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-16
CENSUS BILL-MR. VINTONS AMENDM ENT.

CENSUS BILL-MR. VINTON'S AMENDMENT.
MIR Vinton, on Monday, submitted two impor-
tant amendments to the Census Bill The first
is to restrict the number of Representatives to two
hundred and the second to provide permanently
for taking the census. The latter proposition,
we imagine, will find general favor-not for the
reasons stated by Mr. v. so much as for other
considerations 1t would save q vast deal of time
and expense for the future, and insure prompt
compliance with the provisions Of the Constitu-
ton. But we cannot agree with Mr.. Vinton In
thinking such law essential to the permanent
organization of the House, and of the Govern
mcnt itself lie appears to apprehend that, at
some future day, dissolution of the Union may
20 by default, by the mere laehes of the peoples
Representatives. When the Government Of the
United States becomes q useless incumbrance, his
fears may be realized Not sooner.
In reference to the second proposition, TO limit
the xax,,Se oe. Representative to ~ 49,,
he makes a similar appeal to the patriotism Of
members in behalf of the perpetuity of the Gov
eminent He says:
The amendment proposes to organize this
House permanently, by declaring the number Of
members which shall hereafter compose the body
Has it ever occurred to gentlemen that this
House has never yet been permanently organized
and, as consequence from this, that the Gov
eminent of the country has had only temporary
organization, and must itself dissolve with the
dissolution of this House 2"
We, in turn, would respectfully nsk Mr.. Vim
ton if it has ever occurred to him " that the
Government of the country" can never have
more than a temporary organization until q
permanent appropriation, bill is passed. Sup
Prise Mr.. Vintons amendments adopted, still,
would it not be in the power of the present
House to dissolve his permanent organization
by refusing the ways and means to keep it in
motion?
The people of England hold their liberties by
the tenure of temporary organization q.
the Government. The power Of the Parliament
to stop the supplies is the lever which turns the
Government about at the will of the nation.
The same lever exists in the machinery of
our Government, and it may become expedi-
ent to use it, should the American Govern
ment ever attain to the colossal power and
influence which is welded 10y that or Eng
land 1t is one of the safeguards of liberty
which, under no circumstances, should be dis.
pensed with. permanent organization Of th'
Government such as Mr.. Vinton contemplates
we therefore consider undesirable. 1t would be
hazardous departure from the line of safe prece
dents,u both in England and in this country.
To the particular number of two hundred
fixed by Mr.. Vinton for the permanent repre-
sentation of the people, We have decided objec
tons We think that number of men entirel.
too small to overlook the vast and diversified in
terests of the great American people, and to-
small to resist the overshadowing influence of
Government welding the immense patronage pos
sessed by that of this country The Executive
Government of every free country, from an in
stinct of representation, resorts to undue, ant
more or less corrupt influences, to control tn
action of the Representative body. This contro
will be, from law of moral and physical nature
inyersely to the weight and resistance of the op
posing force In small body there must be les
talent and energy than in a large one, and les
courage to resist the violence or menace of the
Government IL the Parliament of England, in
the times of Charles | or James ii, had consisted
of only two hundred men, it would never hsv,
wrung from the one of those arbitrary princes
the concessions which were made to the rights Of
the people, or from the other bis abdcation Of q
throne which had been forfeited by usurpatior
and tyranny Far less would the Parliament
have been able to WELD this power if 1t had beer
constituted in the proportion Of what two hundred
Representatives would be to the present popula
ton of the United States In that age the popu
lation of England, according to Mr.. Macaulay
was between five and five and half millions
and the representation was then about what it il
now, viz FIVE hundred. In fact, We are not SURF
that it was not much more, as the Reform bill Gu
off great many small borough MEMBERS an(
added but few for the large towns which hav
sprung up within the last century and q hall
This formidable array Of the talent and cnerg,
of the English people overcame the machination
of a willy King aided by Minister whose ambi
ton was only equalled by his talents. They OK
torted from him the Petition of Rights, the abo
liton of the Star Chamber, and the sacrifice o
his unprincipled adviser. Who believes tina
| fifty men, which would have been the proportion
of two hundred to the present population Of tn
| United States, could have achieved these grea
victories in behalf Of liberty, not for England
merely, but for mankind2 The proposition i
self-evidently absurd, and needs not refutation
Mr. Vinton suggests, that our federative form
of Government, by placing local or merely mu
nicpal regulations under the control Of STATE
Legislatures, dispenses with the necessity fol
a numerous representation in Congress. lie sup
poses that the utility Of large representation in
England and France is based on the consdera
ton that every locality is entitled to be repre-
sented by person acquainted from personal OBJ,
servation with the peculiar interests of his con.
stituents. This, however, happens to be less a
maxim of the Governments and people Of those
countries than of our own. The fact is vel
known that in England immemoraly, and in
France since they have had representative Gov
eminent, the people have been in the habit o.
sending up members who3ever resided among
and, perhaps, never saw their constituents
The real utility OF numerous representation
we have stated above, and illustrated by memo
rable examples from English history
The overshadowing influence Of the Executive
has frequently given rise to evil forebodings 10 thi
country. The party In power for the time has rare
ly failed to accomplish any object, however odou'
and unpopular in the outset upon which 1t hA'
firmly resolved. The Representatives Of thu
people have been too often found to yield 10 thu
potent influence Of Executive magic. We attrib
ute this lsmentable fact to the smallness Of the