The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1862-10-01
Proceedings Of the Congressional Conference.

Proceedings Of the Congressional Conference.
The Democratic Conference met at ths
Exchange Hotel in Bloomsbury, Sept. SOth
1862, agreeably to the adjournment
The several conierecs from the entire dis
trict were present.
-. ENT, from the Committee appointed
to make report on the existing Congress
ioual apportionment made@the following
report.
The Committee appointed by the Confer
ence 10 prepare statement, on The subject
ef the existing Congressional apportion-
ment. make report as follows:
That upon examination it will appear
lha, The present arrangement OF Congress.
sional districts in this Stale, is an unjust one,
and the authors of it are chargeabe with
the highest degree of par;izan sefi>hness
and disregard OF the rights oil The people.
II is proposed to show, briefly, the lead
ing facts in relation to the passage OF the
laws on this subject. including designa
lion OF some of those who supported and
are responsible for them.
In The State Senate, Feb. 26h, 1861, on
motion of Mr.. Mcclure. il was
ResoiUed, That select committee of sew
en- be appointed TO report TO the Senate a
bill appor;ioning the State into Consression
al districts,
Il was ordered that Messrs Mcclure FIN
ney, Gregg, Schindel, Smith, LANDON aud
Lawrence be said Committee
This Committee, composed Of six Re-
pubicans and one Democrat, on the 9Th of
April 1861, reported a bill entitled, IAN act
10 divide the Slate into Congressional dis
tricts for the election of Representatives. in
the Congress OF the United Satesn The
next day April 10th, the Senate resolved
iteelf into CommiIiee of The Whole upon
the bill, when after some time, the bill sas
reported back to the Senate with amend
ments. II was then taken up on second
reading, and agreed 10 with one unimpori-
ant amendment, other amendments propos-
ed By Democratic Senators being voted
down. The rule which prohibits the read
ing OF bills twice on the same day as then
dispensed with and the bill was read
third time, and passed finally by the follow
ing vote
YEAs-Messrs. Benson, Bough;er Bound
Council, Finney, Fuller, Gregg. Hall Ham
illon, HesIand, lmbrie, Keichsm Lam
DON, Lawrence, Mcclure, Meredith Par
ker, Penney, Robinson, Sen,II, Smith,
Wharton, Yardley. and Palmer, Speaker "a
NAYs-Messrs. Blood, Clymer Crawford
Moi, Nichols, Schindei, Thompson and
Welsh 81.
The bill then went 10 the House of Rep
reseuiatives, where II was considered on
the lOa aud 18th DAYS OF April Among
other amendments proposed to the bill was
ore by Mr Tracy, OF Bradford 10 strike
out in the 25th iAe The words Wayne and
Lnzerne counties" and iEserl in lien thereof
the words, Bradford, Tiosa and Sullivan
countless" the effect of which would have
been TO place The latter counties with Sos
Quehanna county TO form Congressional
district This amendment was rejected by
a vote of yeas SO nays 46. and all other
amendments were also rejected except one
relating TO a Philadelphia district which was
subsequently, concurred in By the Senate
On the 18th of April The bill passed the
House, finally, by The following vote
YEAs-Messrs Abbou, Acker, Alexander,
Anderson, Armstrong Ashcom, BarEsIeY,
Bartholomew, Bisel ,Bixler, Blair, Brewster,
Burns, Cowan Craig Douglas, Elliou Goeh
ring, Gordon, Graham, Harvey, Hayes. Hii.-
man, Hood, Hofns, Holm, Irwin, Koch,
Lawrence, Lowther, NJ Gonigal Marshal,
Mulliu Patterson. Peirce, Preston. Pnghe
Rely, Rid2way. Robinson, Roller, Sellzsr
ShafTer Slehman, Stoneback Taylor, Walk
er, White, Wildey, wilson andDavis, Speak
m-5l
NAYs-Messrs Austin. Ball, Blanchard,
Bliss, Boyer, Brodhesd, Butler Carbon,
Butler (Crawiord) Caldwell, Clark, Collins,
Cope, Dlsmani. DivIns DonIey Duffied,
Dunlap, Eilenberger, Frazier ,GdskiIl, Heck,
Hill, Kline. Leisenring, LiIctenwainer NJ
Donoush Manifold Nj ~ re Morrison. My
ers, Osterhou,, Randall Relt, Rhoads,
Smith [Berks1 Smith (PhiladeiPhial Tell
er. Tracy and WiIliams-39
This bill, (Which was subsequently sign
ed by the Governor aud became law,)
divided the State into tweI.ly three Congress
sional districts, that being the number OF
Congressman which il vas understood This
State was entitled to under the United States
census OF 1860 But in forming the dis
tricis the mos inscriptions and disgrace
ful parlisanship and dishonesty were mau-
ilested. Both Houses had large Republican
majorilies, and the Governor being oil the
same party, there was no check upon po
lilical passion and injustice.
At the election os Governor IN 1850, Mr-
Foster had 230 600 votes, and MIR. Curtin
262 900. The majority OF the latter was
therefore 80 900, which. estimating voters
as one fifth OF the whole people would
represent a population OF 100 900, some
what but not largely in excess OF the num-
Der necessary tor one member ot Congress.
A fair apporlionme3t therefore woald have
given IDetUe Republican and cteren Demo
cratic districts, upon the basis oil The guber-
material vote of 1880. But the bill was so
framed as to give nineteen Republican and
buI four Democratic Districts. upon that
basis OF calculation. 10 accomplish ihls
result the natural connections OF counties
were disregarded districts OF very unequal
population were made, and in some cases
couniies were divided and the paris pnt in
different districts. Never since the Safe
was founded had such a bill been enacted
regulating the representation OF the people,
nor any one even approaching ii in disbon-
esiy.