Mr. Ames made a number of remarks to elucidate the state ments and to fiiew the unequal operation of the bill, and the fairnefs of the other plan, After which he proceeded to shew that the States of Kentucky, Georgia, and Rhode-Iflaud would have the mod cause to com plain of tra&ionsor unprefented numbers* But he laid the frac tions of those three States amounted to the fra£tional number of one only of the seven States to which a member would be added. If no nearer approach could be made towards an exa&ly equal proportion, no just objection could be urged against the plan on the part of Rhode-Island, Georgia, or Kentucky ; tor thev would fee the cafe could not be remedied. He then urged the equal operation of the plan bet ween States having equal numbers, and contrasted the bill and the amendment which had been proposed in the House. From aggregate loss and gain on the two modes of apportion ment in the foregoing flatements, fee the comparison more parti cularly between particular States, viz. Virginia has 21 members. The loss, that is, the excess of her numbers over 30,000, is 54" Massachusetts has 15 ) New-Hampftiire The loss to those two slates ? One to be added C on 19 members is 1 to each. 2 ) or nearly as 90 to 1. Members 21 On the other hand, the gain on 21 members, or numbers short of 30,000 for a member, is, for New-Hampshire and Mairachu fetts only, 12848 New-York has n members—loss, or excess of ) i « numbers over 30,000 for one member, is > North-Carolina, 11 members—loss 2 355 2 Whereas the gain to North-Carolina by adding ) a member, will be only > The difference between the loss and gain, or the ? 17072 balance against tbe bill, is ) ; ' Maryland has nine members—her loft numbers f Q by the oill, ? 85 '* Connecticut has seven members—loft numbers } by the bill are, 26841 ( . 2 „.. Vermont has two—loft numbers by the bill are,T 2 5533 ) Difference against the bill is 43860 By adding a member to Conne&icut and Ver- £ fooi mont, the numbers gained will be $ Balance against the bill is The question is—will the amendment* adding one member to Massachusetts, and one to New-Hampshire, cure the error ?— The answer appears by tbe statement, that Virginia will be as fully represented, according to numbers, as those two states, saving a difference of 13389, or within two-fifths of a member. In 42 members, that fra&ional inequality is scarcely an error. In like manner, by adding a member to North-Carolina, the error or inequality compared with New-York, is equal to a fourth part the number for one member—whereas, by the bill, Malla chufetts and New-Hampshire will lose almost two members, and Virginia will gain two ; a difference little short of four members. Mr. Dayton said that if the vote which was a bout to be taken, were merely to determine what should be the ratio of representation, he should have been contented, he said, to have remained in his feat, and to have given a ftlent vote upon the occasion ; but to him it appeared to involve in it a question and a principle of infinitely high er moment. « Two of the members from Virginia, Mr. Day ton observed, had candidly admitted the inequa lities complained of in the apportionment pre lcribed by the bill sent up to the Senate, and had acknowledged the advantages to be given to their llate over every other : they did not, he faid,con tradict the calculations, nor combat the argu ments which had been offered again ft it, but they boldly claimed and exatfed those advantages as a right. This being the cafe, the question was in reality no longer, whether 30 or 33000 ihould be the rule of apportionment, but whether the Jegiflature of the Union were in future to frame their a<Ss with a view to the particular and all moft exclusive advantage of Virginia, and to bend and accommodate their laws to the interests and will of the people or representatives of that (late. It was now also to be determined, Mr. Dayton further obferveil,whether Pennlylvania was here after destined to hold in her hands, as ihe had been in some measure used to do, the political balance of the states, to be the umpire in our disputes, and the centre ofourunion.—Judging, he laid, from the votes upon record relating to this business, and from some other circnmftances, she was no longer intended or qualified to hold that important station. The ancient prophecy, he said, seemed to be verifying among a people for whom he had never considered it as intend ed. The saviour of this country, the political Shiloh, was now among us,and universally known and acknowledged, and the sceptre was about to depart from Judah. Tbefe, he added, were the well known preparatives to the summons which was soon to follow for their adembling at the New-Jertifalem. He concluded with faying, that not I'ennfylvania alone, but far the greateit part of the union would have reason to repent the determination againll: the amendment of the Senate, and of adherence to the original bill. He, for his own part, believed that such a deter mination not only struck at the existence of the state sovereignties, but reached to the very vitals of the general government, and that it must e ■ventually produce either a general consolidation of the union into one national mass, or an abfo- Kits separation of its members. Mr. Venable supposed that a Virginian was poflefled of equal rights with other men ; if this lie