Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-05-24
THE APPORTIOSMEYT BILL.
MESSAGE oF GOV. JoHNsToA-us RKAsaNs ron
APPROVING IT

To tIs Seaote and House CC Representatives. Of the
Commonwealth cf Pennsylrania
GENTLEMEh: The Bill entitled An Act 10
Tx the number OF Senators and Representatives
and form the State into Districts in pursuance
OF the provisions of the Constitution" has re-
celVed my approval, and, thereH itn, become d
law.
have signed this bill with great reluctance,
and feel THAI a brief statement Of the peculiar
circumstances IL which have been placed will
fIrnsA satisfactory reasonsf for my action thereon
The Constitution requires the apportonment
OF the State 10 &c made by the present Leg is-
lature; that duty was the most important de-
voIvIHg Upon your honorable bodies, and lis
omission would have been a gross wrong 10 the
people whose confidence IN your wisdom and
patriotism had induced them to invest you with
the powers and trusts Of Representatives. A
failure to perform this cath. bounded obligation
would have produced wide spread excitement
and alarm, and would, if tie voice Of passion
and prejudice was heard and obcyed. have re-
suited m great outrage to the peace and pros-
perlty Of oGr beloved Commonwealth.
II il fair 10 presume, that for some valid fea-
son, a bill tor the purpose of districting the
State was delayed in It's presentation to me un-
I'll the 4th day Of April last, being period Of
three months aud four days after the meeting
OF the Legislature. This bill ! could not ap-
prove, and 10 prevent any unnecessary delay
IN the Transaction Of the public business, within
tive daye, to wit, on the 9th Of April, returned
the same 70 the House Of Representatives. In
which u originated, with my objections de-
tailed, IN as succinCt form as ii was possible
for me to put them. From that time until the
l@th day OF May being period of more than
one month, no other bill for d similar purpose
was presented to the Executive Department
At o'clock yesterday evening, within ess
than "a hours of the time fixed by both branches
OF the Legislature for final adjournment the
net now under consideration was presented to
me, thus allowing the Executive less than half
day for the consideration of a measure 10 the
deIberatlon and construction whereof co-or-
diBate branch Of the government had devoted,
among other less important measures upwards
OF four mouths
| was thus suddenly called upon either to
approve the bill presented to mo, or by refusal,
permit the great constitutional Injunction, re.
quiring the apportonment TO be made al this
session, 10 5e neglected and disregarded, or, as
an extreme measure TO call together the As
sembly by Proclamation, to enable them to per-
form constitutional duty, the obligation where
OF they knew existed at the time OF their ad-
iournment.
believed that a refusal to sign the bill might
be productive Of great injury to the Common
wealth, disturb the peace OF the community,
spread confusion aud outrage over the land, and
possibly do violence to the great charter OF our
Liberties. The re assembling by Proclamation,
OF the present Legislature might, and most
probably would, have resulted in the adoption
OF no practical neasures. while the moneys of
taX-burthened people would be unnecessarily
Consumed