Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-17

Work Of the Senate Com mittee On
Privileges and Elections.

New YORK, Oct. 8.-Senators Nor
ton, Of Indiana; Carpenter, of Wiscon,
sin; Anthony, of Rhode Island, and |
Committee on Privileges and Elections
closed their conference, which has been
continued from day to day for the past
week at the Fifth-avenue hotel in this
city, in reference to the mode of cleo
ing the President. The Senate, just
before adjourning, instructed the Com
mittee to examine the whole subject
during the vacation, and report their
conclusion at the next session OF Con
gress. The following proportions
were considered:
First. To abolish electoral colleges.
| Second. That the President and
Vice President shall be elected by the
people voting directly for the candi-
dates.
Third. That zach State shall be di-
vided into as many districts rs the
| State is entitled to Representatives in
| Congress, to be composed of contiguous
territory, compact in form and as near
equal in population as may be, and the
person having the largest number OF
votes for President in each district
shall receive the vote of that district for
President, which shall count one Pres
idential vote that each State shall be
entitled to two Presidential votes at
large, which shall be counted for the
person having the highest number of
votes in the whole State.
Fourth. The person having the
highest number of such Presidential
votes in the United States shall be
President.
Fifth. These provisions to be ap-
plicable to the election of Vice Presi-
dent.
Sixth, Congress shall have power
to provide for holding aud conducting
the election for President and Vice
President, and to establish tribunals
for the decision of contests as to the
vote of any district or State, and make
regulations governing the proceedings
of these tribunals. By the adoption
: of q district system of voting by the
= people directly for the candidate, with
= two Presidential votes in a State-at-large
and the plurality rule for determining
the result, the election is brought near
! ~ home to the people as can be not tc
! make it an election by the nation as
one community, and it still recognizes
the States as such, while it enables the
3 people Of each district in State to ex
: press their will, SO that hereafter {
! State need not cast q solid vote, az
| under the present system. 1t intends
I to dispense with the convention, which
l is now necessary in order to form al
electoral ticket for each State, and il
enlarges the liberty of each individual
, voter, who can vote for any citizen ht
f may select for President or Vice Pres
, ident. By the plurality system al
election will always be final, and there
3 can be no necessity for an election by
: the House of Representatives, which
r is 80 much objected to. The plurality
rule has been adopted successfully il
all the States in the Union, except four
in the election of State officers, and il
, generally prevails in the election Of
1 members of Congress. In none of the
l States where it has been tried is there
t any thought of abandoning it. Other
t questsons are considered in connection
with the votes in the States and dis
3 tricts, and providing the exigency Of
l death or resignation of the President
after the election and before the inaug
Lration.
These are suggestions which have
, been considered, but of course no con.
, illusions could be arrived at.