The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-05-27
The Apportionment Bill.


The bill as passed was arranged or com
promised by Henry D.sFoster on the part O
the Democrats and Mr.. Jordan on the par
of the Opposition. The only excuse fo
agreeing to it lays in the fact that the Gov.
ernor and Senate were with the Opposition
and the House in rather doubtful condition
Under these circumstances the bill is per.
haps as good as could have been procured
1t the fates are not against us there will be
Democratic majority in both branches oi
the next Legislature. After that Philadel-
phia will be re-districted, and the chances
are about even in the State; which is a
shame, because there is large Democratic
majority on the popular vote. ~
Our district, as usual fares about the worst
of all; and we have surplus of taxables in
the districtover both the Senatorial and Rep.
resentative ratio. For a Senator the ratio is
1901, while our district of Columbia, Mon
tour, Northumberland and Snyder contains
1885, The first three counties 1869
which ought to have entitled them to Sem
ator muchfather than the 2s, 1853 taxables of
Lancaster should entitle il 10 two Senators.
Where several counties are Joined in dis
trict the discrimination ought always 10 be
in their favor, and where one county is en-
titled TO several Senators the discrimination
should be against it. Lancaster and Leban-
on were formerly district with two Sena-
tors, and have now together 35, 100 taxa
bles, which would have given II, $50 10 each
Senator, number less than is in the district
fixed for Us. But because Lancaster and
Lebanon were Opposition counties they
were allowed to spead, and Democratic
district was crowded. ....
This seems TO have been the general rule
in forming the bill. The Opposition district
of Butler and Beaver has only I4,6Ol taxa.
bles, and the other one of Indiana and Arm
strong only 10, 103; in both instances less
than our three counties of Columbia, Mon
tour and Northumberland contain. The
Democratic countless of Northampton and
Lehigh are crowded together for a district,
though they contain 81 1927 taxables.
But in the Representative district we are
still more wronged. Our four counties Of
Montour, Columbia, Sullivan and Wyoming
contain I2, ,264 taxables, while the ratio for
member is 5,976. The three counties of
Montour, Columbia and Sullivan contain
9,757 taxables; which is larger number
than is found in the double district of Dau-
phin with 1904, of Butler with $500, OF
Potter and Tioga with s,763, or of Bradford
with 9,7i4. But these are Opposition coun-
ties, and therefore the favor to them and the
injustice 10 US. If three counties are united
in district there is certainly more reason
10 let them be below the ratio than where
one county has two members, or where
only two counties are united
But the Opposition evidently went upon
the principle of "divide and conquer If
they could not here form an anti Democrat
ic district, they could at least make one
clumsy and cumbrous; in which, from the
large number of counties, there would nat
urally be greater chance for mischief on
account of discord, disunion, and jealousy
between rival counties unti rival candidates
of the party in the majority.
We have no objection 10 Snyder or Wy.
oming counties as part of our district, be.
we know excellent men in both of them.-
We promise ourselves pleasure and profit
from the new political associations which
our county thus forms from the centre of the
state almost TO the Northern line. But we
do object to having districts made cumbrous
and clumsy with four counties, when each
district ought only to have embraced three
to be fair and just with the others of the
State.