Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-08
A WORD IN SEASON.

! aee. These are when Congress settles the ps
own members, and when II determines on m
80, vi superintendent afer new census. Tn
people have hitherto manifested sufficient i.,lo.
~ regard to the FIRST, but have been s,r,nyeIv H.
sin' 10 the last, and il is the purpose of IN
,S., remarks TO invite their attention to il, no,
Ia "hey are about to choose Delegates TO that Cor
gress which ia to FIX the number of Repressn,.,;,s
Tor the next ten years
: now a we'll ascertsined fact that the deeen
s.,, Increase OF our population 10 about 33i ne
: so mat our numbers double in something les
tnan "a years; and it NAV fairly be p,s,nms, RI
.n's VIII continue to increase in the same ra,i
! , 'ne difhculty of obtaining the necssssrie
, ne are sensibly greater. Surprising the popu,
~ W eo"''hne 10 double in IS years, in thre
moe terms, or rs years, it will amount TO 1856 mil
IONS; with even this immense population. wbiel
80 DC n''c more than 90 TO square mile its den
+, Ivy WI not be two-thirds great as that of Mas
c,nna, VS. VIII little exceed that OF New York, anC
cannon oe supposed TO imply any diticul,v in OH,
/ aiming the means Of subsistence
"Io"s from the preceding rate of increase
a' congress were TO adhere TO the same rule n
Pooauonment alter new census, the House of Re.
representatives. would consist of a third more ~,
oers than 1t had under the preyiou, eensn., ~ !
.ley were to continue the number of Renrrs.n,,'
uNes unchanged, each member must renrs,.n, ,
S nu greater number OF the people than b.Co,.
Congress has hitherto taken a middle co,,.a ~
tween these extremes Ii has At one ;n.s" DC ~
hummer OF Representatives, and the ratio of r. .n,.
'on' mus the number of member, ba, b,en
increased from Ice, after the first census 10 80
81 .ne nun, that Is IN forty years; and the ratio
VI representation, IN the same time has been -
| from Is, 900 TO AZ 700 ' ' eee" raised
VIII DC perceived from this statemen, ,bs, Oh.
increase OF the members has been much .,.,,as
.nan ina, OF the ratio; for while the former hsy. in.
AT per cent. Ii is clear that this course c.nuo
persisted M Should the number of Ren,es.n,.
yves increase Tor the next term of forty wears a, ,h
same rate as they have been increased The nnmS.s
hFta a r.
"n Ia o'iei period oil our national existence tl.v
Mouu oe swelled TO 55l-a number far ,r..,er ,h.n
any enlightened friend TO his country would wish -
&c III oody constituted as our House of Ren,e
sen'atvesis. But If could bc teconcil.s ~ fho,
NUMBER, who would tolerate upwards of 1900 mem
oers OF Congress, which, at the same rate og ;r.a
we should have in forty wears mo,s1 A .h.n,
Pocy IN TINS particular then imperiouslv reou,,.d
' "u ought Tn have commenced at the las, apnor
uonment IN lsSl-2. But il the people do moi lake
BUSINESS IN Their own hands, it will be postponed
le' longer, from the same causes that have here,o
ioIe existed, and which will now be no,iced.
IL Is known that the States increase yerx NM.
dy, ana "hlIe some double, or almost double
uei, numbers IN ten years. others increase only
60 oe even a twentieth of that rate. Our own
'ae' INDEED, has not received an accession of even
per cent. since the census OF 1870 n CoIlo,,.
a' those States IN which the increase of number,
- IS 'hah the increased ratio of Representation |
% D. "e" spportlonment, must lose a part OF the |
representation 10 which il was preyousiv .n,;,I.d
Now, as most Of the members from ,bs.a So.
A
wen as the others, DESTROYS of RETAINING tb,;r
sen's, ana they don't know on whom the lot will |
,at' 10 be lett out under new nrransemsn, NJ nm.
"S's, sueh members have a direct interest
:" Aeeping me new ratio down to the level Of
the increase in their own Staie or If tb.v c,n,o,
eHect ms IN approXimatins as near 10 il n, ,b.y
Sa"' Inc smaller the number OF Representative, |
Whieh any State loses, the greater IS the CHANG.
