The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-01-28
THE lAPFoRTtoNMENr.

This subject will oubtless occupy much
OF the attention OF the Legislature al the pres
ent session, and as our county and neiehbor-
hood are much interested in ii Especially in
view of past injus,ice) We propose 10 exam
inc it at some length.
Senators and Representatives are 10 be ap.
poriioned or distributed "among the city t
Philadelphia and the several counties, ac-
cording TO The number of taxable inhabitants
in each,p every seventh year, in the man
uer provided in the first article Of The Cons-
tuition. AS The last appor,ionmenl act was
passed in 1850, another must be passed the
present year.
By The consolidation OF the city and county
oil Philadelphia in 1854 new feature is IN
troduced into appotonmenis. The seventh
section FIRST article of the Constitution pro-
vides that ono city or county shall be enti-
lied 10 elect more than four Senators" Phi.
adelphia has now taxable population OF
I04,335. Sufficient for five Senators and
fraction of about two-hirds, as we make The
calculation But as she can be allowed Unly
four, The result is that elsewhere in the Stale
The number of laxables required for Sena-
tor will be less than if the city participated
equally in Senatorial representation. |! the
whole number of Senators is fixed a, thirty.
three (lhe usual number) lher after aloIing
-four to Philadelphia there will be tweniy-
nine to distribute elsewhere. To fix the
Senatorial ratio therefore divide the taxables
OF The Slate, outside of the city, BY twenty.
nine the quotien, will be the ratio, which
we make 10 be little over 1900.
Dividing the whole number of taxables IN
the Stale by one hundred (he number OF
Representatives usually fixed upon) we make
the ratio or number required for one Repre-
sentative, 10 be about six thousand. Pha-
.delphia will therefore get seventeen mem.
bers, which will be an increase Of two over
her present number. An interesting ques-
ton here arises must the seventeen be
elected upon one ticket? Cannot the city
be divided into districts for the purpose Of
their election? We are clear in our opinion
that the city cannot be divided in any man
ner for the election OF Representatives, under
the Constitution, although the evils OF elect.
ing so many as seventeen members by the
same body of electors are manifest. The ar
gument against the existence oil such power
will be found stated in the Journal o! the
Senate for 1850 Vol. p. III, in the form OF
Q report from tho Judiciary Committee oil
that body. The committee was an able one
and The report unanimous beside which, u
is TO be considered that The unbroken prac-
tice of the government has been in accord
ance with their views; that is, against The
division of the city or Of any county in lbe
formation OF representative districts.
Fortunately however, provision is made
for this, as well as many other difficulties,
in the constitutional amendments PASSED at
the last session and which il is hoped may
pass the present one and be approved by the
people. The third amendment provides for
the division of the city into Senatorial and
representative districts at the session next
alter its adoption by the people; so that brl
a single election need take place under the
arrangement of electng seventeen members
on the same ticket.
In another respect that amendment will
have happy operation. 1t will render II
possible 10 avoid in future apporlionmen,s
the inconvenience and injustice which are
caused by constitutional determinations be-
tween counties existing before 1870 and
those counties created since. AS the oppor-
tionment TO be made This winter must, how
.eve.-. be made without any reference 10 that
amenoi imant, 1t is necessary TO examine The
dif1,eul,y to- which we allude.
Tbs Cons,itutiou of 1890, Article Isl, Sec
,ion 4. has this language Each county
shall have al least one representative, but no
conntv hereafter erected shall be entitled 10
a separaie representation until sufficient
number of taxable inhabitants shal! DO con-
tanned within it 10 en,ille them TO one repre-
sentative agressbly to the ratio which shall
then be established" Conventions and
Constitutions OF Pa, 297.) This provision
was not changed by the Convention OF 1888,
and stands therefore as if no amendments
had been made. For the third section OF
The schedule to the amendments Of 1888, pro-
vides, that "lhe clauses, sections, and arti.
cles of said Constitution which remain unal'
tered shall continue 10 be construed and
have effect as if the said Constitution had
moi been amended" II is clear then that
each county in existence in 1890 must be
allowed at I'll times a, least one representa-
tive, whether it has sufficient number OF
;axables for thai purpose or not, and that no
comfy erected since 1890 can be allowed a
represeata.ive until lis taxaSles are fully up
Ia ,,hs ratio required. |, follows, for instance,
.sa, Mifflin with $500 ,axables must be al
,s,..s representative, while one cannot be
s,,ir with 1895 Miffiin having
hso hem erected before 1890 ai-d Blair since
Bot /, is 10 be observed that county H.V
;us once attained to The full ratio lor .de"'oe'
nav afterwards bo allowed ono shhough ~
taxables fall below the ratio. The conslllu'
t,onal limitation is exhausted when comfy
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