New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-24

the last Congress to form State Constitution and
apply for admission into the Union. The act was
appropriate and timely, and met with little or no
objection. 1t failed, however, to specify as every
act of this kind should, the number Of Represents
tyes in Congress TO which the embryo State should
be entitled, and out of that, with other lapses,
serious difficulties and perplexites have aiisen. In
due time, State COnstitutOn Was formed, most
irregularly indeed, but under circumstances which
showed clearly that Minnesota had an adequate
population and was sincerely DESTROYS of entering
the Union as State. This Constitution was
republican in its character, and generally unex-
ceptionabe, but it provided for the election OF
three Members of Congress, 70 Le chosen ny general
ticket. Now the XXyIIth Congress, in fixing toe
last Apportionment but one, embodied in the act
this excellent provision:
"Thst in eve,y case when State is entitled TO
more than one Representative, the number TO which
each State shall be entitled under this spporionment
ahell be elected by districts composed OF contiguous
territory equsl in number TO the number OF Repre-
sentatives to which ssid State may be entitled, no ono
district eectng more than one Representative.
The Federal Constitution expressly authorizes
Congress to regulate the lAanner Of choosing Mem
bers. The above regulation is not merely onsti-
tuticnal and equitable; it is miaenty proper and
necessary. In its absence, State, choosing six or
eight Members for years chose their Members
by General Ticket, sitting the voice of minor
tiles and virtually removing the selection Of Rep
resentatives from the People to a political State
Convention. Under this system, NeS-fork and
Ohio would have been represented wholly BY Re-
publicans; PerDsylysnia and Indiana entirely by
Democrats The Single District rule adopted
by the XXVIIth Congress is 30 fair, so benehcent,
so necessary. that there should never have been
whisper of opposition to it.
But New-Hampshire, Georgia, Missouri and
Mississippi, being then all ultra Democratic States
and seeing that party advantage vas to be gained
by defying and multiplying the above provision OF
law, elected their Representatives to the next
House in defiance Of it, aud that House, by "a patty
vote. admitted the Members so chosen-the Com
mittee Of Elections having reported the following;
"Resolred That the section OF A act for the APP
portionment of Representatives smonS several states
according TO the sixth census, approved june -,
1872 is not law made in pursuance OF the Consu,
tuition OF the United States and valid operative and
binding upon the States
Under the sanction of the precedent thus set the
IMMUNITY thus proclaimed, Members continued TO
be- chosen BY certain States In defiance Of the above
provision Of law, which vas never repealed. II has,
indeed. been contended, with some plsusbility,
that the words "ths spportio lment," in the
clause above printed limited the durston OF the
provision 90 that it is no longer operatives yet the
clear nien, to require each state 70 choose it'
Representatives BY single districts until Congress oy
law .hould otherwise direct.
Minnesota, as already stated, claimed three
Members. and ordered their election BY General
Ticket. An election was so held LAST October, and
resulted in the choice of three Democrsts-through
hat sbomnabe frauds both IN polling Illegal votes
and in returning and counting votes really poled,
our readers already know. But census soon
after taken showed total population et only
1874 600 which 8 liberal addition for persons over
looked in such apathless wilderness as much Of Min
pe,ota still is could not raise above 80 co., The total
vote reported st the intensely excited election of
ls,t Fall was between Thity.fye snd Thirty-siI
Thousapd-a large share Of It VIGOROUSLY frsudu-
lent. Gail the honest legal vote Thlrty-three
thousand. and il would indicate a population of
NOT more than one Hundred and Fifty Thousand,
the proportion Of adult males IN new and rapidly
.ettled region being uniformly large. Congress, in
view Of all the facts, allowed Minnesota tao Mem
hers. which was certainly liberal, especially since
Lew Censu. and Apportionment are c'.e at hand.
But how shall these two Members be ascertsined
and distinguished A Little more than Eighteen
thousand votes, including tho.e Of Indians. aleas,
Io,-re.idsnts aud at least 0ne Thousand that no.
t,dy eyea pretended to cast, We're rtsraed 3r