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Domestic News
February 24, 1826
The Intelligencer, & Petersburg Commercial Advertiser
Petersburg, Virginia
What is this article about?
U.S. Congress proceedings on February 20: Senate amends judicial districts bill, receives Indiana resolutions disapproving Tennessee's constitutional amendments, and Baltimore merchants' petition for trade relief. House debates and refers multiple resolutions proposing constitutional changes to presidential election process and instructs Public Lands Committee on reducing unsold land prices.
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U. STATES CONGRESS.
Monday, Feb. 20.
IN SENATE
Mr. Holmes, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill from the House, "to amend the judicial system of the United States," reported it with the following amendment; which was read, and the bill was made the order of the day to-morrow.
Strike out the second section (arranging the Western Districts) after the enacting clause, and insert, "That the seventh judicial circuit of the U. States shall hereafter consist of the Districts of Ohio and Kentucky: that the Districts of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, shall form the eighth circuit: the Districts of Tennessee and Alabama shall form the ninth circuit; and the Districts of Mississippi and Louisiana shall form the tenth circuit: and the justice of the Supreme Court appointed for each of said seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth circuits, shall reside therein."
Mr. NOBLE laid on the table the resolutions of the General Assembly of Indiana, disapproving the amendments to the Constitution of the United States, proposed by the resolutions of the General Assembly of Tennessee, passed Nov. 25, 1825, on the subject of electing the President and Vice President: and providing "that no member of Congress shall be eligible to any office within the gift or nomination of the President of the United States, during the period for which he shall have been elected, and for six months thereafter, except appointments in the regular Army or Navy of the United States."
Mr. SMITH presented the petition of sundry merchants, ship owners, and manufacturers of the city of Baltimore, praying that the extra duties of 96 cts. per ton on British colonial vessels, and of ten per cent. additional on the duties on their cargoes, may be abolished; and that British vessels may be admitted into the ports of the United States on the same terms as vessels of the most favored nation. Referred.
The Senate spent about two hours in the consideration of Executive business; and then Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. BUCHANAN, of Pa. offered the following:
Resolved, That the Constitution should be so amended as to re-establish the third clause of the first section of the second article of the original Constitution; except that portion thereof which confers the power of electing the President upon the House of Representatives.
Resolved, That the Constitution should be so amended, that in case no election shall be made by the Electors, then the States shall choose the President from the two highest upon the list, in such manner as the Legislatures thereof may direct; each State having one vote.
Mr. BUCHANAN said it was far from his intention to enter into any detail or explanation, at this time, of the amendments which he had proposed. For the purpose, however, of directing the attention of the House to them, he would merely observe, that the object of the first resolution was to restore the original provision of the Constitution, in regard to the election of President and Vice President, to the time when that election would devolve upon the House of Representatives. The second resolution proposes, that, in that event, the sovereign States of this Union shall choose the President from the two highest on the list. When no election is made by Electors, it simply confers upon the States themselves, the power which is now exercised by their Representatives. It proposes that, in making the choice, the States, and not their Representatives in this House, shall each give one vote, in the manner which their respective Legislatures may prescribe.
Mr. B. said he did not propose the last amendment, because he thought it the best possible method of taking the election from the House of Representatives: but, because, after much reflection, he believed it was the only one practicable. That consummation was devoutly to be wished by all, and by none more than the Representatives themselves: and he felt persuaded that no amendment for that purpose will ever prevail which does not leave the balance of power among the States, as it at present exists.
Mr. B. said he did not intend to interfere with the debate now progressing. In case the House should appoint a Select Committee, he wished merely, that these propositions may be placed in such a situation that they may be referred to that committee.
The resolutions were referred to a Committee of the Whole, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Dorsey, of Md. offered the following:
Resolved, That it is expedient that the Constitution of the U. S. should be so amended, that the same should establish an uniform system of voting by districts, in all the States, for electors of President and Vice President; the number of districts to be equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the same may be entitled in Congress, and each elector having one vote.
Resolved, That the Constitution of the U. S. ought to be so amended, that, upon the contingency of no choice being made of the President and Vice President by the electors, that a new election for electors shall be held, and the electors, from the persons having the two highest numbers on the list, shall choose one: but, in choosing the President and Vice President, the vote shall be taken by States, each State having one vote, and the majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice.
