The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-04-10

io"ouiu ny upupuiatSolc, t6 p0llticat felAll0ns
with the rest of the State were adjusted and
se,led. Fist, the city of Baltimore and each
county shall elect one Senator; although Bal
timore has a population of ITO, 600, while O
majority of the coupiies nave less than 90 :
600 each. "A. -sr 60. a-
The constitution of the House OF Delegates
10 as follows: The whole number shall new
er exceed eighty nor be less Than sixlv-five;
they shall be apporlioned among the coun.
ties according TO population, allowing to each
not less than Two members, and Baltimore
city shall have four more than any county.
The census of 1850 exhibisthe practical op-
GRAFTON OF this arrangement. Population Of
Maryland, 5S3,os4 of Baltimore, I69o54.
1 The ratio fot sire epfeseniative, If f'ihs whoIe
number is fixed at eighty, would be- 1881,
which would give 10 Ballimere 90 members
If the whole number is fixed at six,y-fve,
the ratio would be s, ,960, and Baltimore would
have nearly enough for 10 members. But
she actually obtalns but ten under the existing
spportionment, (n which IA is fixed as the
| "hoio Huhbci "OIuN3 tcSo tndD
one hall the number 10 which her popula.
tioG would enli,le her if distribution were
made on that basis alone In short, she is
putin her senatorial representation upon an
equality with the counties of Calvert and
Caroline, having population of only 5000
each, and she can have but four more rep.
resentatives than the most populoas coun.
iy, containing less than fourth OF her num-
bers. ....... os... r.al. d.. 20,
The basis of representation in South Caro-.
lima is peculiar and exceptional. Her ar.
raugement is the mos, complicated of any of
the Safes, embracing the elements of white
population, geography and taxation, but is d.
recdy in point upon tie question we are
considering, and ii has admirably subserved
and secured 10 her the main purpose Of a
corsiitulion-the equal protection of all the
leading interests of society considered as a
Stale. ~r'-i t-.
Further examples from our American con.
s,ilulons are probably unnecessary; and l
( pass on TO the general reasons iuslifying the
Limitation proposed. I find them sateo with
signal clearness and force by one OF the pu.
resl and proioundest public men of his age
Mr.. Calhoun. He is speaking Of the prin-
cipIe Of the numerical majority, or of basing
power upon population alone, and observes:
at assumes that by assigning to every part
of the State representative in every depart
I'ment OF its government in proportion 10 its
population il secures to each weight IN the
government in exact proportion 10 its popu.
lalion under all circumstances. But such is
not the fact. The relative weight of poppla
ion depends as much on circumstances as
on numbers. The concentrated population
OF cities for example would ever have, un-
der such distribution, far more weight in
the government than the same number in
the scattered and sparse population of the
country. One hundred thousand indiyidu.
ais concentrated in a city two miles square
would have much more Influence than the
same number scattered over two hundred
miles sq1are. Concert of action and CON-
bnaion of means would be easy In the one
and almost impossible in the other; not 10
take into the estimate the great control that
Giles have over the press, the great organ
Of public opinion. To distribute power then
in proportion 10 population would be, in fact,
10 give the control Of government in the end
10 the cities, and to subjective rural and ag.
riculturGi population 10 that description oi
population which usually congregale in them
and eventually 10 The very dregs Of their pop.
ulation. This can only be counleracted BY
such distribution of power as would give
10 the rural and agricultural population in
some one of the two Legislative bodies or
departments Of the government decided
preponderance. And this may be done in
most cases by allotting an equal number oi
members in one of The Legislative bodies 10
each election district, as majority Of the
counties or election districts will usual ly
have decided majority ofoits population
engaged in agricultural and other rural pur-
suits. If this should not he sufficient in it,
self TO establish an equilibrium, a magimun,
OF rel epresenaicr might be established, be.
yond " hich the number allotted 10 each elec.
iion district or city should never extend.''--
| Works, Vol. 1, $685. . ...f..
These words read as if written for this de-
bate, SO directly and declsively do they
strike the very point in question. But, it is
obvious that the equilibrium here spoken of
cannot in our case be maintained in estab.
fishing an equality between the city and
counties in the Senale. Passing by other
considerations, by our practice the election
Of United States Senators and of State Treas
urers and Public Printers, IS by joint con.
veniion OF the two Houses, in which the
House has three times the weight of the Sen.
ate. Our praCiice in this respect is different
from that Of many other States, and while il
has the argument of convenience in its ia.
vor, certainly extends the power of the
House, and makes IFS voice decisive in any
contest. Recourses must therefore be had
to some scheme which shall affect the con-
s,itutiou oflhe How pnd accomplish there
the equalization Of Per desired. d s
| The Consti,uiionsof government provided
for certain of our corporations, furnishes a
lair argumen, by an9 bgy for the proposed
| limitation of city representation. BY the