The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1852-03-13

The apportionmenl bill which was p.....
by the Legislature OH the last night Of n.
session, has not received the approval ~
the Governor, and consequently did M, \.
come law This bill, during ia whole n.o
gress, met with strenuous opposition fro,n
large minority Of the Legislature, o,iu;..,
inp, we believe. in their conviction that n.
number of members was too great, and ~.
in some instances, its provisions were chs,
ac,erizcd by unlarness and injustice. /,
was also regarded as obnoxious 10 cons;
tutional objections, but these were NJ,
prominently urged, for the reason. no do,l,
that it is n gencraliy received opinion. H.,
no apportionment strictly nsiiiui;oncI.."
be made, because the Constitution copt,;,.
in reference TO this matter provisions 10 en-,
hicllng, that it is impossible TO rccoecl.
them.
This subject Of apportionmcnt Is in al
countries a fruitful source OF difficulties and
dissen,ions, and is especially so in one M.
ours. where the rapid increase of pop,l,
ton demands frequent change; aud We a.,
SPAR of ever seeing it disposed Of in man.
uor satisfactory TO every one. The one m.
der consideration certainly did not NM.
with the acqnicsccnce Of ALL and was. M
doubt, regarded By the Governor, after An
examination of its provisions, as unworthy
60 become the law of the land. Ills reason,
for withholding from it his assent, have M,
rs vet been given to the public, nor do va
know that they will but of this We Ara
I hat
have been taken upon any merely technical
or frivolous prcteXt, or for reasons not fuly
satisfactory to his own mind. II is for n.
people OF the State to read and reflect upon
the provisions OF the bill, and to determine
for or against bis decision.
I Connected with this fact, an importsn.
question arises, whether or not an appo,.
,ionmcnt for the next cigh. years can ls
made BY any subsequent Legislature; and
if not, whether the existing Law will remain
in force during that period.
II no subsequent Legislature can make
an appor,onmen, for the next eight year,
and the present law cannot continue through
that period. an extra session OF the Legis
laturc must be called, or an interrevnum
will intervene. because there will exist 10
law under which the Governor can order
an election for members of the Legislature
The prevalent opinion seems TO be, that aa
extra session viii be necessary, in view Of
certain difficulties which attach to the que,
;on-cspecially the one which requires 4
classification of the senators, so that one
half of them should be elected every two
wears. this was not done. aud consequently
the whole body. if the difficulty be not Re.
moved. mus, hold for four years, which tue
Constitution express y prohibits.
The Governor could not, and would not
attempt arbitrarily to determine whose term
should BE- short, and whose long and il he
were to order an election for the whole
number, n contest would arise between
those who might be elected and the old
members
The constitution requires that an appor.
comment be made upon tie census Of 1850
to he in force for eight wears; and it is clesr
by implication that this must be done \, he
fts, session after the enumeration. II seems
therefore, that an apportionmcnt mist h
made by the present Legislature and thai
in this view an extra session must be called
State Gd.efic.