Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-08

, ''iN poi PoSe Vi suggesting any COMPARE
son IN the way of ability between those
lawyers and the gentleman from Hi
mons. COO forbid that / should suggest
that any of those men would in any
way oVershadow the gentleman from
Illinois.
Inc committee on the judiciary that
reported this measure and stood behind
III us a constitutional proposition con-
SISTED OF John A. Bingham of Ohio:
benjamin f. Butter of Massachusetts, !;
John A. Peters of Maine; Ulysses Mer-
cur OF pennsylvania; Jeremiah NJ. Will
son or Indiana; Milo Goodrich of New
YORK: Charles A. Eldridge of Wiscon-
Slh' Daniel w. Voorhees, of Indiana
ana ClarkSon n. Potter of New York
Inc minority of this committee feel
that they have behind them the opin-
ION OF at least respectable lawyers that
the bill they present here is based upon
sound constitutional principles They
do not deny that it is possible for the
gentleman from Illinois, unaided and
alone, to overWheim even this list of
ordinary lawyers; that is entirely pos
sible; but we do not think it probable
Now, what does the gentleman from
Illinois do when he undertakes to crit
icize the bill of the minority? He takes
the table that is found in the report on
the basis of 3S6, when the report states
that the bill is based upon the table
reckoning 3S4 representatives. adding
for Nebraska and Virginia two, follow
ing the line of the report of the judi
ciary committee in 1872. The gentle
man insists upon arguing the minority
bill lInDn the basis Of tho 70 hIa of oSe
when he knows for his attention was
called to it again and again while he
was making his speech) that he was
acting disingenuously and unfairly.
and undertaking to confuse this House
He would not tolerate Interruptions; he
would not allow questions. He said
in his speech that he was not to be tied
down to the report OF the committee
and the reasons they gave for the bill
that they presented here.
He insisted on arguing the question
on the basis of bill providing for 1856
representatives. Why? Because he
| wanted to appeal to the prejudice of
the great states of Pennsylvania and
New York. which under the apportion-
ment that you will find under the head
of $50 will have one additional repre-
| sentative each, anu tIltil he tIdllllS llIdl
the minority of the committee by I'M
dertaking to provide for House of
| $50 members are depriving New York
and Pennsylvania each of representa-
tive; and he spent half an hour of his
speech in undertaking to analyZe the
report of the minority on q table which
he knew it was not based upon. if he
| ever read that minority report.
! He wabbled in and wabbled cut,
Until the mind was left i'll doubt
| Whether the snake that made the track
| Was going south or coming back.
| That was the attitude of the gentle
man in connection with the report of
| the minority of this committee. Nov
| this | think, leaves these bills standing
| before the House upon their respective
| constitutional bases.
| do not claim that the bill of the
majority is unconstitutional. ! say that
| it is based upon the same table that
the bill of the minority is based upon.
and the bill of the minority has this
precedent in 1872 for adding these two
ma jority fractions in the case of Ne
| braSka and Virginia. Now, this pre-
sents these bills as they stand before
| the House on their constitutional bases.
| each standing equal with the other so
| far as the legal propositions are con-
| cerned.
What are the real considera tons in
yolved here between these two meas
| ures? The question is whether this
| House shall be increased in size to keep
pace somewhat with the increase of our
population.
| submit, Mr.. Speaker. that we are
| in harmony with the views of the
| fathers who made the government
what it is and procured the adoption
of the Constitution. We are not left to
conjecture what views were entertained
| by the statesmen who founded the Re
| public.
/ find in the constitutional debates
this remark made by one of the most
distinguished men who had to do with
the preparing of that great instrument.
and who had perhaps more than any
other man to do with inducing the peo-
pie to accept and adopt the Constitu-
ton after it had been framed and sent
out for ratification by the various
states then constituting the confedera-
| ton. Hr Hamilton, the great FEEDER
alist. who believed in the Capitalization
| OF power, WHO DtIitNtC III Il - N'--0
powerful government that could con-
| troll legislate. and regulate the AFFAIRS
of Il great people. took this ground III
! connection with the size of the lower
| House, the only elastic body that eX-
lists under our form of government lie
said:
He avowed himself a friend to rig
| orous government, but would declare
| at the same time he held it essentlai
| that the popular branch of it should De
on a broad foundation. He was serl-
| ously of the opinion that the House oi
| Representative was on so narrow Il
scale as to be really dangerous ana 10
warrant a jealousy in the people 1or
| their liberties"
! The clause that he was then discuss
ing provided for Go representatives. ana
was finally fixed at so. The very Coii
stitution itself, by its provisions anu
its terms, contemplates graduai ~
| crease in the size of this great repre-
sentative elastic body in order 10 heep
pace with the development ana III
| creasing population of the Repupiic'
provides for an apportionment every ~
wears, after a census shall nave peei'
taken, and the very instrument con
| templates an increase in the Si-e vi
| IL limit WHICH, L