"H,en an individual member HIS OF reelection
Sueh are the inducements viii h a portion of IN.
members have TO determine ON n lou ,.,;n n,
sue Is not the interest of their STATE or their con-
sutuents, Ihtir relative weight in the Legislative
Iial Is determined by the Proportion which their
S,a"s" osar 70 me whole population Of the United
IN ahu whether that proportion be greater or !
leSS' u Is precisely the same whether il be 400 300
or less number of members. But while IN. S,.t. |
cannot be benefited by an increase in the obsoI,,,
.uoeI VI us members, without increase also in
vs. proportional part, II may be, as member of The
Sonieueraey, be materially injured in several WAYS
III tue hrst place, every addition 10 The numbcr ~
Inemoers makes proportional increase of exnenSe
Every additional member creates further eIn.n,s
Vi uet"eeh Two and three thousand dollars To saw
nothng OF the increased burthen laid upon The Pc,
Oihce. And as the number Of speakers and snsscL'
es may he supposed to be in proportion to the num-
Der OF the Representatives the Sessions viii -.
Iensihened with every accession of members In |
.''e second PIace-The business is likely TO be
worse done. | will not say, with celebrated
French writer, that every deilberative bodv ,.LcS
eAceeus hundred, is no better than mob. thouoh
the constitutions Of some of the States seemed 70
sa'e oeen framed according to that maxim but IL
uoes seem 70 me That when this number is greatly
exceeded, we Proportionally lessen the chance ~
wise deh6eraton. No impartial observer will s,v
mat the House of Representatives exhibits more |
ao'lty or dignity now when il has 242 m.mber.
t t"'n "heh the number was only LOG. Nor should /
nc be deceived by the English House of Comn,ons |
in this particular, both because there ia Id,
more IMAM one-thiTd Of the members presen,. am
because m Jority of that body are mere cvnbers
ana vote obsequiously as the Ministerial or Oppo'
s s' members direct. They have little more ef |
'ee' III producing confusion or protrnctins debate
lhan u portion Of the members had the ,;.L, -
s'lng several votes, Thirdly and lastly; 1be
states That like Virginia increase most slowly bav
especial interest against the slow increase of tho
o, "hicn IS Implied by great increase Of tbs |
III moeS. Since they are destined Lv The un.on |
';ol'able course Of events to give un !, nor,inn -,
u'eiI IelatlVe weight, at each succeeding censrs
ahu 70 lose part OF their Delegation il certanJv i,
oeVer mat TINS loss should come upon tbem
gradually than by sudden and violent ir,n,i,;on
ihese are always injurious-a always more or les, |
disturb the equible and regular movement NJ ,b. |
PoHHcal machine. We may have oil ILLUSTRATION o1 |
this at The approaching apportonment under tho |
la'e census should the ratio be fixed nj 60 600 |
me present number Of members, Virgin, WIZ
Ieoeral number IS now ,052 900 would he .n,;,I.J
70 out members, thus losing four members yrbch
% Iout umes as many as she lost at the preceding
ePPoi"onmeht, IN consequence Of the ratio being |
hTed so low as AZ 700. BUTT would certainly b,ys
oeen oeuer Tor the ratio to have been so bigb ss
MADE her lose two or three members then In ,ybicI
case she would lose but three or Two members NOD.
In olher words, since she must lose the Ios. IA
better been divided between the two periods ,b, -,
iilI almost wholly on the last States thus c;,c,o
Nsnced may be assmllated to BODY tbnt il corn
PeI'eu 70 descend 10 certain point in a certai, |
Tune, and the difference between the noIcy 49, |
mas been pursued and that which in here
co. IS that which would exist betvssn main, IL
descent 0y gradual and easy SLOPE and tbs, ~
gong the greater part Of the way on a level anI
'heh descending all at once. In 20 years more ,b.
population OF the United States will be abont an
OOO OOO, and suPposing Virginia to increase no fast
eT thin she has done IN the last ten years anj a.
tiouse OF Representatives not to exceed 400 rnsr..
oers she would be entitled to but A. Of tbsn,
who could doubt that the 10 members vb;sL Il.
nus mus lose Of her present number, had better Inc
Il''ueu between the three periods than to fall who'll
~, or even principally on one1
some may think that the fears here Indicated A..
visionary, Inasmuch as majority of the mrnbe,.
may have no interest in fixing on low rail-, a.,
~ answer to that II must be recollected tbnt IN ,L
otates whose increase has been equal or neil,
e1ui 10 the average increase Of the whole the oue
uon sunimportint-and while their members b,v.
no personal interest in a low ratio neither b5v. h,
any IN high one. They have not. thereCors ~,
motives which may serve as a counterpoise IN r.,
wh''e reelection may depend upon a ANAL milo -
AS proof OF this, We may look 10 what has airc.
dy hken place, 10 the anim1ted and anprV deb,,,.
70 which this question has for the L., ,....,.