Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-03-29

10. Callaway. Montgomery, Cole, Mil
Ter and Morgan, 13,446
ID. franklin and Warren, 6,606
Is Washington, Crawford q Jefferson, $500
16. St. Francois, St. Genevieve and
II. Cape Girardeau and Wayne, 1866
10. Mississippi New Madrid, Scott,
Stoddard and Dunkin, 6,311
10. Shannon, Texas, Madison, Ripley,
Oregon and Reynolds, 4,730
20. Green, fancy, Decatur & Wright, $3.50
81. Lawrence, Jasper, Newton and
Barry, 7,16O
o. Polk. Hickory, Camden and Dallas, e,3l2
%. ST. Clair, Henry, Bates, Cedar and
Dsde, 1870
"a. Jackson, Van Buren,, Johnson and
Lafayette, 1926
25. Petts, Benton and Saline, 6,245
26. Moniteau and Cooper, 6,592
27. Osage Pulaski and Gasconade, 6,442
%. St. Louis, 23,0i1
p The above bill was passed by the Senate but
failed in the House-as yet. See Jefferson cor.
respondence.
The minority OF the joint committee 10 ap.
portion the representation in the Senate and
House Of Representatives, respectfully dissent
from the bill and action OF the majority, and
present the following facts as the ground OF their
dissent:
The minority believe the action OF the major.
lily Of the committee to have been hasty, and
made without due consideration. In the com.
mittee, when the minority asked for an exhibit
of the population Of the several districts, their
request was denied, and sufficient time was not
allowed for an examination, either OF the popu.
latlon OF the districts, Of the contiguity OF the
counties or compactness Of The districts The
bill reported 10 the Senate was presented to the
committee, and adopted by the majority, without
allowing time to consider or 20 demonstrate its
mproprieties--in fact, no such consideration was
had in the committee. This transpired at the
only meeting of the committee where there was
any definite action.
The minority dissent from the bill reported by
the majority, because OF the great and glazing
injustice done in the population of the several
districts, A candid consideration of this obec,
ton will make it apparent to every unbiased
mind. BY the census of 1874, the ratio of the
Senatorial representation is 7,OO6 free white
males to each district. In the apportionment as
reported by the majority, there are sixteen dis.
tricts over, and seventeen under the ratio, and
if the difference was not great this would not be
good ground for obiection but the actual differ.
ence in population between several of the dis
tricts is nearly double The Nineteenth Dis.
rict, composed Of the counties OF Shannon
Texas Madison, Ripley, Oregon and Reynolds,
has a population Of only 4,730 free white
males--being 1916 less than the ratio, and
3,603 less than the adjoining Twentieth District,
composed Of the counties OF Green, fancy, De,
catu! and Wright; 1898 less than the Eleventh
District, composed Of the counties of Macon,
Adair, Shelby and Randolph; 1868 less than
the Third District, composed Of Marion and
Monroe; and 1870 less than the Fifteenth Dis
trict, composed Of Washington, Crawford and
Jefferson The Nineteenth District is from 500
to $500 less in its free white male population
than seventeen other districts.
This disparity, in the opinion OF the minority,
is too great to be overlooked or dsregarded
when acting under the constitutional provision
which requires the districts to be made as near
equal as may be. The Fifth District, composed
OF the counties Of Sullivan, Putnam, Gfundy,
Mercer, Harrison and Gentry, has only 5,103
free white males, being from 1000 to 1000 less
than large number OF the other districts No
good reason exists, in the opinion of the min.
GRITTY, why these districts are made so much
smaller than the adjoining district. In our opn.
ion, due regard has not been had, in sevela al
instances, to the contguity OF counties composing
the districts or OF the interest and intercourse OF
the people Of the several counties with each
other, or to the coincidence Of their wants and
pursuits. 1t should have been an object, and
the bill could have been so framed, as to have
thrown contiguous Counties-where the wants and
wishes Of the people were identical, their knowI
edge oil each other intimate, and their intercourse
lrequent-into the same district, thereby giving
them the power 10 elect a Representative who
would reflect the views and wishes OF all, and
not the antagonistcal views of few or only
a portion, of the district. For example: the
Fifth District which has population of only
5, 103. is extended along the northern line of
The State about $50 miles from east to west
The Thirteenth District, composed Of the coun
ties Of Galloway, Montgomery, Cole, Miller
and Morgan, extends across The Missouri river.
In this and other instances, so obvious as not to
need enumeration, this objection applies with
force and persPcuity which require no com.
ment
The bill reported by the majority makes three
double districts, for which, in our opinion, there
is neither necessity nor justification. These we
will consider separately.
The Eighth District is doubled, and is com.
posed Of the counties OF Clay, Ray and Platte,
and contains l4,422 free white males; by max.
ing separate district OF the counties OF Clay
and Ray, that district would have free white