Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-22

notes will test the ability of banks to main
tain their notes at par with United States
notes. Whether they should be relieved
from maintaining so large reserve, whether
there should be one center of redemption,
are questions of practical legislation for the
future The moment the notes are redeema-
BILE in coin, the banking system ceases to be
limited in the number and distribution OF
banks and will, like all other business pur-
suits, be open to all who give security for
their notes and will obey the general law.
| Mr.. Morton's resolution for an inquiry
into the existence of legal State govern
ment in Iowa, was passed.
| The House considered the admission of
Colorado as State, and tabled the Oklaho-
ma Indian Territory bill.
MIR. Perez of Miss. reported the Senate
bill amending the agricultural college act, by
extending the time for granting lands, which
was passed.
JAN. II. The Senate voted 100000 for
the Vienna Exposition. Senator Morton
spoke upon his resolution instructlng the
Committee on Privileges and Elections to in
quire into the defects of the present electoral
system and the best means for remedying
| them. He set forth the cumbrous and
dangerous method now in vogue and showed
that the original object of establishing the
electoral college was never accomplished.
| He would prefer that the President should
be elected by the people as one community.
giving the election to the man who received
the highest number of votes, without regard
TO State lines or municipal divisions, SO that
the national character should be fully repre-
| sented in one department OF the Government
| But, assuming that the smaller States Will
not consent to an amendment by which the
President would be elected by the people OF
| the United States as acommunity, he believes
they could have no objection to such a change
as would bring the election of the President
directly to the people of the several States,
each State to be divided into as many dis
tricts as it has Senators and Representatives,
each district to have one vote in the election
of President and Vice President, and the vote
| of that district to be counted in favor of the
candidates for President and Vice President
who receive the largest number of votes in it.
This would still give to each State the same
number of votes it now has in the election OF
| President and Vice-President, the votes,
| however to &c gwen directly for the candl-
| dates by the people without the Intervention
| of electors.
| The speaker then argued the fairness of
| the proposed plan, the intrinsic injustice to
| the States of the present system, its peril to
| the country, and the opportunities 1t affords
| for corruption, cabal, and intrigue, when an
| election Is thrown into the House OF Repre-
sentatives But, it will be asked what is,
the remedy? He answe ed that he would be
glad if some method could be devised by
which the nation could escape the danger OF
having the House OF Representatives to elect
a President Ia any case; but II such Is to be
the resort in case no candidate for the Presl-
dency gets majority of all the votes, he
would have both Houses of Congress to meet
| 10 JOINT convention, and each Senator AMI
| Representative to have one vote. This would
! be In exact harmony with the principles up
on which the election is now to be made by
the people of the several States Under the
new system which he proposed the people OF
the several States shall vote directly for
| President, each State to have as many dis
trlcts and as many votes as 1t has Senators
and Representatives in Congress; and why
the same rule should not be preserved when
the election is thrown into Congress is hard
to perceive. To sum up in recapItulation, he
would say that if the system of electoral
colleges is to be continued, some means
should be devised by which the election oil
these electors in the States may be contested
so that ii it has been controlled by fraud or
violence, or If there be two sets OF electors
each claiming the RI ght to cast the vote OF a
State, there may be some machinery or
tribunal provided by which fraudulent re-
turns could be set aside or corrected, aud the
c0ntending claims of different sets of electOr:
be settled iu advance of the time when the
vote is to finally counted, and by which
the President of the Senate may no longer
Iag.. a.
seem to be placed in his hands by the Con-
stltution, nor the two Houses of Congress by
the operation Of the 22d Joint rule.
g The plan of dispensing with the Electora
College and eiectIng the President directly
by the vote Of the people of the whole coun
try, as one community, or by dividing the
States up into districts, seems to me to be q
remedy Tor many of the evils and dangers K
which | have referred, but even then som,
tribunal should be appointed to settle contes
ted and doubtful results in districts or at III,
disputed polls, and this tribunal should b.
removed as lar as possible from the contro
of excited parties. This naturally suggest
the Supreme Court of the United States, OF
the Circuit and District judges of the CourI
of the United States, for su IN tribunal
Whatever tribunal might be created would
require much consideration in regard to de-
tails and method of operation, into which il
is not important that | should now attempt
to enter. The injustice and danger o
another election of President by the HOus,
of Representatives, voting by States, are So
glaring that it seems to me Congress shouIC
never rest until 1t has constltuUlOnally pre-
sented to the several States for their adoption
some plan by which it may herea ter bj
avoided. | have therefore proposed that
committee shall take the whole subject int
consideration, with leave 20 sit during tn
vacation, and report to the next session o
Congress the result of their deliberations
and to bring forward such measures ma
be deemed necessary, whether in the form 0
statutes or amendments, to the Constitution
of the United States
At the conclusion of Mr. Morton remark
Nj. Trumbull of Illinois spoke briefly, agree
ing with Mr.. Morton to some of the de
fects aud dangers of the existing electOra
system, but dissenting from some of hl
views as to the proper remedy. The founder
of our Cover ment, he said, did not lnten'
to establish pure democracy, but repub
lie. 1t was not intended that the majorit,
should haze all power, and to put the Gov
eminent upon that basis would be to chang
our form OF Government and prepare the Wa
for democracy.
Jan. 20th.-In the Senate Mr. Carpen
ter of Wisconsin, from the judiciary com
mittee, submitted majority report advers
to the bill for the relief of the sufferers b.
the Boston fire, and MIR. Eimunds of Yer
mont, for himself and Mr.. Wright of Indiana
submitted minority report in favor of tn
bill. Both reports were ordered printed.
Mr.. Wright of Indiana, for the majorit
of the Judiciary committee, reported bill
repeating the bankruptcy act of March 2
1867, and all supplementary and amendator.
acts, said repeal to take effect July l, pro
vided, this repeal does not in any way affec
any proceeding in bankruptcy commenced
before the first of next July.
In the House Mr.. Bingham of Ohio