North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-27
THE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS

fourth of March next our State viii be en,ita, VIC
but eight members of the House OF Representa-"
and consequently to but ten Electoral votes f.,
dent; and that paper, proceeding upon this assn
lion desires to know why the Districts were
of under the late census by the last Assemblr au
also inquiries what course the Governor of Tho
designs pursuing under the circumstances ,br.
forth. 'es
We have looked into Ibis matter, and will
show that the Register is mistaken as TO the
the facts ~ - t~-57 IN,
The Constitution of the United States p,,..,
tina" each State shall appoint, in such name
the Legislature thereof may direct, q number ~ NJ
ectors equal to the aOh0le number Senators ond
resenratives 70 (Which the Sate may be entitled
Congress-" We have already elected, under H. ~"
sus of 1910, nine members of the next CoDc,o.I
who will take their seats in December next and L,
them until the 4th of March, 1853; and tho ~
States will return to the next Congress the Same
Der of members they had in the last. This vier u,
the subject gives in the ensuing Presidential sl00
ton, eleven Electoral votes, and is of itself cor.s
sive but tor the satisfaction of the Register and n
those who may agree with it in opinion, we will r."
nsh additional evidence of the correctness of on,
position. - 1s1ss# --f u
The act of Congress of May 23d, 1850, (sec,io,
pa alluded TO by the Register, provides that from
and after the third day of March, one Thousand sr
hundred and fty-three, the House of Represeutavo.
shall be composed of two hundred and tbirv.,b,.,
members to be apportioned among the several State.
in the manner directed in the next section of this ~
and the next section provides that after the enume,
ton of inhabitants shall have been completed and -
turned to the Secretary of the Interior, that oco
shall proceed appotion the members in accordance
with the act, among the respective States and that
having done so, he shall, as soon as practicable
make out and transmit, under the seal of his oAEc
to the House of Representatives, certificate of tbs
number of members apportioned to each State uDde,
the then last enumeration; and shall likewise mako
out and transmit without delay, to the executive of
each State, certificate, under his seal of Office Of
the number of members apportioned to such Stale
under such last enumeration" The act of s3d Nav
directs the returns be made by the Masbss
by the LIST of November, 1850 but supplemental
act, passed August, 1850, extends the time for maxi
ing returns to the LIST January, 1851. Now the Ser
rotary of the Interior has not as yet performed his
duties, according to the above quoted-he has
neither certified the number of members under the
late census, either TO the House or to the Governors
that the not made in time to ena
BILE him to do So far as this State is concerned
we believe the returns were not made until some time
in January or February last.
From the election for the seventh term commenc.
ing 9TH of March, 1913, down the election for the
fourteenth term, commencing 4th of March, l84I,
N orth Carolina cast fifteen Electoral votes; but in
the elections in 1874 and in 1848, of Polk and Tay.
lor, she cast but eleven votes. This was under the
of $780, the Electoral Districts hayirg been
laid of by act of Assembly at the session of 1s424S
The proper time for laying off the Districts again,
will be in $685. and this duty will therefore be
performed by the next Assembly. If the Editor of
the Register will consult the tables he will find that
MI the States voted in 1874 and in 1s4s, according
to the same rule which governed North Carolina;
and if it be necessary to change Districts again
before the election in 1852. it will also be necessary
TO alter those of the other States, to make them
conform to the results of the last enumeration.
The whole of the Registers article, therefore, falls
to the ground.
The Register, in its anxiety to find fault with Gov
Reid, asks if he intends to wait until after January
next" before he convenes the Assembly consider
Of this business and if so, what is his purpose in
so doing. IS Is there any object inquiries that pa
per, beyond the mere legitimate business Of remOd
cling the Electoral Districts ~ Now, what does
his I" beyond" mean? What sense, indeed, is there
n the above questions generally We can tell the
Register that Gov. Reid knows his duties, and that
lie will perform them honestly and faithfully, in ae
ordance with the laws and with reference the good
If the whole State; and if he should discover any
luty to be performed d this matter he will certainly
he
.enuity of the Register.
The Register also wants to know why the l." Dem.
cratic Majority of the last Assembly did not attend
o this matter. Here is subject which concerns
he whole State. and in which all, both Wings and
Democrats. equally interested; yet the Register
full of the poison of party that it cannot discuss
I, nor offer light upon it, without striking and snap
ing at its political opponents. We have already
answered for the people generally in this natter and
aving done so, there is occasion for aDsweringOr
he Democrats. Judging from the Registers artice,h
he Wigs had possessed controlling voice in the
asst Assembly, they would have remodeled the Eee'
oral Districts for the pupose merely of "keePiDg
heir hands in -they had taste of this remodelIng
usiness in 1s46-'47, and we imagine the Register
you'd have drawn blood if its friends had been
n power. just for the pleasure of seeing it run
q The Register appears to be anxious to give uPsO
Electoral vote as it does two years before the
3 claimed. What does that mean ! Is there any
hing beyond'e Does that paper fear that the SaH
vi vote for the Democrats next Fall, and is it des
US, therefore, to diminish their strength
The Editor of the Register is " some" on statue
nd Constitutional law. The very act of Congress-
which he cites in his article Justify his positonH
irectly against him But this is not all. The C0r