a government of compaift, he has equal rights with other men ; but is it a reason, that because Virginia has relinquiflied a part of her rights •when this compact was forming, that (he fliouid not now hold what she has not resigned ? The dispute on the ratio ot'reprefentation does not affedt Virginia ; for whatever ratio may be a dopted, her representation mud always be com plete : whether this be a confblidated or federal government, Virginia will have her full propor tion in every cafe except one, that is, in cafe she should be reduced to a less number than onemem ber ; so that, upon whatever grounds we take it, whether fractional or condittitional, the re sult will be nearly the fame. Calculations there fore are out of the question, and after all thear guinents of northern and southern intereds, of the differences between (mall Hates and large dates, the companion is brought to Virginia and Delaware, and the queltion to drike off seven members from the five large dates, and add tp the seven final'.er ones—Thus is one-fixteonth of the whole representation of the union to be dc duifted unconditionally from one part, & given away to another, which has already more than a jud proportion in the government : for although it is contended that we fhonld not argue from the proportion the small states bear in the Senate, yet I hold it fair, in speaking of a government of representation, to take the whole into view, and not to be governed by such partial compari sons. Under this consideration I fay, that every man inVirginia,as represented in the two branch es of the legislature, is to a man in Delaware on ly as one to eleven and one half, And in the electi on of a President only as one to sne and an half. This is an advantage enjoyed by individuals in the smaller dates more than by those in the larg er, and this advantage would be dill increafet! by I an adoption of the amendment of the Senate : Is it therefore just toincreafe this inequality ? Is it fair that a man living in the neighbourhood ofanother, with only the boundary line ofadate between tliein, should be represented only in the proportion of one to eleven and an half ? I contend that the principle which comes the nearest to hold out equal rights to every man, is the mod proper one, and one that I will always contend for as a citizen of the United States, and as a ci tizen of Virginia. I shall never wish to encroach upon the conditution, but I will be equally a gaind dedroying the balance between the rights which the people have delegated, and those they have retained. 37733- Take the fubjeft in any point of view, the five large itates will fend, suppose 81 members, to the House of Representatives, and 10 to the Se nate, whilst the nine smaller ftatcs will have 31 members in this house, and 18 in the Senate ; so that the majority of the representation in the one is overpowered in "the other, and taking the whole aggregate of the inhabitants of the United States, if divided into the majority contained in those five large states, and the mi nority in the nine smaller ones, it appears that the minority of the people candidate to the ma jority in elections, &c. &c. Government is formed by an aflociation of the people upon principles of equality, and whilst we admit the argument of sovereignty retained to the states in Senate, let us not lose fight of jus tice, right, and equity. He concluded by declar ing himfelf of the fame opinion as formerly, iri favor of the bill ; and as there were no reasons oiFered by the Senate, or for them, that could in duce him to change, consequently he could not recede from his opinion. (To be continued.) MONDAY, January 2. Read third time and pafled, the bill for extend ing the time liinitted for fettling the accounts between the United States and individual states. Mr. Findlcy presented the petition of William Hailell, praying compensation as (tore keeper to the military hoipiral of the United States ; read and referred to the Secretary of War. Mr. Seney presented the petition of Emanuel Ebbs, praying payment of arrearages of pay ; read and referred to the Secretary of War. Mr. Ames presented the memorial of Benjamin Lincoln, in behalf of himfelf. Cyrus Griffin, and David Humphreys, Conimiflioners for fettling a treaty with the Indians South Weft of the River Ohio—praying a fettleinent of their account,and payment of the balance due to them for their services—read and referred to the Secretary of War, to examine and report. A meflage was received from ihe President of the United States, by Mr. Secretary Lear, com municating a rtateinent of the dilpofition of the funis expended from the 10,000 dollars appropri ated for contingent expences of government. In committee of the whole, on the bill relative to the election of a President, and Vice-Presi dent, &c. Mr. Muhlenberg in the chair. The 9th feftion under consideration—A moti on had been made to strike out the Piefidentof the Senate pro tempore,and Speaker of the Houf'e of Representatives, &c. The queflion being divided, the vote on the President of the Senate pro tempore, was put and negatived -on the Speaker of the Houf'e of Re prefentarives was also negatived—The ioth,i ith, 12th, and 13th fedtions were difcufled and agreed to.