Evening star., 1940-08-01
By JAMES e. CHINN.

tliC COiululIltt dS SDOIl dS
to consider the resolution.
BY JAMES e. CHINN.
The House judiciary Committee by
vote of IA to 3 today favorably
reported the Summers resolution
providing for a constitutional
amendment empowering Congress
to grant national representation to
the voteless residents of the District.
Action was taken at the second
executive session held by the COM
mittee this week on the resolution.
Two changes were made in the
original resolution, one of which
would prevent the District from hav-
ing representation in the Senate.
The other would limit to seven years
the period allowed the States to
ratify the proposed constitutional
amendment.
The resolution as amended now
goes to the House where, it is be-
lieved. special rule will be sought
from the powerful Rules Committee
to expedite its consideration there.
Meanwhile Chairman King of
the Senate District Committee an
nounced his immediate intention to
introduce in the Senate the Sum-
ners resolution as originally drawn
empowering Congress to give the
District representation in both
| houses.
Reed Offered Amendment.
The amendment which would pre-
clude the District from having repre-
sentation in the Senate, it was
learned. was offered by Represent
ative Reed, Republican, of Illinois.
a former member of the House
District Committee.
The other amendment giving the
States seven years in which to ratify
! the proposal, it was said. was Of
fered by Representative Hobbs.
Democrat. of Alabama The Legis-
latures of So States, or three -fourths
of those in the Union, are required
to ratify a constitutional amend
ment to make it a part of the Con-
stitution.
Chairman Summers explained to
reporters after the closed meeting
the amendment is the same as the
one tackled on legislation which re-
pealed by constitutional amendment
the national prohibition law. He
expressed the opinion that Congress
would never approve legislation
without the seven-year limitation
proviso.
Mr.. Summers also revealed he did
note vote on the resolution. since
he was its author. He declined.
however, to reveal the names of
the three who voted against it.
Mr.. Reed. it is understood. point
ed out to the committee that his
purpose in offering the amendment
to restrict District representation
10 the House was to meet the OBJ
lection of seme members of Con-
gress to giving the District two
representatives in the Senate and
place it on an equal basis with the
| States.
After the meeting he said to
Star representative:
THE Union of the States was
created by the REIMBURSEMENT of
certain sovereign rights of tha Fed
eral Government and the individual
States, and among those rights was
one given the Federal Government to
establish and govern a Federal city,
which later became the District
of Columbia.
I believe the people residing in
| the District ought to have the right
to vote for President and Vice Pres
ident and to be represented in the
Congress by electing as many Rep
! resentatives in the House as they
/ are entitled to by population.
Is Not a Sovereign State.
THE District is not sovereign
State and is not, therefore, in the
same status as sovereign State and
I do not believe it should have the
same rights as sovereign State"
The resolution as amended by the
committee empowers Congress after
ratification of the proposed consti-
tutional amendment to allow the
now disfranchised residents of the
District the privilege of voting for
President and Vice President and
to elect their own representatives in
the House, but not in the Senate.
1t also provides that Congress may
delegate ito such government as
Congress may establish" in the Dis
trict of Columbia "all or any of its
power over said District" This, it
is explained, is to make specific the
power of Congress to delegate all or
any of its legislative powers to
local government in the District,
controlling decisions of the courts
having held previously that while
Congress may delegate certain pow
ers of municipal regulation, it can
not delegate its power OF general
legislation.
Text of Resolution.
The text of the Summers resolu-
ton as amended and as it will 20
to the House for consideration fol-
lows:
Resolved by the Senate and House
Iof Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress as
sembled (two-thirds of each house
concurring therein), that the fol-
lowing amendment to the Consti.
tuition of the United States be pro-
posed for ratification by the Legis-
latures of the several States which,
when ratified by the Legislatures of
(See SUFFRAGE, Page A-83