Mr. BROMWELL. Well then, sir, I apprebend that the sum and substance of the amendment proposed is to base representation upon the number of voters in the State: thatis, upon thelegally qualified malevoters, and that amendment, so far as I am concerned, I am ready to accept. I doubt, however. our being able to carry it before the Legislatures. I think there are several things that we oughtto consider here: 1st, we want an amendment that will satisfy this House; 2ndly, an amendment that will do justice; and 3rdly, an amendment that will become effectual. I will read the amendment that] intended to propose merely that the ideas embodied in it may be communicated to gentlemen who may desire hereafter to alter the phase which this matter has assumed. I should have proposed, and shall now propose at the 1st opportunity, this as the basis of representation: Representation in the HoRep of the U.S shall be apportioned among the giuflneibrccnr toSftaitnehsaibni ttahnetssaimneeparcohpoSrttaioten troestpheeewtihvoelley (excluding Indians not taxed) as the number of mule citizens qualified by the laws of such States to vote for representatives in the most numerous branch of the Legislature thereof is to the whole number of such citizens in such States. the enumeration and apportionment thereof to be made in such manner as Congress shall by law direct. I believe that I. am safe in saying that a representation based upon that apportionment would be such that whether a State disfranchised its citizens by property qualification, or by rncje or color, its basis of representation in this House would diminish precisely in proportion to the votes cut off. whFor instance, we will suppose that a State has 70,000 inhabitants, of which tell;, 1,000 are male citizens over 21 years of age. Now, if that State should cut off 3000 of its male citizens by a ert qualification, or by any other, it wporonp(1 re(ace the basis of representation here from 70,000 to 49,000, and so on with agreater or reduction of the qualified voters. If, on the other hand, a State is situated, as is claimed to be the case with some of the NewEngland States, so that it has an excess of female population, or other non-voters, in that case, by cutting down this basis of representation, its representation here would be decreased in the same proportion as the number of its actual voters bears to the number of its actual poulation. I know it has been objected that this idea is the same as the one founded upon actual voters. But it is not so, because it is based on poulation 1st, and then as restrictions are made by the laws of the State it goes back continually upon population, and never upon actual voters. Now, sir, I wish to say that I for one am for amending the constitution in reference to Representation in this Hall. I think 70 years is long enough for 15, 20 or 30 Representatives to sit here, and m e laws to aply to northern people, with no constituencies behind them. Ythink it has been seen enough that a large number of persons calollnegi property made property by the laws of the States, shall give to the oligarchs of those particular districts of country the right to outvote the independent men of the North, of the free States, where some a proximation has been made to securing Gogiven rights to all inhabitants. I think that it is wrong that the further a State recedes from common right and common justice the more power the oligarchy which controls it shall grasp in their hands; and I desire that this amendment shall be made so that it shall bear down upon that abuse with the crushing power of 3/4ths of the legislatures of the Union. am astonished to hear gentlemen, like some who addressed us the other day, exrcss themselves so exceedingly anxious thatt e southern States shall have the benefit of these negroes in their representation here in Congress, and still are not willing that these negroes shall choose, or have a voice in choosing, their Representatives here. If the negroes are to be Represented, then let them have a voice in choosing the men to represent them, as Democrats do, as Republicans do, and as ail honest men ought to wish to do and see done by others. If the are to be represented here, let them have their tcpresentatives by an active living voice, representing their interests. But if they are to have no political rights that a white man is bound to respect, then let their voices be silent here also. Sir, what is the idea of representation? The idea is that the Representative represents certain men. All persons entitled to a voice in the Government are not here, because they are too numerous; therefore certain of their number are sent. Their Representative here casts the vote of those who send him here. But how can he be said to cast a vote for men who are not endowed with the legal capacity to vote whether he shall come here for them or not? It is ab surd, it is unjust; it is a part of that system of transforming and perverting the principles of right and justice in order to carry out the ends o oppression, which at all times has been but too successful in this country. I hope, if this JtResolution is not referred to the ComWhole, that it will be recommitted to the JtComReconstruction, so that it may come back to us in a shape to obviate alike the objections from the NewEngland States, made inst basing suffrage upon voters alone, and a so the possibility of any State cutting off its black population by oppression and oppressive laws and still obtaining creditfort int population here; and also further prevent any State from disfranchising i its citizens by reason of their ignorance, at the I same time getting the benefit of their enumeration, while another State disfranchising some of its population for their color loses the benefit of that portion of its population.