Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-08-04

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The following is extracted from an article In Hunt
Magazine for July, the progress of population and
wealth in the u S ;, by Professor Tucker:
CAS- BY the Federal Constitution, political power, in
some of its highest functions, is distributed among the
several States according To their respective numbers
their relative weight in the Government, besides being
very UNEQUAL, has greatly varied liter every census,
IN Of their very different rates Of increase
"The largest State, New York, tas thiryfou times
rs much weight in the House of Representatives, as
either Delaware Arkansas and tie Sly largest States
are entitled to votes than the remaining twenty,
80 great is their disparity. So grat too have been
their relative changes that Tennessee which, in 1890,
was at the bottom Of the list Of sixteen States, is
the fifth of twenty six; that Ohio which the low.
est in 1900 the the third in rink and that Vr.
pinia which was first, and New YGk, which was the
fourth in 1890, have now changed PAGES.
"But the dangers threatened by tie gross inequality
of power, and The changes which lis distribution is
under going are eectually guarded ngans, by the Sc
nate coordinate branch Of the Legislature, in which
every State has members. BY this provision the
smaller States protected from tr possible abuse OF
the power possessed by the larger; and the comnuni-
ty from those sudden changes of public policy which
might be apprehended from the changes in the relative
weight Of the States after every census.
ain the election of President AMI Vice President,
the votes of the States also vary according TO their Sc
yeral NUMBERS but as each State ms as many votes
as it has members in both HouseI Of Congress- The
inequality IS mere much tndH u w lHe
and the relative wight of the smaller
States receives great proportional increase Thus,
New York. which has thirty -four tlms much weight
in the House of Representatives al Delaware or Ar
kansas, has but twelve times mich in the Pfesi.
dental election that ia, as 80 10 }. Rhode Island,
hch is but of n DIRK in the House,
is one ninth in the election: and New Hampshire, and
the other States entitled TO four vdes have their rea
tive weight increased, on like c'mparIson from less
than an eighth "a 3i) TO a sixth e 36) New York
herself, which has more than eventh of the whole
number Of Representatives., has ss than seventh OF
the Presidential electors; more accurately, herrela-
tive weight is reduced from 10 per cent TO Is per
cent. The States Of a medium population have nearly
the same relative weight in both cases.
| "Tme, which will augment the inequality among
the States, in respects will diminish It 10 others
When they shall all have attained dense population,
the dsproporton between the largest and The smallest
States will probably be greater than that which now ex
Ists between New York and Delaware, and certainly
ne x smallest States bu. there will he greater
sent. Of the twenty SIX States, while eigh!. Of them
smaes. Of the other eighteen has Of upwards
of 900 miles, abou, that of Ireland and thai CT the
largest does much exceed the Of England and
Wales Nor probable, that any State hereafter ad
mtted into the Union will contain less, much less
than Sc, 600 square miles.
at must also be recollected, that, this time
with those great divisions Of the Union, composed oil
States which are similar in modes of industry and
local interests the disparity is far less than is with
the individual States as may be seen by the following