Evening star., 1938-04-24

Your committee, having carefully
considered Senate joint resolution 1873
and having held full hearings at
which both the advocates and the
opponents of this resolution were
heard, reports the resolution favor
ably and recommends that it be
passed, and that the proposed con-
stitutional amendment be submitted
to the States for ratification.
Senate joint resolution 1873 proposes
amendment of the Constitution of the
United States by inserting at end OF
section 8, Article Nv, the following
words:
The Congress shall have power to
admit to the status Of citizens OF
State. the residents Of the District
constituting the seat of the Govern
ment of the United States, created by
Article I, section 8, 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 provisions
of Article III, section 2.
When the Congress shall exercise
this power the residents Of such Dis
trict shall be entitled to elect one or
two Senators, as determined by the
Congress, representatives in the
House, according to their numbers as
determined by the decennial enumera-
ton, 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
Senator or Senators. the Representa-
tive or Representatives and the elec-
tors herein authorized.
The Congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be neces-
sary and proper for carrying into exc
cution the foregoing power"
(Note: The above resolution diff
fers from the pending Capper-
Norton amendment in that the
Capper-N Norton amendment after
the phrase shall be entitled to
elect one or two Senators. as de-
termined by the Congress" contains
the additional phrase "or such
other representatives in the Senate
as Congress may propide tor."
The Capper-Norton also adds at
the end of paragraph 2 "or as the
Congress may proride,')
This resolution thus proposes: Cd
A new constitutional power for Con-
gress; (2) new right and power for
residents of the District to be en-
joyed when Congress in its discretion
shall exercise its new constitutional
power.
New Power for Congress; New Right
for District.
I. 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 section 8,
Article I, of the Constitution: without
making a State of the District. and
without granting to residents Of the
District any other privileges, powers
and attributes of citizens of State
than those specifically enumerated.
2. The privilege. right and power
to be enjoyed by residents of the
District, 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 Govern
ment which taxes them, makes all
laws for them and sends them and
their sons to war, and access like
that of citizens of a State to the Fed
eral courts, their relation to which is
now, the United States Supreme Court
has said, on lower plane than that
OF aliens.
Ratification 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 pow
er 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 Ma
tional Government.
Your committee is convinced that