Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-01-18
rFrom ,he New Albany Tribuno.l
The Ubiquitous and Unconstitutional
Senate Appovti0nment Bill.

These, we confess, are rather harsh
terms TO be applied to a measure Of
legislation. sought to be consumaied
by grave and intelligent Senator'S.
sworn to a faithful discharge Of their
duties as such. And yet we shrink we
shall be able TO show, in very few
words, that the Apporiionmenl bill at.
tempted TO be forced upon the coantry,
by The Old Line Senate Of last winter,
was both unconstitutional and iniqui-
fous.
The 9th section Of Article " Of the
Constitution reads rs follows
"rhc number Of Senators and Rep
resentatives shall. NJ the session next
following such period OF making such
enumeration. be fixed by law, and APP
porlioned among the several counties,
according TO the number Of white male
inhabitants above twenty one years Of
age. in each"
This is certainly plain and easily 10
be understood Il means that the
State shall be divided into Senatorial
and Representative districts according
10 POPULATION and not according TO
PoLIrrcs-lhat a county having 1000
polls shall not be entitled 10 as large a
repre- sentation in the Legislature. as n
county with 1000. merely because. the
smaller county may happen TO be Dem
ocraic, or Wing. or American, or an
TIA merican. as the case may be.
BY the Cd Section Of Article ~ o.
the Constitution the number Of Sepa'
tors is limited to FIFTY. and Represen
tatives TO ONE HUNDRED. BY the emu
meration Of 1853 there appear TO bC
2ie.eeI white males in the State oyei
81 years Of age. This would give Vi
Representative for every elS0 and I
Senator for every 4e60, allowing the
full representation in the Legislature &
which The Constitution limits US.
In the House bill Of last winter thi
basis was adopted. and the apportion
ment made accordingly. II was
fair, Just and equitable bill--indee'
so perfectly unexcepiionable IN all II
features. that but i6 members of Oh
House could be induced to vote agains
il, with all the drumming and drill!nl
of party leaders to compassi's defeat
, IL passed and went 10 Che Senate, I
which there was a controlling najorit
of Locofocos. There it was amende
by striking il ont from the enaclin
: clause. and substituting another
And il of this substitute that "
propose TO say few words; as "
have done on several occasions before
We think there is nothing lost 10 keeT
ing il before the people, in all its cd
Gus features.
: The FIRST thing that strikes The hoT
: est inquirer after truth, is Ahe remarl
able partially it evinces towards thos
counties, that gave Democratic majol
; ties in 1854, without reference TO the
: relative strength Of population, II
= example, as. containing 1897 POLL
vi (aud when we speak Of polls we mea
; all white male citizens over 81 yea
ofage) are awarded. by the Sena
bill, 80 Representatives, whereas the
; are clearly entitled to but 43.
r. When We come TO look o. the pollI
cal complexion Of these counties. '
A tind that SO Of them gave democrat
maiorities in 1854. the other nine b
7" ing very close. having given small m
Is iorilies for the Fusion ticket II
a. Old Line Senate were not witho
hope that they would be able to car
iv the whole Of these 40 counties OF i
= next election, and hence they manal
:" to give them 90 Representatives,
lp Looking at the other s6 counsi''
we find them numbering lei ,064 pol
and to these are assigned but 48 Re
he resentatives, willie they were clear
m entitled, by their population. TO 81
n, Every one Of these 46 counties ga
ID Fusion majori,ies in 1854. Had Il
in anything to do in determining I
course OF Old Line Senator'S in I
urcmisess We leave Il with an int
NJ iiaent public to decide. Th
I'd even cut lle State short OF her cons
ed tutional number Of Reprcsentauy
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