Mr. It‘ESSE/DEN. I perfectly agree with the committee that it is advisable and very de sirable to have this matter regulated by law, and I am very glad to see this bill brought in for that purpose, in order to prevent the fail ure of elections which sometimes occur in consequence of leaving the States to adopt their own mode of doingit. The thing has been done in my State. I believe the 1st time I was I voted for as Senator not. the 1st time I was I voted for, but the 1st time I was voted for l with any possible chance of success I was elected 18 times on the part of the senete, but the House refused to concur. No choice was made at that session of the Legislature, and the State was unrepresented in the Senate of the U.S. until the succeeding session. should, individually, have no sort of objection to the mode of election provided in this bill. My only difficulty arises from the fact that I fear it may create dissatisfaction in the States that have been accustomed to elect in a different manner. There is something, rto be said on each side with reference to it. The Senate are aware that many evils are supposed to arise from the fact that in England the votes are given viva 1:000in the election of members of Parliament, and man have thoughtthat very much would be gaine by votin by ballot. The people could then vote as they pleased without being questioned. The only objection that would arise with reference to this representative capacity which the honorable senator speaks of, is one that will arise from the fact that men might be under ‘restraints from party discipline, which would lead them to act against their conscientious convictions of what was right and proper in the individual case, and which might brinva sort of compulsory pressure upon them which might be objection able. although I perceive the force of the reasoning of the Senator. Inasmuch as the ballot is the mode that has always been followed in my own State, and inasmuch as I do not see that themode of votingis material, I shall offer an amendment to the bill in that respect. The great object which we have to accomplish is to secure the clect on of a Senator, toprovidesome thing with reference to the time of election and the manner of proceeding in such a way that the election shall not fail. ThatI think is very highly desirable; but after all, you cannot secure that beyond the possibility of doubt, because in requiring a majority for an election, as I believe this bill requires, ifthere be 3 or 4 candidates and no one obtains a majority in the convention, there will be no election. There would be a failure in such a case. 'For the sake of testin the sense of the Senate on the subject, I will move to strike out in the 8th and 9th lines of the 1st section the words “openly, by a viva voce vote of each member present, name one person for, ” and to insert “proceed to the election of a;” so that it will read: Each Houseshall proceedto the election of a.Son ator in Congressfrom said State. Then at the end of line ten I will move to change the word “name” to “names, ” and in line 11 to strike out the words “the er son so” and to insert “all persons;” an in the same line to strike out the words “who shall have a ma'ority of the whole number of votes cast in each House;” and in line 14 to strike outthe word “ such ” before “ majority’t’1 and to insert the word “a;” so that it will rea: And the names of all personsvoted for shall be enteredon the Journal of eachHouse by the clerk or secretarythereof; but if either Ilouso shall fail to give a.majority to any personon said day, that fact shall be enteredon the carnal. That I believe would accomplish the purpose of the change, and it would leave every Legislature to settle the kind of vote to be given, whether it shall be by ballot or by n viva voce vote. We sayin nothing about it each Legislature then would suit itself as to the mode of proceeding. The time then is fixed; the mode)5 fixed by which they shall come to a vote, and very prOperly fixed I think; there is no objection to it; and all that will beleft to them will be to say whether they'will vote by ballot or viva once. I think myself that that would i be better, and I will move that amendment in order to test the sense of the Senate on the subject.