The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-14

die, while his Democratic competitor received s26
W es.
Northumberland county, having n population of
$685. is given one delegate, while Brunswick county,
having population of 134l7 has only ore delegate
Hon. Mercwether LOWS, attic senator, at the
last election received in Northumberland county
1872 votes while his Republican opponent received 521
votes. Hon. VIM P. Austin, Republican State
tor received at the last election in Brunswick couu
! ty LOGS votes, while his Democratic opponent re-
ceved 925 votes.
King George county, having population of 574S,
is given one delegate, while York and James City
counties together having population OF l,622 is
| given only one delegate Hon. Merriwether Lewis,
Democratic SENATOR received at the last election from
King George county $40 votes while his Republican
opponent received 6I6 votes. The Republican candi
| dates for State senator's received at the cleo
tion from the counties of York and James City e6
votes, while their Democratic opponents received ISL
| votes.
Mathews county, having population of 6205, is
| given one delegate, while Buckingham, having
population of IS 81, has but delegate. Hon. W.
X Perrin Democratic State senator, received at the
last election in Mathews county go votes while his
Republicas opponent received $3.50 votes Hon Frank
Moss, Republican State SENATOR received in Buckng
ham county at the last election Ala votes, while
his Democratic opponent received ], le6 votes
We find, then, that the twenty districts referred
to above, give the following results when aggrega-
The ten Republican districts containing popula-
ton of 126,S26 souls are given ten delegates, while
the ten Democratic districts having population If
only 81, 214 souls are given eleven delegates 1t is
| believed that the annals of psrtzan legislation
where exhibit case of unjust and partzan discrimi
nation so monstrous as this 1t defes parallel and
is snbversive of the Constitution of the liberties
OF the people. Ii this unjust Discrimination not
designed, cupa6e and criminal IL is so careless, in
considerate and otherwise monstrous that it ought
not TO- receive tho support ofany body Of patriotic or
| intelligent men.
II is true that critical examination of the bill
referred to, will show that in very few instances,
like unjust discrimination has been made against the
| inhabitants of Democratic counties.
For example: Montgomery county, with popula-
Vapf1O fDufr Lr,Nf Iar.s~
ford county, with population Of 642l, is given one
delegate. Such cases, however, only show that the
purpose to deny the people of Just representation
was so liked and determined that it would not halt,
although 1t became necessary occasionally to outrage
| the rights of political friends a,'.
1t is also true that in cases like unjust dis
orllninaten is made in favor of Republican county,
But the instances rare. For example: Lancaster
county, having population of 1856, is given one
delegate, while the Democratic county of Lee having
| population of 49, 269, is given only delegate,
which can only be accounted for by supposing that
| the authors of the apportionment were blinded as
to overlook in their mad zeal such powerful consti
tuencies as that of Lee. Their zeal outran their dis
| erection. -fl
Again, this apportionment divides the delegates as
| follows Democrats, 81 /; Republicans, 49, That
/ is, although the Democratic party had majority at
tbs last State election of lso00 total vote of 900
600, they are given more than two-thrds and nearly
eefourths of the whole representation
| Again. In Republican Counties taking the whe'e
State at large it requires onetenth M re population
to secure delegate, than it does in Democratic
| counties. p f-f b.
| But perhaps the most startling exhibit Of this
remarkable bill is found by comparing fifty counties
which are entitled to one delegate EACH and arrang
ing them according to population without regard to
politics, we have this result: twenty-five OF these
counties have population of 307 1854 while the other
twenty i've counties have aggregate population of
lI,l4l, and yet they have the same number of dele
| gates
The Senatorial apportionment of the bill reported
6y the majority of the committee has the unjust
determinations. For instance: The Democratic die
| trcts, composed OF the counties of Lee Wise and
Buchanan with population of 81, S4S is given one
| Senator, while the Republican district composed of
the counties Of Chesterfield, Amelia and Cumberland
entitled to only one Senator for 3655S Inhabitants
| Richmond city and the county of Henrico form
| Democratic district of 66,276 Inhabitants and is
given three Senators, or for each 20 O92 inhabi.
tants, while the Republican counties of Charlotte and
Mockenburg are put together to form one district
with population OF S5,s57 inhabitants, and given
| only one Senator.
