Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-16
WASHINGTON.
Apportionment and Congressional
Representation.
An Open Letter 70 the Electors Of
6ebrAska.
WASHINGTON, J6he IL.

Recognizing in the temper of pub
lie opinion in Nebraska an almost
universal desire for additional Con-
g~ressional Representation; and hav-
ing been led to believe from an ex-
animation of Congressional acts,
bearing upon the question of appor-
tionment and representation; that
presidents have been established n
such; offering at least passive en-
enlargement to any effort tending
to secure this end; take pleasure
in submitting for the consideration
of the electors of Nebraska, the re-
suit of my researches in this direc-
ton. 1t will be remembered that
under the articles of the old COnfed-
Grafton, each State was entitled to
but one vote I'm the National Assem-.
bly,, though empowered to select as
many delegates as each in its wis
dom saw fit, not exceeding the
number of seven. But no provision
having been made for the control Of
the finances of the country, and 1t
becoming evident that q more per-
feet and comprehensive compact
was essential for the proper guard
ianship of the interests of the grow
ing Republic, o Convention was
called of the several States to frame
a "new Constitution" The dele
gates of the then Confederation met
and framed the present instrument,
which was then submitted to the
several States for ratification.
Before the expiration of the year
1859 nine States had ratified
the new constitution, and meet
ing in national assembly, passed
an act providing for the emu
meration of the first census; estab-
fishing, however, the ratio Of one
representative to every $4,000 inhab-
itants as near as could be ascertain
ed, until the completion OF the CEN
sus returns, In 1898 the first regu-
lar apportionmept was made IN &C
cordance with the returns, which
had at that time been completed.
The ratio was now increased to 49,
600 inhabitants for each represents.
tive, and the apportionment made
as near as practicable in accordance
with these figures. No provision
was made for the fractional notifies,
arising from divisions, until the
seventh census; but the mt
ton being made each decade was
followed by an apportionment act,
the ratio.
This manner of procedure was re-
versed in 1853, under an act which
not only prescribed the method of
taking the census, but also embodied
the conditions for making the APP
portionmentj and fixing arbitrarily
as it were, the number Of represen-
tatives ut 233, divided them into the
total census, and made the appor-
accordingly. To give you
a clearer conception of this act, and
for the purpose Of explaining the
moiety feature, / insert here an alb
,tract of the same:
"From and after March Sd, 1859,
he House of Representatives shall
composed Of 233 members, to be
lpportiOned among the several
States in the manner following
$50 soon as the next and each
ubsequent enumeration of the
of the several States,
directed by the Constitution of the
United States, to be taken, shall
10 completed, it shall be the
luty of the Secretary of the Interior
o divide the aggregate population,
" the number 233, and the product
# such division, rejecting any frac-
ion of a unit, which happens to
emain; shall he the ratio or rule of
,pportionment of representatives
.mOng the several States under such
Enumeration; and he shall then
'rOceed in the same manner TO as
ertain the representative pOpula-
ion OF each State by the ratio al
eady determined by him; and the
roduct of this division shall be the
lumber of representatives appor-
ioned to such State under the then
lst enumeration. Promded, That
be loss i'm the number of members
auseG by the fractions remaining
4 the several States, OF the division
{ the population thereof, shall be
ompensated for by assigning to so
lany States having the largest frac.
on, one additional member each
n its fraction, as may be necessary
!, make the whole number Of Rep
.sentatives 233. And provided also,
hat, if after the apportionment of
he representatives under the next,
: any subsequent census, q new
tate, or States, shall be admitted
Ito the Union; the representative
representatives, assigned to such
ew State, or States, shall be in adj
to the number Of representa- 4
yes herein above limited; which
lcess of representatives over 233
lall only continue until the next
apportionment under
next census.""
The following table gives the
lumber Of Representatives to each I.
late, and the ratio of apportion- !
ent for each succeeding decade |,
I'm 1898: /,