Mr. DAVIS. I offer an amendment in line 4, after the word “ Legislatures, ” to insert the words “next hereafter to be chosen in each State.” I will only say a word on this amendment. My object is to bring the question before the people, that they may have an opportunit of considering and acting on the subject. the Legislatures of most of the States were elected before the subject of this particular preposition of amendment was thrown before the countr. The consequence is, that it could be broug t before Legislatures that had been elected by their constituencies when this proposed amendment was not a question in the canvass and before the people in regard to which they elected their different Legislatures. My object, as every gentleman will immediately perceive, is, thatt e principle of our Government, which lies at its foundation, shall be adhered to in the matter of this amendment; that is, that the amendment shall be made, if at all, by the people. At this time half of the legislatures, it is said, are in session, or more than half; some 20 or 22. I have no doubt from what we see in the papers that probably all the Legislatures that are in session in the free States would vote in favor of the amendment; and yet if the proposition of amending the Constitution was thrown before the people of all the States, 1/2 of those States would vote against the amendment. That would involve the country in this dilemma: that the Legislatures of the States would adopt an amendment to the Constitution to which the people were opposed, and that the Legislatures of those States would vote for the adoption of that particular amendment, when if the amendment was submitted to their constituencies now or had been before they were elected, their constituents would vote against it. It is for the purpose of bringing the proposed amendment to the test of the true sorerei n power of the nation, the people, that I me e this motion. It is simplyt at the Legislatures to which the amendment shall be submitted shall be hereafter chosen by their constituents. I suppose that no gentleman who is favorable to the great principle of our Government would oppose that proposition. Have not the people a right, is it not their right, and is it not the best policy in relation to changing our fundamental law, that every proposition to make such a change shall be conSidered by the people, that they shall have an opportunity to Judge of it and to act upon it when they are called upon to elect their members of the legislature who are to adopt orrejectthe particular proposition? Can a proposition than that be more just, reasonable, an proper? Itherefore liOpe that this amendment will prevail; at any rate, I ask for the yeas&nays unit. The yens&nays were ordered; and being taken, resulted yous 12, nays 31; ABSENT 7. So the amendment was rejected.