Delaware State reporter., 1853-04-26

that class of population, under all contingencies,
from increase by any other than natural causes.
adopted the provisions of my amendment
on this subject, mainly from the Constitution of
Illinois, which is free State, with such altera-
tions in phraseolOgy as | thought were requisite
to guard against what supposed might other
wise have been injustice. The second portion
of this amendment provides that the fines and
penalties, collected under the preceding portion.
shall be appropriated for an object, about which,
4 presume, no member will have any difficulty
the colonization of such portion of the free
negroes of the State as may be willing to emi-
CRATE
The remaining amendment, which | have
offered, is one on which, as | have already
stated. place no great stress, but think it
Beneficial. The committec recommend the i'll
scrtion of provision of this nature; %
"All laws shall be passed by original bill,
and every law enacted by the Legislature shall
embrace but one subject, and that shall be
described in the title.''
That far propose to let the provision stand.
1t goes on:
And no law, or section of law, shall be
revised, amended or repealed, by reference to
its title or section only"
think that is a matter which ought to be
| left to the wisdom of the Legislature. The
effect of the provision might sometimes be very
embarrassing, and do not think it should he
made a matter of constitutional action. The
section further goes on to provide:
&C. No bill shall become Il law, unless 1t be
read on three different days of the session, in
each House, except that bills introduced within
tthc five last davs of the session. may be read
twice in one day, three -fourths of the members
of the House, where such bill is pending, con-
curing therein"
Al L., -,
scrt in lieu of them provision which have
copied, in great part, from the Constitution OF
New York, and which think will attain the
object better than the provision in the report.
Tapropose to insert, in lieu of the words have
lust read, the following:
And no bill shall be passed unless by the
assent of majority of all the members elected
. to each branch of the Legislature, and the
question upon the final passage shall be taken
Immediately upon its last reading, and the yeas
I, and nays entered on the journal"
t The effect of this would, of course, be tc
0 require members TO be in attendance at the
final passage of bill; or, otherwise. III case O
a contest or serious difference of opinion, you
y would not be able to pass the particular bill
d and that ought to be so. Further, by requiring
! that a bill shall be put upon its final passage
Q Immediately after its third reading, every mem
q ber will have the means of knowing at wha
II period of time any particular bill will come III
on its final passage. | think that the object
L which arc intended to be carried out by tn
IS section as reported will be sufficiently guarde
re by this provision and prefer the one which
n have proroscd, though do not attach great in
e. portancc to it. Indeed, | should not care if tn
nj whole of this section were abandoned, and tn
10 subject were left wholly to legislative discretion
II If proper men are elected to the Legislature
III and if it be of sufficient size for the wants
y the State, do not think you need fear that an
of these provisions will be necessary. Th
T. other restrictions upon the Legislature, reportc
c. by the committee, | entirely agrccto
&C will now rccur for a moment, if the con
OF mittee will pardon me for the length of tin
oil which have already consumed, to the qucstio
a of appointment, in order to show that whcrev,
'c there might be any advantage made out of it.,
Ie have cndeavorcd to throw it against what miel
Ill naturally be supposed would be my own pc
e- sonal inclinations. In the division which
no have proposed, allow each Senatorial distri
on two members of the IInnse, of Representative
"a because thought it by far the most simp
an form of districting. There was as | ha,
he already shown, large fraction to the credit
ne Kent county, in the division and, as that fra
he ton amounted to more than half the ratio
en- gave the additional Senator to that county. B
II | did not stop there. lnasmuch as each Sen
Ire tora district is entitled to two representative
'ro it will be found that my representative ratio
an 2,543. The county of Kent has been allowc
Is in my amendment. not only Senator and O.
lty member for her fraction, but an additional mcl
at, Der beyond the number to which the ratio al
lld her fraction would entitlc her. did not thil
us, it worth while to mar uniformity, and redu
10 the number of representatives to thirty-fi,
ore although it might have been fairly done. If y
IN divide the number of the county of Kcl
nc (22 S16) by the diyisor produced by the divsi
III Of thirty-sx into the whole population, you W
IL find that it leaves eight for that county, and
ass fraction Of 2,472. The effect of my division
ne to give her ten representatives, whereas
ate fraction would only entic her to one in additi
ms TO the eight | give New Castle sixteen rep
ge' sentatiycs, leaving a fraction of 2,l0o unrep
low scnted. give Sussex ten, leaving her a fiacti
un- of 506. Therefore, in point of fact, the cour
me- of Kent has not only her fraction of "a
'ur' represented in the Senate and Representa-
inc Chamber, but she gets an additional numl
INC beyond it, arising out of this arrangement il
ally Senatorial districts.
is II would, probably, have been more equita
llne to give the additional member to New Gas
loes or Sussex, both of which have unrcpresen
1or- fractions; hut did not think it worth while
IN stand on trivial matters, when yielding wo
my produce uniformity in the system, and att
inc general oDlcct OF the equallIatlon OF rel
ot sentation in proportion to population and
< 10 the same time, would destroy entirely cou
lem feeling, which can never operate as anyth
oy but bore and an injury, and which no
uch interests of any portion of the State can jus
leat or sustain.
ow- With these remarks, leave the question
lou, the hands Of the committee.
to On motion OF Mr.. CoRmr, the committee n
lard and through their chairman, Mr.. MAXwt
'elt reported progress, and asked leave to sit aga
any Leave was granted.
'lng MIR. BIGGs AS it is desirable that we she
and have before lis the proposition of the honori
inc member from Wilmington, | move that
that copies of it be printed.
tute The motion was agreed to.
you On motion, the Convention adjourned u
rad o'clock this afternoon.
ally
imi. AFTERNOON SESSION.