Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-03-15

Maryland 9 s Virginia l3 IL
Massachusetts II 10 Wisconsin 3 6
Mississippi s 5 -
Missouri 0 Total 26s 24l
1t will be seen that New York and Ohio,
the two great States that abut upon Penn.
sylvania, North and West, each lose two
Representatives, while Pennsylvania loses
only one. Illinois gains five members, be-
ing the largest gain of any one State (,
Iowa gains four; Wisconsin three Mich
igan and Missouri each two; and so on.
Our Legislature, at their last session,
having prematurely apportioned the State
into Congressional Districts, upon the sup
position that it would be entitled to only
23 Representatives, will now have to re-
arrange the Districts, in order to provide
for the additional member Action has
been already taken in the matter. In tho
Senate, few days ago, a resolution was
adopted for the appointment of a commit
tee of three to revise the apportionment of
last session. In the House, a similar reg-
olution was offered an amendment, provi-.
ding "for the appointment of committee
of three to revise the apportionmcnt of last
session. In the House, similar resolu-
ton was offered by Mr.. Armstrong, to
which Mr.. Cessna offered an amendment,
providing "for the appointment of a COM
mittee of seven to report a bill apportioE-
ing the State into Congressional Districts
for the next ten years" Both PROPOSE
tlons were temporarily postpaned.
The course indicated by Mr.. Cessna's
amendment, is the proper one. The ap>
portionment of last year, beside being pre-.
mature, was SO glaringly unequal and un-
just, that It's repeal should be matter of
conscience with honest members of both
parties. The large and reckless Repub-
lican majority that controlled the leglsla,
ton of last session, was governed by only
one idea in making this apportionment,
and that was to ALLOW the Democrats ps
few districts as possible. BY a just bill,
proportioned to the relative strength Of the
two political parties, as shown in the Gov.
ernors election in 1860, l2 Members of
Congress would have been given to the Re-
publicans, and eleven to the Democrats
But, by the bill actually passed, nineteen
Districts are so arranged that, in all prob
ability, they will elect Republican Repre-
sentativcs for the next ten years; and only
four are given to the Dcmocrats--and they
only because it was impossible to arrange
them otherwise No sort of attention was
paid to tho ratio. This, under the suppo..
sition that the State would have but 80
Representatives, was 1876 1868; whereas
one District contains population of l5SY-
2sl-an excess of 81 ,9l9; while another
has a population Of only lOl APT, or 24,-
936 less than the ratio. Fise Districts
have an aggregate population Of 7Os ,552;
and five others population of 557 ,404;the
former exceeding the latter by l5l ,4sl,
or moro than sufficient population to form
another District, and more than any Dis.
trict contains, with single exception
The old, populous md wealthy county of
Montgomery, is completely disfranchiscd,
by being divided into three parts, one of
which is attached to Bucks and certain
Wards Of Philadelphia; another to Berks,
and third to Chester and Delaware. A
single township is taken from Northumber-
land county, and attached to York and
Dauphin. The fact is, this apportionment
is so full of territorial deformties and nu.
merical Inequalities, that it may be regar-
ded as the most hideous legislative abortion
that has been produced in long time.
Now that revision of this Infamous
"gerrymandcr' has become necessary, we
hope it will be thorough. The additional
Representative to which our State is en-
titled, cannot bo assigned to q District,
without re-apportionment Of the whole
State. The House is Democratic lnomi-
nally, at least); and the Senate is Repub-
lican, with Speaker who has proved
himself impartial in the appointmet of his
Committees. Between the two branches,
thus politically opposed to each other, an
apportionment can be made with some ap-
proach to fairness and equality.
Reudsng Gazette and democrat.