Delaware State reporter., 1853-04-26

representation in proportion 10 population.
We have not, however, returns Of the local
divisions with great particularly, though |
trust that, hereafler,cveIy subsequent census
will he so taken as to give us the. precise mum
berof inhabitants i'll each local division in the
State, and thus enable the legislature in future,
to make more exact application of the prin-
ciple. Under these circumstances, | had to
take the best data which 1 could obtain.
l had before me the returns of all the Hun.
drcds, as given 70 me at the Census Office.
Generally, they contained the number of white
inhabitants, free colorcd slaves, and also the
total; but there are one or two cases in which
assistant marshals did not give the separate
population of the hundreds. That was the
case i'll the eleventh division, as il was called,
in Sussex County, which included the Hundreds
of Northwest Fork, Little Greek and Broad
Creek. In Kent county, also, the population
was, not separated, but put in gross in the
returns of the Hundreds Of Milford and Mis-
plllion. With these exceptions, believe tlie
population of every Hundred is scparatelystatcd
in the paper which | hold in my hand
Dividing the whole populaioncf cf the State by
eightecn-the proposed number of the Senate
1t gave, i'll round numbers, 5 600, or, in exact
figures, . 0S5, as the ratio for one Scna. or
Taking that as the divisor, and applying it to
New Castle county, it gives her eight Senator's,
leaving fraction of ., 100 people mrcprosentcd
The same dvisor applied to the countyof Kent
gives her four Senator's, and fraction 0f2 ,I7G.
The same division gives the county of Sussex
five Senators, and fraction of 5ll. | have
given the additional member of the Senate to
Kent county, which has the largest fraction.
On this basis, the Senate would consist of eight
members from New Castle, five from Kent, and
five from Sussex. This is the basis upon which
the calculation is made. ! think no gentleman
can show me that it is not a fair lasis, as re-
CARDS every portion of the Sta:e or, if there be
any injustice, it is to New Castle county. But
did not look to counties further than to asccr-
tain the apportionment
/ assume, then, 1000 or 5,0S5,-it does not
matter practically whicl-as the population
necessary to cntitle district TO Senator We
have to vary somewhat from this ratio in the
adjustment. because we have not statement
OF the exact amount Of population in the school
districts. We must, therefore, take the local
divisions as we know them. In the county of
Sussex, | arrange the districts in this way
Bioadkiln, and lcwes, and Rcloboh combined,
have population of j472. Baltimore and In
dian River have population Of 4, ,593. Cedar
Creek and Dagsborough have population of
4,o94 Each Of these combinations | have
formed into a district. | have. where it was
possible, by so doing, to approximate to equality,
composed the districts of contiguous Hundreds
The population of the three Hundreds of North
west Fork, Broad Creek and Little Greek, in
Sussex county, are given III the census returns
in gross, and had 10 means of separations
4 was, therefore, obliged TO add to them the
small Hundred Of Nantcoke, which, added to
| their population, gave 1887, and this made
I into a double Senatorial district.
\ Then, in the County or Kent, the ffurrtrv,ts-
of Milford and Mspillion were given in the
census returns together, and both contain a
population of $500. The Hundreds of Muir.
derllil, Dover, Little Geek, and Duck Creek are
given alone. In order to arrive at the equality
arising from five Senator's being allowed to the
County of Kent, which reduced the ratio, had
to take the population, in the division, as
returned at the Census Office. | cndeavorcd TO
/ approach, as near as possible, to equality; and
do not think any one can bring il nearer. !
formed Milford, Mspillion and Little Greek, lin
Kent,) which is a small Hundred, into double
district, allowing TO it two Senators. The popu-
lation Of the three Hundreds combined is S.2l0
making ratio Of HOS for each Senator. |
formed Murlerliill into single district with a
population of 5,1l7, Dover with 4,20T, and
Duck Greek with 1886. These arc the nearest
approximate amounts of population in the
division Of the districts that found it possible
to make. | cndtayorcd, as far as possible, TO
compose the districts Of contiguous territory
but found it impossible TO do 50 in the case of
Milford, Mispillion and Little Creek, in Kent
In but three instances is the rule of contiguity
sacrificed, and this was unavoidable in order to
preserve approximation in the population of the
respective districts.
come, then to New Castle county. Chris
tiana Hundred has population Of 1881, and
give her one Senator IIrundywine has 5000,
and put her with the fifth ward of the city of
Wilmington. | was Obliged to take that ward
upon my own general estimate and knowledge,
because it is not severed in the census returns
from the rest Of the city. The population Of
Wilmington, according to the last census, is
1879. The fifth ward of that city contains
between $50 and 1000 inhabitants. | there
fore assumed, as thought | could with safety.
that Brandywinc with 5000, and the fifth ward
of Wilmington, with 1000, making altogether
about 5,20D people, would form proper sena-
toiial district There remained the rest Of Will
mngton. ! put the first and third wards in one
district, and the second and fourth in another
They are not equal. in population, but it is the
best division that could be male. Thcfirst and
third wards contain population of about ), 800,
and the second and fourth Of about G,i00
thought it better, on every score, to make two
separate districts of these wards, rather than
form them into double district. | next nut
together the Hundreds Of Mill Creek and White
Clay Creek, which, together, have a population
of 5633. also put New Castle and pencadcr
Hundreds together, with population of 5,404.
was forced, from necessity, TO form ST. Georges
Hundred, with population of 3G5l, in.o
single district lput Red Lion and Appoquini-
mink together with a population of 1881. 1t
will he observed that in New Castle county, the
districts generally contain much more than
5000 people The reason is, that there is a
fraction of 2,l00 which had to be used up in
these divisions.
/ Now, sir, any gentleman who will take the
trouble to 90 over this arrangement will find,
think, that he cannot bring the apportionment
OF population, in the known local divisions of the
State nearer TO the principle of equality by any
arrangement which he can make, aud | suppose
that is the principle to be carried out. trust
the members Of this body will believe that /
would be incapable of endcavoring to arrange,
permanently, such system, with view to the
mere temporary politics of the day. | did not