The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-02-14

Representation in Congress.
The telegraph informs that the constitutional
amendment changing the basis of representation, has
passed the house Of representatives, BY vote OF l20
to 46-more than two-thirds vote The bill, as first
time since, has undergone striking
change on its way through the house Then it recoS-
Missed the rule of the present constitutions that repre-
sentation and taxation shall be apporoned in like
ratio among the States As this would lessen the ,
taxes in the same ratio that proposed 10 lessen
representation it looked upon by the radicals AS
too mild dose for the south, and 1T was further
amended in order to make 1T more stringent on the
SOUTH constraining them to confer the right OF sui
frage on the negro to preserve the present apPor-
tionment This was done by striking out the rule
respecting taxes and preserving respects epresen
tation As the amendment passed the house, it makes
it incumbent on the constitution tax everybody but
only to count those who are entitled to vote as the
basis of representation The following is the amend
ment:
Resolred (by the senate and house of representa-
tves of the United States of America, IN congress
assembled twohirds of both houses concurring, That
the following article be proposed to te legislature OF
the several States as amendment to the constitution
Of the United States which when ratified by three
fourhs of said legislature, shall be valid as part OF
the constitutions
Representatives shall be apportioned among the
several States which may be included within this Union
according to their respective numbers, counting the
whole number Of persons in each State, excluding IN
dams not taxed; provided that whenever the elec-
tire franchise shall be denied abridged IN any state
On account Of race or color all persons OF such race
or color shall be excluded from the basis of repre-
sentation."
The Picavune, in an article on this amendment
pertincntly remarks that the States to be taxed
on their whole Numbers, but represented only on an
arbitrary rule excluding from the basis of representa-
ton the class to which the State does not entrust the
right of suffrage Ga this shape it passed almost
without debate In this summary way house OF
representatives of the United States in the absence OF
any representation of those parts of the Union which
are chiefly interested discards, with something like
contemptuous indifference, the cherished princi-
ple held to be fundamental law Of all free institu-
tons that taxation without representation is tyranny
In a house which lawfully consists Of 243 members,
100 usurp the power of excluding 5S from delibera,
items that most concern themselves and in their en-
forced absence propose to enact organic rule BY
which they shall be only admitted in reduced numbers
subject TO double taxation unless they consent, in
order to save themselves from this accumulation Of
oppression ana degradation, to debase their whole sys
TEN, and Africanise their political institutions.
owe cannot imagine what the senate, where public
questions are debated with much more deberation
than in the house and which By its constitution should
be removed from the coatagioa Of political Frenzy
which is the epidemic of the hoGr in the house Of
representative w readily, if at all give their assent
to proposition which is radically at variance Will
all the maxims Of constitutional liberty in representa-
tive governments 1t is a cheering hope that Mr.
Stevens the leader of the radicals in the house cyl
IDENTIFY anticipates veto, and has opened the antci
pated conflict with the president by striking the frs
blow. lie denounced the president i'll the house OF
the charge of having violated the privileges Of thu
house BY expressing his hostility to measures on whcl
they were celebrating
The president may have made such declarations
in which case his position is unequivocally-the radi
Gals may say in their taken
in opposition to them Bat whether his words bea
that Interpretation not it is very clear THAT sucl
action on his part is seriously apprehended, ont
deemed 80 certain that the violent among them attac
him openly in the house as their enemy. 1t will teee'
nearly consolidated party vote in the senate to carr
the resolution ana to rcairm it the president
veto In That worst event, to which the proposito
may yet not arrive the presidents tower OF streng
to the advocates of the old constitution, in their re
sistance, through tile State legislatures to the
+ nation of this act of tyrannous innovation"