Evening star., 1941-08-04
Suffrage
Continued From First Paee)

amendment to the Constitution Of
the United States providing for
national representation for the
people of the District of Columbia.
Resolved by the Senate and House
of Representatives OF the United
States of America in Congress as
sembled Ctwo-thirds of each House
concurring therein) that the'follow-
ing amendment to the Constitution
of the United States be proposed
for ratification by the legislatures
of the several States, which, when
ratified by the legislatures of three
fourths of the States, shall be valid
as a part of said Constitution:
"'Section l. The Congress shall
have power to provide for the people
of the District constituting the seat
of the Government of the United
States representation in the Con-
gress and among the electors of
President and Vice President no
greater than that of the people of
the States, and to delegate to such
government as Congress may eStab-
IlSII lllC4 gill oll VI dllg VI llS lJOWCl
over said District; and the judicial
power of the United States shall ex-
tend to controversies to which citi-
zens of said District shall be parties
the same as to controversies to
which citizens of a State shall be
parties.
"'Section 2 All legislation here
under shall be subject to amend
ment and repeal Provided, That no
amendment or repeal shall affect
the office of Senator or Represen-
tative during the time for which
he was elected.
"'Section 3. This article shall be
imperative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the
Constitution by the Legislatures of
the several States. as provided in
the Constitution, within seven years
from the date of the submission
hereof to the States by the
Congress-
summary of Proposed Amendment.
THE object of S. j. Res. IS, pro-
posing constitutional amendment,
is basically threefold,
"(a) To authorize the Congress. in
Its discretion, to grant to the Dis
trlct OF Columbia national repre-
sentation in the Congress of the
United States:
"(b) To authorize the Congress, in
Its discretion, to establish a sys-
tenn of local self-government in the
District of Columbia, to be main
tained by local suffrage, and to
delegate to such government any or
all of its powers over the District
Of Columbia;
"(c) To extend the judicial power
Of the United States with respect
to diversity of citizenship to con-
troversies to which citizens of the
District of Columbia may be par
ties, just as the same now applies
to controversies to which citizens
Of State shall be parties.
Section 2 of the resolution pro-
vides that all legislation which may
be enacted under the constitutional
amendment shall be subject to
amendment and to repeal, with the
provision that no amendment or
repeal shall effect the Office of a
Senator or Representative of the
District during the term of the
office to which he was elected.
Section contains the usual time
limitation within which the several
States may ratify the amendment.
History.
The District of Columbia owes
Its origin to Section 8 of Article
of the Constitution, wherein Con-
gress is empowered:
"To exercise exclusive legislation
in all cases whatsoever over such
district (not exceeding 10 miles
square) as may, by cession Of
particular States, and the accept
ance of Congress, become the seat
of the Government of the United
States ...
Commenting on this clause of
the Constitution, Madison, in No.
XIII of the Federalist, wrote:
1.-THE indispensable necessity of
complete authority at the seat of
Government carries its own evidence
with it Without it, not only
the public authority might be in
suited and its proceedings be inter-
rupted with impunity. but de-
pendence of the members of the
General Government on the State
Comprehending the seat of the Gov
ernment, for protection in the
exercise Of their duty, might bring
in the national councils an imputa-
ton of awe or influence
The committee was impressed with
the language employed by those who
drafted the Constitution. 1t will
be noted that Congress is given not
only exclusive legislative jurisdic-
ton in the District, but that the
phrase "in all cases whatsoever" Is
added TO make doubly certain of the
free and uncontested rule Of Con-