Resolved, That the Constitution of the U. S. ought to be so amended, that the Electors of President and Vice President, shall vote viva voce.
These resolutions were committed to a Committee of the whole House, and ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. VINTON, of Ohio, it was
Resolved, That Committee on Public Lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law that the price of public land that has been, or shall be, in market for twenty-five years, and remains or shall remain unsold, shall be reduced twenty-five cents per acre, and that the price of such land shall be so graduated that the sale of the same shall be closed at the expiration of one-half century from the time of being brought into market, and that any land that shall be in market for that period of time, and not sold, shall vest in the Legislature of the State where situated, for the support of education in each State.
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
The House then went into Committee of the Whole, Mr. McLANE, of Delaware, in Chair, on the resolutions Mr. McDUFFIE, as modified by him, in the following words:
Resolved, That for the purpose of electing the President and Vice-President of the United States, the Constitution ought to be amended in such manner as will prevent the election of the aforesaid officers from devolving on Congress,
Resolved That a uniform system of voting by Districts ought to be established in all the States, the number of Districts in each State to equal the number of Senators & Representatives to which such State may be entitled in Congress and each District having one vote.
Resolved, That a select committee be appointed, with instructions to prepare and report a joint resolution, embracing the aforesaid objects.
Mr. ARCHER, of Va. then addressed the Committee in favor of that part of the resolution which provides against the election's coming into the House of Representatives, but in opposition to that which proposes a universal introduction of the District system.
The debate was broken off by a motion of Mr. POWELL, of Va. that the Committee rise, which motion prevailed. and, the committee having obtained leave to sit again—
The House adjourned.
Monday, Feb. 20.
IN SENATE
Mr. Holmes, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill from the House, "to amend the judicial system of the United States," reported it with the following amendment; which was read, and the bill was made the order of the day to-morrow.
Strike out the second section (arranging the Western Districts) after the enacting clause, and insert, "That the seventh judicial circuit of the U. States shall hereafter consist of the Districts of Ohio and Kentucky: that the Districts of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, shall form the eighth circuit: the Districts of Tennessee and Alabama shall form the ninth circuit; and the Districts of Mississippi and Louisiana shall form the tenth circuit: and the justice of the Supreme Court appointed for each of said seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth circuits, shall reside therein."
Mr. NOBLE laid on the table the resolutions of the General Assembly of Indiana, disapproving the amendments to the Constitution of the United States, proposed by the resolutions of the General Assembly of Tennessee, passed Nov. 25, 1825, on the subject of electing the President and Vice President: and providing "that no member of Congress shall be eligible to any office within the gift or nomination of the President of the United States, during the period for which he shall have been elected, and for six months thereafter, except appointments in the regular Army or Navy of the United States."
Mr. SMITH presented the petition of sundry merchants, ship owners, and manufacturers of the city of Baltimore, praying that the extra duties of 96 cts. per ton on British colonial vessels, and of ten per cent. additional on the duties on their cargoes, may be abolished; and that British vessels may be admitted into the ports of the United States on the same terms as vessels of the most favored nation. Referred.
The Senate spent about two hours in the consideration of Executive business; and then Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. BUCHANAN, of Pa. offered the following:
Resolved, That the Constitution should be so amended as to re-establish the third clause of the first section of the second article of the original Constitution; except that portion thereof which confers the power of electing the President upon the House of Representatives.
Resolved, That the Constitution should be so amended, that in case no election shall be made by the Electors, then the States shall choose the President from the two highest upon the list, in such manner as the Legislatures thereof may direct; each State having one vote.
Mr. BUCHANAN said it was far from his intention to enter into any detail or explanation, at this time, of the amendments which he had proposed. For the purpose, however, of directing the attention of the House to them, he would merely observe, that the object of the first resolution was to restore the original provision of the Constitution, in regard to the election of President and Vice President, to the time when that election would devolve upon the House of Representatives. The second resolution proposes, that, in that event, the sovereign States of this Union shall choose the President from the two highest on the list. When no election is made by Electors, it simply confers upon the States themselves, the power which is now exercised by their Representatives. It proposes that, in making the choice, the States, and not their Representatives in this House, shall each give one vote, in the manner which their respective Legislatures may prescribe.
