The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-12

Representatives OF Miaor.ties-Tho R,-
folms "a itated in Europe.
The LapdOn Times pnbliahss the fol-:
s 70 sMsjs1EaitorEa Asl5 Times An: AS
Mr.. Hardoastle'sSbil 'khs retopehed the
question of the representation Of Iain6fi-
ties, will you allow me to make a short
statement as to the progress Of public
opinion upon that subject, in other
countries?
The UNITED STATEs.-In 1867 Mr..
Buckalew proposed in the Senate of the
United States that bill then before the
Senate should be amended so as to in-
troduce the cumulative vote, but his
proposal was voted out of order. In the
same year, at the revision of the New
York Constitution, the proportional
representation of oil the electors was adj
vocated by Mr.. Horace Greeley, and by
IN association presided over by Mr.
David Dudley Field, and as a result of
the discussion the principle was applied
to the election of the seven judges of
the Court of Appeals, the supreme judi
oial tribunal in that State. Last year
Senator Buokalew made q second pro-
posai for introducing the cumulative or
free vote into the elections of members
of Congress. This bill enacted that each
elector of any State should be entitled
to number of votes equal to the num-
ber Of representatives to lie chosen by
the, State, aud be at liberty to give oil
suoh. votes to oneoandidate, or distribute
them equally or unequally amonga great
or number Of candidates. After being
twice read, it was referred to q eomm mittee
Nf ko~n la, l. r.
Wade, the late Presidentof the Senate,
ment, accompanied by report strongly
endorsiUgth cumulative vote and recon-
mending thai it should, also be- applied
to the election of Presidential electors.
The committee assign ''fonr great rea-
sons: (1) it is just, (2) it will check cor
rnption. ~ it will be guarantee of
peace, and az it will improve the charac.
ter and ability of the House." OF the
most common objection to the repre-
sentation of minorities. viz: that it is
opposed to the doctrine TINT the majority
shall rule, they say, sit is preposterous.
for it is one Of the main merits of the
reformed voting that it will secure the
true rule of the majority, and give it a
sanction. it does not at present possess;"
and they point ont that lat present. we
have only the rule, of majority of q
majority, which very likely represents
only q minority" The further progress
of this bill was prevented by the close Of
the session, but this;report. signed by all
the members of the committee, is en-
titled to great weight, considering that
Senators of tho United States are,
as rule, the most experienced and the
most independent of American politi-
! cians. The question of proportional
| representation is now before the Consti-
tutional Convention of Illinois, aud there
is considerable probability that either
( the cumulative vote or some method
based on the principle of proportional
| representation will be adopted. It is
| stated that ''eyery daily paperin Chicago,
and most Of the papers, without distinc-
ton of party, in the State, favor the
embodiment of the principle in the new
constitution"
SWITZERLAND. I'm Switzerland man
hood suffrage and the apportionment of
| representatives, according to population,
have been established for at least twenty
or thirty years in almost every Canton
possessing Representative govern ment,
and therefore the received theory of the
representation of majorities has been
more completely tested than in. any
other country of the Old World. In
April last committee of the Grand
Council of Neuchatel appointed to con-
slider the subject presented On elaborate
report in favor Of proportional repre-
sentation, and, by ma ajoriiy of six to
three, recommended scheme agreeing
in its main features with Mr.. Hare's plan,
and with the system in operation in Den
| mark ever since 1855. It may be added
as an illustration of the thorough man
ner in which the subject was investigated,
that this committee have proposed an
Important improvement in the mode of
filling up casual vacancies. This scheme
has since passed through its first stage
In the Grand Council itself by majority
of 43 to 33, and is still in progress. At
Geneva there has been an active agita-
,ion in favor Of proportional representa-
tion ever since the fatal disturbances of
August, 1864. The writings of the
leaders of the movement. and lntterly
their weekly paper. the Reformiste, have
greatly contributed to the progress of
their views, not only in Switzerland, but
elsewhere. would mention in particu-
lar, both on account of their intrinsic