Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-27
SENATE.

SppOrtlOnTnent OIL anu explained Tue amend.
ments reported BY the Judiciary committee,
and table accompanying the report. He said
the only States losing members, either under
the House bill or the substitute reported by
the committee, were Vermont and New Hanp-
shire, which would each lose one. 1t was
no new matter for States to lose members.
At one time New York had forty members,
Virginia twenty-three, and Massachusetts
twenty. The committee after mature con-
sideration had come to the conclusion that
1t would be best that the number of members
of the House should remain at the present
figure.
Mr.. Sherman thought that the House bill
was as near perfection as possible by the COM
ity which had existed between the two houses.
He favored the house bill also for the prac-
teal reason relating to his own State. The
senate Of Ohio was composed Of eighteen re-
publicans and eighteen democrats, which
would make 1t difficult to secure immediate
apportionment, and the probable result Of the
passage Of the bill ~ reported by the judi
ciary committee would be that Ohio would
have NO representatives In the next Congress.
The house bill however would let the old ap-
portionment stand till q new onewas made,
and therefore no difficulty could arise under
it.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen suggested that Penn.
sylvania was in the same position In this
respect
Mr.. Edmunds said that the house bill would
give Ohio ten times as many representatives
as Vermont, while her population was only
eight times as great, thus violating the con-
stitutional provision that Representatives
shall be apportioned among the States &C.
cording to their population. He also argued
against Mr.. Shermans proposition that the
subject belonged to the House more than the
Senate, and declared in favor Of large mum.
Der OF representatives, three hundred OF
more, as being less liable to be unduly in.
fuenced by combinations.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen favored the bill - pass
ed by the House.
Mr.. Morton favored at least three hundred
members. He also favored the House bill .,
fairer than the Senate substitute. He had
made calculation assuming that the repub-
licans would be sure to carry certain States
at the next election, which showed that the
adoption of tbs Senate substitute instead Of
the House bill would cause = loss to the re-
publican party Of % ELECTORAL votes and %
members Of the House.
After considerable discussion the bill was
made a regular order for Monday.
House..
On motion of Mr.. Maynard of Tenn, the
last clause of the general appropriation bill
which directs that no claim shall be consid-
cred or paid by the government unless fled
within seven years from the time the claim
occurred was struck out.
Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, offered an amend
ment looking to restriction on public print
ing, and said that last year the quantity of
printing done at the public printing Office
would if put into books have made library
of 10000 volumes of 500 pages each. He
particularly condemned the printing of Clar-
ence Kings geologist explorations of the 40th
parallel. i've volumes Of which are yet to
come, with expensive engravings, at a cost OF
at least twenty five dollars per volume. The
total cost of the book will be At least $780,
900.
Mr.. Sargent supported Mr.. Garfield, say
ing that the drawings were not made by King
or his assistants, but furnished by persons in
terested in the Sutro Tunnel, Comstock, Lord
& Co.
Mr.. Dawes made an argument in favor OF
economy, and suggested that much more
good would be effected by publishing the re.
suits of these observations in cheap form
than in these extravagant volumes, to be
packed up in the trunks Of members. He
showed the necessity Of restricting the de-
partments in printing.
The amendment was agreed to and the bill
laid aside to be reported to the House.
The total appropriation was about Sl7, 000-
600, under the following heads
Pay mileage and expenses OF the
Senate, s66s, 900
Pay mileage and expenses of the
House l,46l, 900
Capital police, $1,000
Public printing, 2,0O7,OOO
Library of Congress, $4,000
Executive, $4,000