Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-01
REPORT OF
Senate Committee on
the District OF
Columbia.
SUBMITTED FEB. 20. 1922,
Senator Jones of Washington
SUBMITTED FEB. 20, 1922.

Senator Jones of Washington
(Report No. 5O7. 67th Congress, I'd
Session. to Accompany 8. j. Res.
1852
Your committee having carefully
considered Senate joint resolution ID"
and having held full hearings at
which both the advocates and the OPP
ponents of this resolution were heard
report the resolution favorably ana
recommend that it be passed, anu
that the proposed constitutional
amendment be submitted to the states
for ratification.
Senate Joint resolution 1SS proposes
amendment of the Constitution or the
United States by inserting at end of
section 8, article w. the following
words:
THE Congress shall have power to
admit to the status of citizens of a
state the residents of the District
constituting the seat of the govern
ment of the United States. created by
article l, section S. for the purpose
of representation in the Congress and
among the electors of President and
Vice President, and for the purpose
of suing and being sued in the courts
of the United States under the pro-
visions of article III, section 2.
when the Congress shall exercise
this power the residents Of such Dis
shoy ha 1o1 IN al nr
two senators, as determined by the
Congress, representatives in the
House, according to their numbers as
determined by the decennial enumer-
alton. and presidential electors equal
in number to their aggregate repre-
sentation in the House and Senate.
THE Congress shall provide by law
the qualification OF voters and the
time and manner of choosing the sem
ator or senators, the representative
or representatives. and the electors
herein authorized.
The Congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be neces-
Sary and proper Tor carrying into
execution the foregoing power"
This resolution thus proposes: I'd
\ new constitutional power for Con-
gress; te) new right and power for
joyed when Congress in it's discretion
shall exercise its new constitutional
power
new Power for Congress; New Right
for District.
1. The new constitutional power for
Congress which is sought is the power
TO grant national voting representa-
ton to residents of the District in
House. Senate, and electoral college.
with access to the federal courts
without depriving Congress of the
power of exclusive legislation over
the seat of government given by Sec
ton s, article !, of the Constitution;
without making a state of the Dis
trict; and without granting to resi-
dents Of the District any other privi-
leges, powers, and attributes of citi-
Gems of a state than those specifically
enumerated.
2. The privilege, right, and power
to be enjoyed by residents OF the Dis
trict, when the amendment shall have
been ratified, and when the new power
OF Congress shall have been exercised,
IS voting participation by the District
residents ON American principles in
the national government which taxes
tnem, makes all laws for them, and
sends them and their sons to war; and
access like that of citizens OF a state
to the federal courts, their relation
10 which is now. the United States
Supreme Court has said, on lower
pane tnan that of aliens.
Ratlf1catIon of the proposed consti-
tutional amendment will thus cure
the impotency of Congress to grant
national representation to any part
of the territory belonging to the
United States, by extending this
power to the District constituting
the seat of government of the United
States, and will tend to cure the i'm
potency of the District to participate
on American principles in the national
government.
Curing TwOfOld ImpOtency.
Your committee are convinced that
both impotencies should be cured
that of Congress at once. and that of
the District at the fitting time in the
future in the judgment of Congress
We agree that Congress should not
be impotent to grant national repre-
sentation TO any group of Americans
qualified under the usual tests for
such representation. And we agree
that the District people should not be
impotent to participate like other
after demonstration of fitness in pop
ulation. resources. and other Ameri-
can attributes, provided such repre-
sentation can be secured without
destroying or impairing the power
of exclusive legislation in the Dis
trict now possessed by Congress. We
are convinced that adoption of S. j.
Res. 1873 and ratification of the con-
stitutional amendment proposed by
1t will result in curing both impoten-
cies, without disturbing in the least
the exclusive legislative power Of
Congress i the District.
We see 10 reason whatever why
Congress should not approve this
grant to itself of a new constitutional
power. extending it's existing powers
on logical and EQUITABLE lines. with
out committing Congress as to when
or how 1t shall exercise this power.
Rounding Out Equitably Powers Of
Congress.
Under the power to admit new
states and to regulate territory be-
longing to the United States, Congress
now has the power to admit to repre-
sentation in Congress and the electoral
college the people Of all the territory
belonging to the United States except
the District constituting the seat of
government of the United States.
The constitutional provision giving
Congress the power Of exclusive
legislation In the seat Of government
deprives Congress of the power to
admit the seat of government to
representation in Congress and the