Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-12

From l7q0 when the first census was ta-
ken 10 Is40 inclusive, upon the result beng
made known to Congress, that is when, after
the completion Of each census, and the re-
snlt reported to Congress, showing the num-
her AZ persons in each state, free and slave
Congress would FIRST determine the ratio, or
to be represented by each member
of the House. Then the number Of persons
IN each Of the several States, ascertained sc-
cording to the rule prescribed in the Constl-
tuition. for the apportionment OF Represen-
tatives among the States. BY adding TO sne
sehols number Of free persons, including fhose
bound % serry;icc for a term c years erctading
indians not tared, thrssJJtis Of al ether per
sons.p was divided by the number which mad
been agreed upon by Congress as the ratio Oh
Representation under the census last taken.
In apportioning representatives among the
several States, under the census taken IN
1910. the ratio of representation in the House
was fixed by Congress at seventy thousand
SIX hundred and eighty persons. Each State
was % have one Representative for each sew
enty thousand six hundred and eighty fits
representative population, with proyiso
that each State having fraction OF more
than one half Of the ratio, seventy thousand
six hundred and eighty, should be entitled
to choose one additional Representative.
= This gave to the .twenty-six, States, then
composing the Union, two hundred ana
twenty-three. That number constituted the
House of Representatives, Of the twenty
eighth Congress which assembled on the nrst
Monday in December, 1S43. The mode OF
apportioning the Representatives among
the several States, adopted by Congress upon.
the taking of each successive census, that OF
fixing a ratio of each representation, after
the number Of persons, in each State was
known. was invariably attended with more
or less, debate, difficulty and delay, in arriv-
ing at a conclusion as a few hundred In
the number of the ratio, would give one
more less Representives, TO certain States,
hence the contest was to the number that
should make ratio of Representation.
\ In 1S45. the States of Florida, with one
Representative, and Iowa, with two Repre-
sentatives were admitted into the Union; !;
and in that year also, Texas was admitted,
with two Representatives, and in 1913 Wis
;consin was admitted into the Union, with
three Representatives. all, eight, which
number added to the 223, which constituted
the House of Representatives, under the ap-
portionment made in 1912, upon the census
made in 1910, made 231; which number con-
stituted the House of Representatives on
the assembling Of the Thirtieth Congress ON
the first Monday in December, lS49.
In 1850. Congress passed San act provld-
ing for the taking of the seventh and subse-
ouent ceususes of the United States, and to
fix the number of the members OF the House
of REPRESENTATIVES, and to provide for their
future apportionment among the several
States" f,t
AT that time there was pending before
Congress bill for the admission Of the
State Of California into the Union with two
Representatives, which passed before the
close of the session, which increased the num-
Der of the House of Representatives TO two
hundred and thirty-three. I.
The act concerning the taking OF ths
seventh census, and for the apportionment O.
Representatives among the States, passed
and was approved, 23d May 1850, changed
the former mode of apportioning Repre-
sentatives among the States, instead Of mrs
ascertaining the actual aggregate popula
tion of all the States, and then fixing a ratio
of Representation by numbers. The &C
provided that after the 3rd March 1858, tn
House of Representatives shall be composes
of two hundred and thirty-three members
So soon as the enumeration Of the inhabi
1 tants of the United States shall be takel
and completed and returned to the officer
| the Department of the Interior, :" it shall b
| the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to as
| certain the aggregate representative popu
| Iation of the United States by adding to IN
| whole number of five persons in all tn
States. including those bound to service 10
a term of wears, and excluding Indians no
| taxed three-ffths of all other persons
which aggregate population he shall diyid
| bv the number two hundred and thirty y-thres
and the product Of such division, rejectin
| anv fraction of unit, if any such happe
to remain. shall be the ratio, or rule OF al
| portionmenf Of Representatives among tn
| several States under such enumeration an
the said Secretary of the Interior shall the
proceed. in the same manner, to ascertal
the representative population OF each Stat
and To divide the whole number OF the repr'
sentative population of each State, by tn
ratio already determined by him as aboy
| directed; and the product of this last divi
ion shall be the number of Representative
any,ortioned to such State under the then la
Enumeration: Provided, That the loss
The number Of members caused by the fra
tions remaining in the several states, on u
division Of the population thereof shall
| compensated for by assigning TO so man
States having the largest fractions an az
ditional member for each. for its ira
ton. as may be necessary to make Il
whole number of Representatives two hui
dred and thirty-three." The act furth'
provides, that, if after the apportionmei
/ has been made, new States be admitte
their representatives will be in addition
the number therein prescribed as the nun
her which shall constitute the House of X
!, representatives.. sl,.g.IF n.
In 1852. when the taking of the seven
cen,us had been completed and full repof
from all the States had been received exec
those from California, the Secretary OF u
Interior Department was unable to mai
the necessary divisions and ascertain q
|; number of Representatives, to which eal
Of the Several States would be entitled. /
, could from the reports received assign all
! the two hundred and thirty-three membs
| axcept one. California as State would
: entitled to one representative, but sufiiciee
retnrns had not been received to determi
whether that State would have twofull ratio
. South Carolina had the largest fraction
! which no representative had been
: signed. Complete returns from Caiiiori
alone could determine whether that 81
or South Carolina should have one hep
sentative more or less. Under the circu
: stances. in July, 1852, Congress passed
act assigning to California two Represen
tiyes until the next apportionment viii
. increased the whole number OF the House
two hundred and thirty-four. AT this II
there were thirty-one States in the Uni
= Since then the States Of Minnesota, Kans
: OREGON. West Virginia and Nevada hs
|. been admitted into the Union. Making
whole number Of States now within a
composing the Union thirty-six.
Congress has provided by law that
: Whole number Of members from all
!, States in the House Of Representative sh
|. be 24l; and that that number OF hepres
: tatives should be apPortioned among
!. several States Of the Union BY dividing
!, whole number Of Representative popuiat
{ in all the States, as ascertained py
: eighth census, taken in l560--the fseI
sentative population TO be ascertaIned
prescribed in the Constitution, that u,
= adding TO the whole number OF free
!, sons. including those bound to service 70
!, term Of wears, without regard 70 color,
: or nativity, excluding Indians not tax
= three-ffths of all other persons.
= This is the clause, which, in the estir
: tion Of the Herald, excluded the other 9
|. ffths Of all other persons who are regar'
1. as cattle" :,
= The Representative population Of all
: = Stats. by the census Of 1860, according
: the reports from that Office, was comPo