Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-10-21
Congressional Representation.


looking not emily for transfer Of the ma
tional capital from Washington to Chi
cago or ST. Louis, but also for transfer
of power to that section when the reap
portionment of representation in Con-
gress is made, on the basis of the coming
census of 1870. 1t is calculated that the
FAstern States of the North will have So
Representatives in all in the lower hn"aA
of Congress after the next census, and the
Western, including the Pacific States, 90
or 3d. This would leave for the South
but 65 members, in order to make up the
total of 243, now allowed by law, whereas
the South is now entitled to- rs, and the
inclusion hereafter of all the colored pop
ulation, instead of three-ffths, as accord
ing to the last apportionment, will GER
tainly add to the representation of that
section. 1t is plain, therefore, that some
miscalculation has been made by the.e
fgurers for Western supremacy.
There has been for many decades
steady transfer of power from the East to
the West, and of course this must con-
tinue to be the case while that section is
being increased in population, not only
from our own States, but from the shores
of Europe New England, which in
1910 had 80 members of Congress, now
has but 81, and if the present total MEM
bership of the House is retained, it must
lose three or four others after 1870. On
the other hand, the Western States, which
in 1910 had but - representatives, now
have -, while, on the present basis the
next apportionment must give them some
10 or II more.
In other words. the West now precisely
equals the South in political power, and,
aside from the negro vote, which will all
at once be thrown into the scale, must
Of the colored vote in this connection, it is
difficult to make an accurate estimate, on
account of the great changes which war
and emigration have made since the tax
ing of the last census in the South. Good
statisticians, however, have credited a
gain of eight or ten Republicans.
All these things tell against New Eng
land. Numerically, the power of New
England is decreasing; but it is not alto
gether on numbers that we rely. The
men Of the Eastern States are scattered
over the entire country, West and South,
and nowhere is their influence more POI
tent than at the West. There their ideas
are acted upon. and their councils re-
ceived with care in all sections, and this,
true as they generally are to their mother
New England, will more than compensate
Us for lack of numbers. But we do hope,
however, that the next basis of appoint
ment will be so modified as to leave the
present representation of New England
in Congress intact. That course, though
swelling the numbers of the House,
would make it in numerbs no larger than
is necessary for the proper transaction of
the increasing business of our country,
while we believe it would secure a more
thorough and equitable representation of
every section of it, and not effecting the
proportion between New England and
the other States, would be much more ac-
ceptable to our people than a reduction of
our present number of representatives.
PERsoNAL.-Rt. Rev. Bishop Louis De
Goesbriand of Burlington, accompanied
by Rev. Jerome Cloarec, pastor. of st.
Mary's parish, Burlington, left on Wednes-
day evening, to attend the Ecumenical
Council at Rome. During their absence
Very Rev. Thomas Lynch, v. G.. of West
Rutland, will have charge of the parish
and diocese. The Courier of this place
says that Rev. Mr.. Lynch is soon to be
elevated to the Bishopric of the diocese.
ONu If tho man ravsorfod drovpod a.