Mr. JOHNson] If the term of the President is to be 6 years, should we not abolish the office of VEEP? Are you willing to take the chance of a Wico President becoming President, for instance a few weeks after the beginning of the 6 years' term, and then serving out that full term. Now, we all know in point of fact that the VEEP is nominated often as a sort of balance to the nomination of the President. It is with a view to certain political considerations and possibly to aid the electidn of the President rather than to secure the services of a man in all respects competent to be President. Sup: H. therefore, we have only a President and eave to Congress the provision for a temporar filling of the office.".as is now left to Congress in the event of the disability of the President and VEEP. I throw out these views, without making any motion at this moment, for the consideration of the Senate. I submit that we do not meet all the difficulties of the Present hour unless we go still further and provide against these abnormal troubles that arise from the nomination of a VEEP, who, as I have already said, is selected less with reference to his pecu liar fitness than to certain political considerations of the hour. As my friend says, he is thrown in for a make weight, and then, as we know, sometimes in the providence of God the make weight becomes the Chief Magistrate. Now, it seems to me important that if possible. we should provide against any recurrence of the difficulties on that head. But suppose the proposition of the committee to stand as it is reported, I am brought then to the question which was raised by the Senfrom Maine, whether it should be applicable to a VEEP who in the providence of God has been called to be President. I am on that point obliged to go with the committee. It seems to me that all the evil which we wish to guard against in the case of the President naturally arises in the case of a VEEP who becomes President. I say that on the reason of the case, and then I say it on the melancholy history of this Republic. The 3 cases in our history which must distinctl teach the necessity of the amendment which is now before us are the cases of 3 VEEPs who in the providence of God became Presidents. I think but for these 3 cases nobody would have thought of the proposition which is now before us. It is to meet the difficulties which we have found to arise from a VEEP becoming President, and then hearkening to those whisperings and temptations which unhappily visit a person in his situation that we have been led to contemplate the necessity of such a change. I hope, therefore, if the proposition of the Senfrom Vermont is not taken as a substitute for that of the committee, that the words of the committee will be Preserved as they have been reported without any change.. Now, while I am up and the question is in regard to the amendment relating to the office of President, I desire to say that I am disposed to go still further. I wish an additional amendment, one that has not been Presented to the Senate in this discussion, though it is not unknown in this Chamber, for distinguished Senators who once occupied these seats have often or more than once advocated it I mean an amendment to the Constitution that shall cause the President to be chosen directly by the people of the U.S. without the intervention of Electoral Colleges. such an amendment would give to every individual voter, wherever he might be, a certain weight in the election. It would give to minorities in distant States an opportunity of being heard in determining who shall be Chief Magistrate. Now, as we know practically, they are of no consequence. such an amendment, it seems to me, would be of peculiar value. It would be in harmony, too, with those ideas which belong to this hour of the unity of this Republic. I know nothing that would contribute more to bring all the people, if I may say so, to mass all the people in one united whole, than to make the Presidency directly eligible by their votes without the intervention of an Electoral College. But there is no such proposition before us at this moment, nor is there any such proposition as I have alluded to with regard to the office of VEEP. I hope, however, that both of these subjects will not be allowed to pass out of the mind of the senate, and that some time or other we shall be able to act on them in a practical way.