The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-23
Anernne

New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and
Missouri are, in their order as stated, the
five most populous States in the Union, and
it will be seen that, at present, the Legislative
constituencies of Pennsylvania are somewhat
larger than those of New York, and greatly
in excess of those of the three other States
named. The six New England States, with
an aggregate population of 3,4S7, 400, are
divided altogether into 1875 representative
districts, with an average population of only
2735 while Pennsylvania, with a population
of 3,515, ,993, or some twenty-eight thousand
more than all New England, is divided into
but 100 districts, with an average population
of about 35, ,160. The Senates
of the New England States en-
brace in the aggregate 168 members, with an
average constituency of 20, 760, or but four
sevenths of the average constituency of mem
bers of the most numerous branch of the
Legislature of this State. In New Hamp-
shire the lower house has more members
than in any other State in the Union, and
the constituencies are consequently the
smallest of all, numbering even less than a
thousand. Massachusetts,, with a House of
24O members, has an average constituency
of 6070, or but little more than one-sixth of
the size of those in this State The Illinois
House of Representatives, previous to the
recent revision of the Constitution, numbered
80 members; and if the number had not been
increased, the districts would have averaged
a population Of 1920; but by the new Con-
stitution, the number of members has been
increased to III, and the size of the consti-
tuencies cut down to IA, $50.
Before the increase in the membership of
the Illinois House, Springfield had as unsa-
worry reputation as any capital in the Union.
Time alone will show whether or not the
change is to effect reformation in the legis-
lation of the State, but the presumption is
strong that it will The Legislatures of the
smaller New England States, and even that of
Massachusetts,, are models of political virtue
by the side of those of Pennsylvania and New
York. They are too unwieldy for the inva-
riably successful manipulation of a majority
in the interest of ''rooster" and commission
rings, too large to render it practicable for
the lobby to 'see" a sufficient number of
members to insure the success of every ini-
quitious scheme of plunder that comes up.
Stringent constitutional provisions prohibi-
tory of special legislation have become ne
cessity throughout the country, and especially
in such States as Pennsylvania and New
York, but large increase in the member
ship of our Legislature would prove an addi-
tional safeguard. The only objections that
can be urged are the increased expense to the
State in the item of salaries, and the impedi-
ment to the rapid transaction of
business which is presented by numbers
But both of these objections are without real
weight. The people of Pennsylvania can
well afford to bear treble the present legiti-
mate expenses of the Legislature, if by so
doing they are relieved of the burden of ille-
gitimate expenses to which they have been
subjected for years past; while by every i'm
pediment that is thrown in the way of rapid
legislation they will be the gamers in proper
tionate degree. The Senate of Pennsylvania
should be increased to at least 70 members
and the House to not less than 800, and if
the proposed Constitutional Convention fails
to provide for such an increase, its labors will
be practically useless. Such an increase
would reduce the Senatorial constituencies to
46, $50, or more than double the average in
the New England States, and the Representa-
tive constituencies to II, 40, or nearly twice
the size of those of Massachusetts,. These
constituencies would be by no means too
small, and every year would witness their
material increase.