Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-01-03
The AppOrtiOnment Bill.

IL is dilhcult to say whether the people Of
Vermont should be most indignant or most
grieyod at the bill passed by the House, ap.
portioning Representatives in Congress under
the census Of 1870. In the first place the
bill utterly Ignores the 18th Amendment Of
the violates it, The oaths of
Congressman to obey the Constitution were,
on this OCCASION eight as empty air." For
tsS fRS atS6sssd5e".9inH his Case certainly, and
in every case no, involving the destruction oil
the nation, and consequently of the Constiu.
4 ton itself
Nor, in this case, is there even respecta.
/ bic excuse, The excuse assigned was that the
suffrage statistics Of the census are incorrect.
Granted but the population statistics, which
form the controlling element, with the suffrage
statistics, in making Constitutional appor-
I tionment, are also Inaccurate If, then, Con-
gross is excusabe for Ignoring the suffrage
statistics, it would be excusable also for ig.
uoring the population statistics, and so make
no apportioumcnt II it can rightfully ig-
more the l4th Amendment, it can also ignore
Sec. > Of Article l. 1t had no right to do
either, aud the House bill is both bunder
aud crime
But Vermont is aggreyod by the injustice
done to her by the bill so also is New
Hampshire - for the representation of these
States alone is reduced We need not say
that the addition of few members more to
the House, to save these States, weighs moth.
ing compared with the sacrifice of onc-third
of the representative weight Of these states.
Vermont however, has the right TO insist
that even under the principle of the House
bill, icih just Ratio, she is entitled to re.
tain her three members.
The bill is based upon the Incorrect rule
of the act of 1850, which admits the popu.
ations of four States, ,clich are not 10 be
apporii9acd, to operate in the Ratio by which
the population Of the objectionable States is
to be apportioned. The effect is to enlarge
the Ratio and thus count against every one
Of the thirty-throe States to be apportioned.
Let the authors of the House bill show, if
they can any possible relation the four States,
which are represented by grace Of the Con.
sttut ion, and not by population, have to the
thirty-three States which are to be apportiou.
ed according 20 their respective Numbers y
ii c. populations. They will fail in such
an attempt.
But this is not all in addition to the in-
correct Ratio, which was governed by 2S9
Representatives to be opportioned, there is
this griovous fact the bill does not appor.
ton the 2S3 members to the States to be ap.
portioned under it, but only go, To make
the 2s3, the four Representatives of States
,ohich are not opportioned al all, are added
la the House apporionmcnt these four mem
bers are all charged as Members by Ratio,
which is bald lalsehood Now comes the
grief the effect of this process is to cheat
Alabama, Indiana, New York, aud Ferm on
out Of Representative each. Thus, while
the Constitution, by its terms, gives Rep,
resentatiye each to Delaware, Nebraska
Nevada, aud Oregon, ioithom regard 10 pop
ulatioa, this bill forces Alabama, Indiana
New York and Vermont to furnish those
members at their expense. This is as uncon.
stitutional as it is abominably unjust
We must confess, however, that this wron 2
is chargeable to the erroneous rule Of the act
Of 1850 II was seen in 1860, when several
States were vctimized by it, and relief was
given by special act in 1862. Vermont aud
Now Hampshire can be saved by the same
rule now, aud Representative added TO sew
On other States.
OF course the Senate never will concur in
bill 80 glaringly unconstitutional, and we
count upon thorough work by our Sci ators to
secure the equal justice Vermont is ntitled
to when the most exact justice is done to all
the States which are to be appor,ioned.