Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-12-18
MIR. MERRICK'S PROPOSITION.

The following is the order, (and The ac
companying tables submitted by Mr.. MER-
RICK in Convention, on the 10Th inst, brief
synopsis of which is given in our report of
the proceedings in another column. We
give it in full so that the views Of our tai
ented representative with regard TO the i'm
poriant subject Of Representation in the Le-
gisla,ure may be fairly understood by his
constituents.
Ordered, Tha, the Committee on Repre-
sen,a'ion inquire into the expediency of
adopting the following articles:
Article lst. The Legislature shall be
formed of two distinct branches, a Senate
and a House of Delegates, which together
shall be complete Legislature, shall be
styled, the General Assembly of Maryland
Article End. The House Of Delegates,
shall consist Of members TO be chosen annu-
ally on the first Wednesday of the month
Of October, by the voters Of the several
counties Of the State, and of the city of Bal
timore, according to the number Of popula-
ton of each of said counties and Of the city
following rule: That is TO say, each of
said counties and the city aforesaid, shall
elect one Delegate for every four thousand
souls II may contain up TO twenty thousand,
and for any excess 10 the number Of pop,i-
lalIon in any of said counties or in the city
Of Baltimore above twenty thousand, and
of not less than eight thousand, there shall
be allowed to each county or city having
such excess, one additional Delegate; and
for any excess of population in any OF the
counties or city aforesaid, above twenty
eight thousand and of not less than sixteen
Thousand, one other additional Delegate
shall be allowed to each of the counties or
to the city having such excess; and so on,
duplicating the number Of souls required to
be in excess above the last number upon
which an additional delegate was allowed,
for the allowance Of each further additional
Delegate, TO which by such duplicating ratio,
any OF the counties or the city of Baltimore,
may be entitled for The whole number Of
its population.
Article 3rd The Senate shall consist Of
twenty-five Senators, to be elected every
fourth year, at the time, places and in the
manner prescribed for The election Of men,
bers Of the House Of Delegates; one Senator
to be chosen by the voters of each county
in the State, and two by the voters Of the
city of BALTIMORE; but for this purpose the
said city of Baltimore shall be divided or
laid off as nearly as may be, into two equal
senatorial districts, each Of which districts
| shall separately elect one Senator; and The
| Il of Al Hall -, h. 1o,l
into nine equal electoral districts, for the
purpose of electing members Of the House
| of Delegates, and each Of said electoral
districts shall separately elect one Delegate
and it shall be competent for the Legisla-
ture at their first session after the anthora-
tive promulgation Of each decenia census
Of The people of the United States, or when
ever the said city shall by the further in
crease Of her population become entitled
according 10 the basis Of representation now
fixed, TO one or more additional Delegates,
to provide for re- arranging or creating 9th
er electoral districts for the purpose ofsuch
elections; but it shall not be competent for
the Legislature to alter or disturb the arrange
ment Of said districts for any other purpose,
nor upon any other occasion, nor to make
the number of said districts less than the
number Of delegates to be elected from said
city; but the Legislature shall have power
at the same decenial periods to alter for the
purpose Of equalization, the senatorial dis
tricts, but at no other time.
I MEMORANDUM FOR ILLUSTRATION -
The ratio of representation here proposed
by allowing one delegate for every 1000
souls mp to 10000, and duplicating said
ratio of 1000 for every additional delegate
above 4, would, i, is believed, operate to the
following effec,--but this can only be GER
tainly ascer.ained by the returns Of the GEN.
sus for 1850, to which we have not yet &C.
cess.
|, would give to-
No. of Delegates. Loss, Gain
Caroline county 0
Calvert 0
| Kent =