The Nevada Democrat., 1859-02-09
election Of csngressmen.

Mr.. Crittenden has introduced bill into the
o. s. Senate, to regulate the manner Of elect
ing Senators, and resolution has been adopt
ed in the House of Representatives, inquiring
into the propriety Of passing law requiring
elections for members Of that body to be held
on the same day throughout the Union. The
Constitution Of the United States gives Con-
gress the right to prescribe the "time" and
manner" Of electing Senators aud Represen-
tatives, and the necessity Of law regulating
their election is generally admitted by all who
have given the matter any attention.
The manner Of eleeting U. s. Senators should
be uniform in all the States, SO as to put it out
Of the power of a corrupt partizar majority to
place men in that body who have never been
elected, as was done last winter in the case OF
the Indiana Senators. In most Of the States
the Senators are elected by joint Convention
Of the two Houses Of the Legislature, but the
Indiana Senators were elected BY joint caucus
of their party friends, while the State Senate
was in session and quietly transacting i's regu-
lar business This pretended election was con-
Hrmed by the U. S. Senate, at the late session,
Notwithstanding Senator from Iowa, who had
been elected in the same way, was refused his
seat the winter previous. The Iowa Senator
was = Republican and the Indiana Senators
were Democrats. When the former presented
bis credentials, nearly every Republican Sena-
tor voted to admit him to his seat, while all the
Democrats voted against him but when the
question came up on admitting the Senators
from Indiana, the Democratic Senators, with
three or four exceptions, voted to seat them,
while every Repu blican voted against them.
In these two cases, both the Democratic and
Republican Senators, with q few honorable ex-
csptions, completely stultiied themselves, vOt-
ing directly opposite in one case to what they
did in the other The three or four Know No.
thing Senators. havi ng no interest in the mat
ter, voted consistently. Nothing more need be
said to show that unblushing corruption ard
partizan bigotry hold sway in the Federal Sen
ate. A Congressional enactment, prescribing
the manner of electing Senators, would put it
out of the power Of a Dartizan majority to again
place men in the Senate who have not been
elected to the position.
1t would be we'll il change was made in
the terms of the Representatives. SO that th ey
could be elected just previous to the time their
services commence. The terms Of all the Rep
resen tatives, no matter when elected, expire
on the third of March, and unless q majority OF
their successors are elected previous to that
time, it would not be in the power of the Presi-
dent to call an extra session Of Congress
Should the present Congress fail to pass the
general appropriation bill, the President would
be compelled to call an extra session. and in
that case nearly all the Southern States would
be unrepresented in the House, as they will not
elect Representatives to the seth Congress un-
til next summer or fall.
AS the terms of Congressman commence Oh
the 4th of March, and the winter Is deemed an
improper time to hold elections, . majority of
the Representatives are elected the fall previ-
Gus, which is from thirteen to sixteen months
before they take their seats, unless an extra
session happens to be called. The Sacl amento
Union, in an article upon this subject, says it
cannot perceive any good reason for such early
elections. We think the reasons above stated
sufficient. 1t is not matter of choice, but of
necessity, that the elections are held so early in
many Of the States. Were all of the States to
put of the election Of Congressman until just
before the members take their seats, for peri
cd nine months, there would be no Representa-
tives, and, even il the country was invaded by
a foreign foe, it would not be in the power Of
the President to call Congress together. The
Constitution never contemplated that the coun-
try would be placed in such position.
To remedy this evil. Congress has but to pass
an act fixing the Grst Monday in December as
the commencement Of the terms of Representa-
tives, instead of the 4th of March, as at present
The ele ctions in all the States, for Representa-
tves, would then be held the fall previous to
the melting Of each Congress.