Mr. ELLE. Mr. Speaker, I shall support this proposed amendment of the Constitution of the U.S., not because I believe it to be absolutely needed, but. because there are those, and some of them on this side of the House, who doubt that the powers tobo imparted by it are already to be ound in the Constitution. I beliese them to have been there from the hour of its adoption. They receded the amendments proposed by the 1st congress, and their eXistence is, as 1 will show, proveu by the action of that Congress which was largely composed of members of the convention that framed the Constitution and of the several State conventions that ratified it. When all men not disqualified by crime or pauperism shall be in trusted With the ballot they can protect their own rights, and Will need no congressional guardian ship: and when the States recognize the equality of all their people before their laws they will have no cause to dread congressional censorship. On the 10th of January I took occasion to call the attention of the House to an extract from the debate in the Virginia convention upon ratifying the Constitution of the U.S., which occurred on the 13th ofJune, 1788. That ex“tract was as follows: Mr. Monroe wishedthat the honorable gentlemen who had been in the Federal Convention wouldgivnin formation respecting the clause concerning elections. He wished to know wh Congress had an ultimate control over the timing ace and mannerof elections of Representatives an the time and mannerof that of Senators: and also why there was an exceptionM to the place of electing Senator." Mr. Madison said: “Mr. Chairman, the reasonof the exception was, that ife ougress should fix the place of choosing the Senators.it might compel the State Legislature to elect themin nditferentplacefrom that of their usual sessions, which would rodnce some inconvenience, and was not necessary or the object of regulating the elections. But it was necessaryto give the General Government a control over the time and manner of ch“oosing the Senators to prevent its own dissolution. With respect to theotherpoint.ilwns thoughtthat the regulation of tho time, place and manner of elect ng Representatives should be uniform throughout the continent. Some States might regulatethe elections on the principles of equality and others might regulate them otherwise. lhls diversity would be obviously unjust. Elections are regulated now unc qually in some States, particular] SCarolina, with respect to Charleston. which as a rercsentation of 30 members. Should lh: poopeo an !Mala by may means be deprived of the right of nqirnge. it was judgedproperMal it allould be remedialby(heGeneral Government.It was found impossibleto flx the time, lane and manner of the election of Representatives in the Constitution. It was found necessaryto leave the regulation of this. in lhefinl place, to the State governments, as being bestacquaintedwith the sit uation of the people, nulijeel to the control of the General Government, in order to enable it to produce uniformity and prevent its own dissolution and considering the State governmentand General (lov emment as distinct bodies.acting in dificrent and independent capacitiesfor the cople. it wasthought the particular regulations slon d besubmittedto the formernnd the general regulations to the latter. Wm Ihrycznlwivelu under the control of the State government the general Government might be dissolved. But if they beregulated properly by theState Legislatures, l congressional control in” very probable” me? Be exercind. The power appears to me satisfactory and as unlikely to be abused as any part of the Constitution.” The Convention had already decided that the qualifications requisite tbr electors for members of Congress and for President and VEEP should be those for electors for the most numerous branch of the State Legislature. Hence it was that Madison said: “With respect to the other point, it was thought that the regulation of the time. place and manner 01 electing Representatives should be uniform through out.the continent. Some States mlfill regulate the elections on the “inciplos of a up:3, and others might regulatethe otherwise. ll amt! would ; he obviously unjust. Elections are related now unequally in somu States. particuliigly SCarolina. with respect to Charleston, which has a representation of 30 members." The sages who framed the Constitution saw that it was necessary that the Federal Government should decide who should be electors for those who were to administer and maintain that Government. What had the Federal Government to do with the Legislature of SCarolina? and would not Madisons allusion to it have been irrelevant and impertinent if the article under discussion was not intended to empower congress to remedy.the inequality alluded to by hiring the qulifications of electors of the most numerous branch, when determining those of electors for members of Congress, President and VEEP? He was too precise a thinker and too cautious in expresson to have subjected himself to such criticism. Again on the 24th of January I read in reply to the Gentfrom Iowa, [Mr. as sos] who had combatted my position the following extract from the debate in the tational Convention on the 9th of August, 1787: “ Article 6. section onc.was then taken u. “ Mr. Minisos and Mr. UDUVHRXEUR foams moved to strike out each House, and to insert the HoRep the right of the legislatures to regulate the times and places. &c., iu the election of Senators being involved in the right of appointing them; which was disagreed on division of the question being called for. it was taken on the 1st part down to but their provuuons concerning. dzc. " The 1st part was agreedto. near.con.