Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-01-24

establishes single districts, wbile IL creates
al and plural districts in the remaining
parts. For the choice of Senators, the
whole State is divided into single districts
except lisnH.on county That county 10
u s5e = p'uIi. district, wit three Senators.
For tue choice of Representative. fifty
cognte. are arranged as single districts Of
ono or more Counties each; thirty ceuaties
are made SINGLE districts for some, and dual
districts for o,hs- representative term.; four
counties ste constituted permanent dual
dis r.cta; two counties are made sometimes
dual, and sometimes plu.a districts; and sHs
county, Hamilton, Is constituted u permsn
ent plural district, With eight Represents-
tiyGs for each OF the first four Representt-
tive terms, and seven for the fllh
While thus detective in principle, the
system la}s 20 columcnd ,j.elf by it's prscLi.
cal operation
l.. the largest plural district, Hamilton
county, be cgaGgIrsh, for example, with
AsrryH coaa.y, a.G.ls district Hsni!-
ton county h2> eight Representatives,
while Morrow cpuaig has bGt one. Each
e|ecior in Hsm.,:on, therefore. vote. for
and is represented by eigh! delegates -
Each elaclyr IN Morrow votes for and is rep
resented hy but one. Each eiector IN
Z initsn county may appeal. as a conrliiu-
er,, to eight diTer.st members Of the
Hous. o! Il preseu'stjyes, while eacn elcc-
tJE in Han.i.i6n is thus preferred in pol'tl-
cal Confederation, 10 the elector IN Morrow.
the inequality is aggravated by the refec.
ton that ,h. majority 10y which the sigh,
II
may be less taan that which e!ectE the sip
gle RepsseH:siye from Morrow.
L.. the sane plural district be compared
also, viii "a single district, having the
same asg'egate representation in the more
numerous branch of the General Assembly.
Hamilton csunty occupies the Southwestern
part Of the State. Fifteen counties, in the
North" est,rn part OF the stlte, constitute
eight single distrcts. The Representatives
Of these dircLs separately elected and seps-
rate. responsible, are often divided; while
the Representatives from Hamilton, elected
together, uud comparatively irres ponsibe, ,scs
together and ia concert.
VALE, therefore in the choice Of
Senator Of the United States. and upon
many otaer ereslions, Hamilton county,
with her undivided representation, will have,
practically. eight votes, Ihe fifteen north.
western coustes, taer representatives. be-
ing eqasijy divided, mag hlrs, practically,
mons.
Fur the cake Of persPicui.y. l limit this
comparison to the arrangement Of the Rep.
reseutstivc Districts. Your own reflections
vii extend it 10 the arrangement OF Dis
triris for the choice OF Senators. ..
Ii hardly needs TO be remarked that the
existing system, while thus unjust to the
Counties arranged IN single districts, is pre-.
acial To TIE interests OF the more popu.
ivus csualisS themselves. Its necessary
tendency is 10 excite jssiousies in portions
0: tn. STATE sgsiHSi s-her portions, which
tnGsl prove huritii. Il fails, also, to secure.
ia III. ps0.el districts, satisfactory repre-.
seniatisn o. the various Interests and sen.
tin oa:s OF the people. Ia the county Of
Hamilton. isr example, the political minority,
however -as deTaa ole snd respectable, can
have no adequate representation. Town.
ships pDd wards, with populations which.
with a system OF single tlsticts, would eu-
title them TO separate Representatives., are
liaJie 10 have tbs.f particular interests and
views overlooked and dsTegarf=d under the
pressure Of political exigenciss. CouAtiiu-
ents cannot well known their represe natives,
& Representatives age sbsuNed, in great meas
urs, lrom theiT IHJiyiiusl resp1nsbiiit les to
the !tc0GIliueh's The teTGands OF the pee.
p!e. under EUca c.tcvnstances, will necessarily
be suooydaatsd 10 tins demand. Of poliiiea!
organisations, and public COED mus. often
yidl to Pa5iy necessities. .
TGat .ysteR OF sir,e districts will
pfoys an abs lu,s rtElea, Tor sI these poli-
teal evils. no one, perhaps, will venture 10
cxuecl. | am tgliy persuaded, however, that
it Esud secure a much G9rs perfect popu-
lar representation than We have at present,
and | therefore recommend that an amend
men, to the Constitution providing such Q
system. be sub.ni;ted to iAs pssp!e for their
adopIisE or rejection.
While the true principles Of popular gov
crnnen. thus require the Nost coms etc and
perfect representation of the people which
/. sttana5!e, they require also, and no less
imperatively, frequent meetings of the re.
preventative Legislature, tor the thorsugh
supervision OF administrative action, for the
prompt remedy Of evils, and Tor the due pro-
vision OF necessary means aud measures for
guarding the public interest and promotin:
the public welfare.
The existing Constitution authorizes on.
~ biennial sessions. eIcsp. in casss, whsa
the Governor, upon extraordinary occasions,
may deem himself warranted in specially
canveniug the Legislature.
Undsr this provision the whole admins
tratiVs power of the State is lett for two
gears in the haads Of the Executive and
Judicial departments without legislative
check or limitstion. There can bs no i'm
parchment or removal, during that period, Of
any State officer for any cause, hswever
urgent. Tne Constitutional responsibility
OF State ohoiais, 10 the Immediate repressn.
tatves OF the people, is thus, in great part,
practically nulhfsd. 4 profound writer
has well observed that every departure
from annual legislative sessions is an ap.
proach towards Irresponsible government
and despotism. r.
Numerous occasions must necessarily
arise, in a State 90 large 80 ours, from past
legislative acts or omnssiSns as we'll as
rom various coftinugenciss OF other de-.
scridtious, which, in the aggregsts, will