Wednesday, February 4.
District of Columbia.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill for the government of the District of Columbia.
A motion was made by Mr. Gallatin to amend the first section of the bill, so as to extend the privilege of voting for representatives to persons other than freeholders, who are possessed of property in the District to the value of eighty dollars.
Mr. Harper proposed an amendment to the foregoing amendment, that a citizen, not being a freeholder, in order to qualify him as an elector, must be a housekeeper, and possessed of property of the value of one hundred dollars, to be ascertained by the record of the last assessment next preceding the period of offering his vote.
Mr. Gallatin's amendment was withdrawn, and Mr. Harper's, which, though offered as an amendment, was a complete substitute for it, was adopted.
Mr. Claiborne proposed as an amendment to this same section, to reduce the term of a Senator continuing in office from six to three years.
The motion was negatived.
Mr. Tazewell moved to strike out the Senate altogether, on the ground that Congress, having the revision of all laws that may be passed for the territory, and the power of rejecting such as they did not approve, would be a sufficient check on the Representatives without a Senate.
This motion was negatived.
Mr. Macon moved as an amendment, that the Senators should be elected immediately by the people, and not by electors, as proposed by the bill.
This motion was also lost.
A motion was made by Mr. Nicholson, that the electors should not be permitted to choose themselves as Senators.
This motion was adopted.
The committee rose, reported progress, and asked leave to sit again.