The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-02-15
9olhital
SIP Fl BC FL
OF
HON. WILLIAM LAWRENCE
or ONO, on THE

The House resumed the conside-
ration of the following joint reso-
luton reported by the joint COM
mittce on reconstruction
Rcsolred By tie Senate aud
House of Representatives. Of tie
United States Of Americd IN Con.
gieSS assembled, (two.thirds OF
both Houses concuring), That the
following article be proposed to the
Legislatures OF the several States
as an amendment to the Constitu-
ton Of the United States which,
when ratified 10y three-iourths of
the Legislatures, shall he vail rs
part OF said Constitution, namely
ARTICLE. Representatives and
and direct taxes shall be apportion
cd among the several States which
may be included within this Union
according to their respective mum.
bers, counting the whole number
of persons in each State, excluding
Indians not taxed: Provided,
That whenever the elective fran.
chise shall be denied or abridged
in any State on account of race oi
color, all persons therein of such
race or color shall DO excluded
from the basis Of representation.
Mr.. LAWRENCE, of oh o, |
move that the pending resolution
and amendments be rccommitted to
the committee on reconstruction
with instructions to report an
amendment to the Constitution
which shall, first, apportion direct
taxes among the States according
to property in zach and which
shall, second, apportion Reprosen.
tatives among the States on the
basis of adult male voters who may
be citizens of the United States.
Mr.. Speaker, since the adjourn
ment last evening ] have devoted
some time to the consideration OF
the question now before the llouse
The Constitution provides that
" Repres entativcs and direct
taxes shall be apportioned among
the several States which may be
included in this Union, according
to their resi- ective numbers, which
shall be de ermincd by aiding to
the whole number of free persons,
including those bound to service
for a term of years, and excluding
Indians not taxed, three iifths OF
all other persons. Constellation
art. |, sec. 2.
1t is well understood that this
clause was the result of a compro.
mise among the trainers ofthe Con-
and liko most compromi.
ses, did not settle any fundamental
and unalterable principles Of free
government. 1t undertook to reg
nlate two subjects, the basis of re-
presentation in Congress and the
Electoral college, and the disribu-
ton of direct taxes among the
states.
But the scheme Of imposing di.
rect taxes on population rather
than on property; of requiring
many persons with little property
to pay a greater amount of taxes
than fewer persons with moro pro.
perty, has been Acknowledged SC
universally odious and unjust that
this mode Of taxation has rarely
ever been adopted by the ,nati.rn,
and pcrI,sf.s not nc III ny '"c
states
There never has been time
when the basis of representation
has not been subject of just corr,
plant among the people OF the free
States. A brief examination will
readily show that it was wrong in
principle, and unjust in practical
results.
Therulc which gavcreprcsenta
ton to thrce-ffths of the slave pop.
ulation-for the " three tIths fall
other persons means slaves-was
purely arbitrary, the result ofcom-
promise, and not of fixed political
principles, or of any standard Of
abstract justice. Ii slavery was n
Just element of political strength, |
know of norule which could prop
erly divide it into " fractional
quantities." If it was not Just
element of political strength, ]
know of no rule which could prop.
erly give it 4" fractional power"
But the basis Of representation
was unjust in practical results, be
cause It gave to chattlc slavery po-
litical power-a power accorded to
no other species Of property-7thus
making what the slave States re-
garded as wealth ali element OF DO.
litical strength. Now let us see
how this has operated. ! md these
facts stated :, '-"@'e
n =" In 1900 the ratio of represen-
tation was one Representative to
every thirty.three Thousand Of tho
representative population. Now,
ii is one Representative to every
one hundred and twcpty-seven
thousand. On the 23di OF May,
1850, the principle was establish
ed. for the first time, Of limiting
the number of Representatives,
and thus relieving Congress Of the
necessity of fixing every ten years
tie number oil members of which
the House should consist, This
law established the number Of Re.
representatives. at two hundred and
thirty,three, who were to be appor,
toned AMONG the several States