The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Seventeenth Congress, Second Session Page: 175
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175
HISTORY OF CONGRESS.
176
■Senate.
Amendment to the Constitution.
January, 1823.
memorial was read, and referred to the Committee
on the District of Columbia.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the
Whole, the consideration of the bill for the relief
of Samuel Buel; and, on motion, it was laid on
■the table.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the
"Whole, the consideration of the bill, entitled "An
-act to make perpetual an act passed the 3d day of
March, 1817, entitled 'An act to continue in force
-an act, entitled 'An act further to provide for the
•collection of duties on imports and tonnage,''
..passed 3d day of March, 1815, and for other pur-
poses; and, on motion, the further consideration
thereof was postponed until Wednesday next.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the
Whole, the consideration of the bill, entitled "An
act further to regulate the entry of merchandise
imported into the United States from any adjacent
territory; and, on motion, the further considera-
tion thereof was postponed until Monday next.
The Senate resumed, as in Commitiee of the
Whole, the consideration of the bill, entitled "An
act for laying out and making a road from the
lower rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie to the
western boundary of the Connecticut Western
Reserve, in the State of Ohio, agreeably to the
provisions of the Treaty of Brownstown," together
with the amendment reported thereto by the Com-
mittee on Roads and Canals ; and, on motion, the
further consideration thereof was postponed until
Monday next.
The Senate, on motion of Mr. Lloyd, of Mas-
sachusetts, took up, in Committee of the Whole,
the bill for the erection of a monument over the
tomb of the late Vice President, Elbridge Gerry.
Mr. Lloyd submitted a few remarks on the
circumstances which had delayed this act until
the present time, and moved to make the appro-
priation of one thousand dollars, which was
agreed to.
The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for
a third reading; and, having been reported en-
grossed, it was read a third time, by unanimous
consent, passed, and sent to the House of Repre-
sentatives for concurrence.
The Senate took up the resolution offered yes-
terday by Mr. Kelly, of Alabama, which he
modified to read as follows :
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be
instructed to inquire into the expediency of dividing
the State of Alabama into two judicial districts ; and,
also, into the expediency of providing by law for hold-
ing a district court of the United States at Hunts-
ville.
Mr. Kelly offered a few remarks in explana-
tion, referring to the geographical circumstances
of the State, the remoteness of the great body of
those who were sued by non-residents of the Slate,
from the present seats of justice, the burdensome
expenses this threw upon them, as the marshal
charged his fees by mileage, &c., to show the
propriety of the change he proposed.
The resolution was agreed to.
The Senate next proceeded to the consideration
of the bill from the House of Representatives in
addition to the act providing for the prompt settle-
ment of public accounts.
Mr. Rcggles explained the object of the bill
and its expediency, (being a general, bill to au-
thorize the equitable settlement of accounts in the
office of the Third Auditor, in the absence of cer-
tain evidence now required by the forms of that
office, instead of requiring the individual in each
case to obtain the sanction of Congress for such
settlement by a special law, as is and has been
the practice heretofore.) He offered an amend-
ment making the final reference, in case of disa-
greement, to the Second Comptroller instead of
the Secretary of War, as proposed by the bill;
which amendment was agreed to; and then
The bill was postponed until to-morrow.
AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION.
On motion of Mr. Dickerson, the Senate took
up (for the purpose of allowing Mr. D. to offer an
amendment thereto) the resolution introduced by
Mr. Taylor, of Virginia, proposing an amend-
ment to the Constitution of the United States as
regards the election of the President of the Uni-
ted States.
Mr. Dickerson then submitted the following,
as a substitute for a resolution of Mr. Taylor ;
which was read, and ordered to be printed.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America, in Congress
assembled, two-thirds of both Houses concurring, That
the following amendment to the Constitution of the
United States be proposed to the Legislatures of the
several States, which, when ratified by the Legisla-
tures of three-fourths of the States, shall be valid to
all intents and purposes, as part of the said Consti-
tution :
" That, for the purpose of choosing Representatives
in the Congress of the United States, each State shall,
by its Legislature, be divided into a number of dis-
tricts, equal to the number of Representatives to which
such State may be entitled. The districts shall be
formed of contiguous territory, and contain, as nearly
as may be, an equal number of persons entitled by the
Constitution to be represented, or of persons qualified
to vote for members of the most numerous branch of
the State Legislature. In each district, the persons
qualified to vote shall choose one Representative.
" That, for the purpose of choosing Electors of Pres-
ident and Vice President of the United States, the
persons qualified to vote for Representatives in each
district shall choose one Elector; and, at the same
time, the two additional Electors, to which each
State is entitled, shall be chosen by the persons
so qualified to vote, in such manner as the Legislature
of the State shall direct. The Electors, when con-
vened at the time and place prescribed by law for the
purpose of voting for President and Vice President of
the United States, shall have power, in case any of
them shall fail to attend, to choose an Elector or Elec-
tors, in place of him or them so failing to attend. The
division of States into districts, as hereby provided for,
shall take place immediately after this amendment
shall be adopted, and immediately after every future
census and apportionment of Representatives under
the same ; and such districts shall not be altered until
a subsequent census shall have been taken, and an
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Gales and Seaton. The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Seventeenth Congress, Second Session, book, 1855; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30367/m1/86/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.