Mr. B. said he did not propose the last amendment, because he thought it the best possible method of taking the election from the House of Representatives: but, because, after much reflection, he believed it was the only one practicable. That consummation was devoutly to be wished by all, and by none more than the Representatives themselves: and he felt persuaded that no amendment for that purpose will ever prevail which does not leave the balance of power among the States, as it at present exists.
Mr. B. said he did not intend to interfere with the debate now progressing. In case the House should appoint a Select Committee, he wished merely, that these propositions may be placed in such a situation that they may be referred to that committee.
The resolutions were referred to a Committee of the Whole, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Dorsey, of Md. offered the following:
Resolved, That it is expedient that the Constitution of the U. S. should be so amended, that the same should establish an uniform system of voting by districts, in all the States, for electors of President and Vice President; the number of districts to be equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the same may be entitled in Congress, and each elector having one vote.
Resolved, That the Constitution of the U. S. ought to be so amended, that, upon the contingency of no choice being made of the President and Vice President by the electors, that a new election for electors shall be held, and the electors, from the persons having the two highest numbers on the list, shall choose one: but, in choosing the President and Vice President, the vote shall be taken by States, each State having one vote, and the majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice.
Resolved, That the Constitution of the U. S. ought to be so amended, that the Electors of President and Vice President, shall vote viva voce.
These resolutions were committed to a Committee of the whole House, and ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. VINTON, of Ohio, it was
Resolved, That Committee on Public Lands, be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law that the price of public land that has been, or shall be, in market for twenty-five years, and remains or shall remain unsold, shall be reduced twenty-five cents per acre, and that the price of such land shall be so graduated that the sale of the same shall be closed at the expiration of one-half century from the time of being brought into market, and that any land that shall be in market for that period of time, and not sold, shall vest in the Legislature of the State where situated, for the support of education in each State.
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
The House then went into Committee of the Whole, Mr. McLANE, of Delaware, in Chair, on the resolutions Mr. McDUFFIE, as modified by him, in the following words:
Resolved, That for the purpose of electing the President and Vice-President of the United States, the Constitution ought to be amended in such manner as will prevent the election of the aforesaid officers from devolving on Congress,
Resolved That a uniform system of voting by Districts ought to be established in all the States, the number of Districts in each State to equal the number of Senators & Representatives to which such State may be entitled in Congress and each District having one vote.
Resolved, That a select committee be appointed, with instructions to prepare and report a joint resolution, embracing the aforesaid objects.
Mr. ARCHER, of Va. then addressed the Committee in favor of that part of the resolution which provides against the election's coming into the House of Representatives, but in opposition to that which proposes a universal introduction of the District system.
The debate was broken off by a motion of Mr. POWELL, of Va. that the Committee rise, which motion prevailed. and, the committee having obtained leave to sit again—
The House adjourned.
What sub-type of article is it?
Politics
What keywords are associated?
Congress
Senate
House
Constitutional Amendment
Presidential Election
Judicial System
Public Lands
What entities or persons were involved?
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Noble
Mr. Smith
Mr. Buchanan
Mr. Dorsey
Mr. Vinton
Mr. Mclane
Mr. Mcduffie
Mr. Archer
Mr. Powell
Domestic News Details
Event Date
Monday, Feb. 20.
Key Persons
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Noble
Mr. Smith
Mr. Buchanan
Mr. Dorsey
Mr. Vinton
Mr. Mclane
Mr. Mcduffie
Mr. Archer
Mr. Powell
Outcome
resolutions referred to committees, petitions presented and referred, bill ordered for next day, debate adjourned.
Event Details
Proceedings in U.S. Senate and House of Representatives including amendments to judicial circuits, resolutions from Indiana disapproving Tennessee's constitutional proposals, petition from Baltimore merchants for trade duty relief, multiple House resolutions proposing constitutional amendments to reform presidential and vice-presidential election processes to avoid House involvement and introduce district voting, instruction to Public Lands Committee on graduated reduction of unsold public land prices vesting in states for education after 50 years, and debate on McDuffie resolutions.