— The committee then rose and reported the 286 bill with the amendments to tli£ tton^e—Tin House took the fame into confederation—the firft amendment was not : adopted—'the feconc aniendineii twas to insert I'igijlalun instead of au thority, which was agreed, to. Mr. Williamfon, in the House, renewed th( motion to (trike out of the 9th section, "tin Prefideni of the Senate pro tempore and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, &c."— This motion was divided—On the question for (biking out President of the Senate pro tern pore, the Yeas and Nays were as follow : Meff'rs. Afhe, Baldwin, Brown, Findley, Fitz fimons, Giles, Griffin, Jacobs, Lee, Macon, Madi son, Muhlenberg, Page, Parker, Seney, Srerrit, Sturges, Sumpter, Thatcher, Venable, Wayne, White, Williamfon, Wyllis—24. Mefl'rs. Ames, Barnwell, Boudinot, Benfon, S. Bourne, B. Bourne, Clark, Gerry, Gilman, Goodhue, Gordon, Grove, Heider, Key, Learn ed, Livertnore, Murray, Niles, Schoonmaker, I. Smith, J. Smith W. Smith, Sylvelter, Treadwell, Tucker, Wadfworth, Ward—27. On striking out " the Speaker of the House of Representatives," the Yeas and Nays were as fol low : Messrs. Afhe, Baldwin, Brown, Finciley, Fitz fimons, Gerry, Giles, Griffin, Jacobs, Lee, Macon, Madison, Muhlenberg, Page, Parker, Seney, Ster rit, Sturges, Sumpter, Treadwell, Thatcher, Ve nable, Wayne, White, Williamfon, Wyllis—26. Meflis. Ames, Barnwell, Benfon, Boudinot, S. Bourne, B. Bourne, Clark, Goodhue, Gordon, Grove, Heifter, Key, Kitchell, Learned, Liver more, Murray, Niles, Schoonniaker, J. Smith, I. Smith, W. Smith, SSylvefter, Tucker, Wad!worth, Ward — 25. A clause was added to the bill, on motion of Mr. Tucker, providing for the choice of a Presi dent of the Senate pro tempore, ill cafe of vacan cies in the office of Prefidenc and Vice-Prefident. The bill was then laid on the table, and the House adjourned. TUESDAY, JANUARY 3. Mr. Bourne of the committee of enrolment informed the House that they had laid before the President of the United States, for his approbation, the bill, entitled an ast for carrying into effefta contrast between the United States and the State of Pennsylvania. The mefTage received yesterday from the President of the United States, v-ith its accompanying statement were read—by which it appears that upwards of 8000 dollars of the sum appropriated for the contingent expences of government, remain in the Treasury, fubjefl to the future orders of the President of the United States. Sundiy petitions for compensations and pensions, were read and referred to the Secretary ot War. Mr. Lawrance presented the petition of John Stagg, principal Clerk to the Secretary of War, praying an augmentation of his salary ; read and referred to a feleft committee, confifling of Melfrs. Lawrance, Giles and Learned. A meflage was received from the President of the United States by Mr. Secretary Lear, informing the House that he had this day approved and ligned the ast for carrying into effect the contrail between the United States and the Stale of Pennsylvania. Mr. J. Smith, of the committee to whom were recommitted the 17th and ißih fe&ions of the Poft-Office Bill, reported two clauses in lieu of those fe&ions, which they proposed (hould be struck out. The 17th and 18th feftions were expunged agree able to the report, and the clauses reported, agreed to. The 16th fettion was also struck out, and the 15th fe£hon al- tered Mr. Fitzfimons proposed a fe&ion making it the duty of the post-master general to advertise for proposals to carry the mail, either in stages or on horse-back, through the United States—this pro portion was agreed to, after (hiking out the words in italic. A second proportion offered by the fame gentlemen, to author ize the stages which carry the mail, to carry passengers on the poll roads, occafion-d considerable debate —which arose from the circumstance of certain persons in the states ot Maryland and Vir ginia enjoying under their (late laws, an exclusive right to iranf port passengers thro these states. The Hotlfe adjourned with out coming to a decision. NEW CITY Of WASHINGTON The following description is annexed to the plan of the City oj IV afhingtcn, in the dijlrtft of Columbia, as sent to Congress by the President fotue days ago. Plan-os the City intended for the permanent feat of the Government of the) United States, pro je<fied agreeably to the direction of the Presi dent of the United Slates, in pursuance of an A(ft of Congrel's, pafled on the 16th of July, 1790, " establishing the permanent feat 011 the banks ofthe Poto\vi«ack"--By Peter Charles L'ENKA NT. Observations explanatory of ths plan I. v 8 HE positions for the different grand edi- X sices, and for the leveral grand squares or areas of different (hapes as they are laiddown, were firft determined on the most advantageous ground, commanding the most extensive prof pedts, and the better fufceptibl'e of such improve ments as the various interests of the several ob jects may require. 11. Lines or avenues of diredl communication have been devised to connect the separate and most distant objetfts with the principals, and to preserve through the whole a reciprocity of fight at the fame time. Attention has been paid to t lie palling of t hole leading avenues over the molt favorable ground for profnedt and convenience. 111. North and south lines, interfered by o ihers ruimingdue east and weft, make the diftri- YEAS, NAYS. YEAS. NATS. /
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