Presidential Speeches

April 5, 1792: Veto Message on Congressional Redistricting

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George Washington

April 05, 1792

Source Miller Center

President Washington returns a congressional redistricting bill citing inconsistencies in the proportion of representatives and the provisions laid out by the Constitution. This is the first presidential veto.

Presidential Speeches |

April 5, 1792: Veto Message on Congressional Redistricting

Transcript

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: I have maturely considered the Act passed by the two Houses, intitled, "An Act for an apportionment of Representatives among the several States according to the first enumeration," 44 and I return it to your House, wherein it originated, with the following objections.

First: The Constitution has prescribed that Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, according to their respective Numbers: and there is no one proportion or division which, applied to the respective numbers of the States, will yield the number and allotment of Representatives proposed by the bill.

Second. The Constitution has also provided that the number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand: which restriction is, by the context, and by fair and obvious construction, to be applied to the seperate and respective numbers of the States: and the bill has allotted to eight of the States more than one for thirty thousand.