The Democratic county of Campbell, with popu.
laton ofony 81 559 inhabitants is given one Senator
while the counties of Buckingham, Appomattox and
| Prince Edward, put together so as to form a
Republican district with 1880 inhabitants, and
| given only one Senator.
Now aggregatng the six Senatorial districts given
above, and we find the following result
The three Democratic districts containing popu
ation OF lO9,o7S souls are given five Senator's while
the three Republican districts with population OF
loo,l46 souls are allowed only three Senator's nearly
an equal number of population, but grossly I'M
equal in Senatorial representation in other works.
1t takes 80 5Sl Republicans to entitle the inhabitants
| OF the districts named to Senator, while it only
takes 1885 Democrats TO entitIe the Inhabitants to
q Senator.
Another remarkable feature of the Senatorial an
portonment in the bill referred to, is that by an
arbitrary act of the General Assembly there will be
forced upon the people of certain counties represen.
tatives IN the Senate in the election of whom they
had no voice whatever.
Section Bird of article 9th of the constitution pro-
Vides that Senators elected in districts bearing odd
numbers shall vacate their offices at the end of two
years, and those elected in districts bearing even
numbers at the end of four years. But the bill pre-
aradh Inv fhQ r1ainr fxro fla
tain counties, whose Senators go out of office this
year, into districts with certain other counties where
senators reside who will hold over under the CON
5htutlon BY this means the voters of the following
counties will be deprived of their constitutional
right to elect their Senators Buckingham. An
pomattox, Mecklenburg, New Kent, Highland and
Giles.
Again: By the bill referred to, the district COM
posed OF the counties of Buckingham, Appomattox |
and Prince edward will be deprived altogether of
representation in the Senate from the close of this
session of the General Assembly until the election
to be held on the Tuesday Succeeding tho first Mon
day in November, 1873.
And again The counties of Chesterfield and |
Amelia each have Senator that holds over under |
the constitution Yet both put into one district
that is TO be entitled to only one Senator.
The undersigned feels it to be his duty to enter his
protest against the manner in which this bill comes
before the Senate. 1t is reported from majority of
the commi tee without having received that con. |
sideration which its great Importance demands IL |
was presented to the Committee on Privileges and |
Elections for the first time, in printed FORM by the
Thursday morning. After few flight verbal amend.
ments, and without the bill even having been read |
In committee motion submitted and carried |
that the bill be reported.
The undersigned asked for further time to Carefully
examine the bill SO that if he did not agree with the
report about to DO made, he might prepare a minor
lty report soas to have it go before the Senate at
the Same time with the majority report but it was
refused. He was told he could present a minority
report afterwards.
On the submission of the majority report to tho
Senate, attempts were made to push the bill through
on the day of and the day succeeding its presenfa
tion without giving Senators time for careful ex
animation of the bill. 1t looks yery much lila on |
attempt to smuggle the monsrous thing through this
its Ubiquitous details. And certainly giving no time
for this very impe analysis of the BILL which the
undersigned felt constrained to give part of his
minority report
For the reasons given, the under signed earnestly
recommends that the Senate do not pass the appor-
tionment bill reported by the majority of the COM
mlttee on Privileges and Elections.
He would recommend the adoption of the amor
Torment as given in the present Constitution Of this
Commonwealth.
This may not in all particulars be as just an appor
tionment as might be made under the new enunere. |
llon but 1t IS as good as any that is likely to be
prepared at this late day in session The people
have become accustomed to it, and no great hard.
ships will be felt. 1t is infinitely more lust and
equitable than that proposed by majority of the |
committee. f |
In conclusion, the undersigned would report the
bill -
rea d |