The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-02-09
Governors Message.

| Inc president lalu before the senate
the following message from the gov.
efnur:
Gentlemen of the Senate and House OF
representatives:
felt il 10 be my duty TO you, to allude
10 the apportionment bill passed four
ears ago. TO apportion senators and
Representatives for ne next six years. |
now feel Il my duty 10 present II more
lin Detail
The vote OF the state on The lot', aay
. Of October Ias: was 434 900 That would
require $3.50 votes for one senator. 4.3f0
voics for one representative. Upon ex-
ianination | find the counties OF Rush.
Decatur, Fayrttc and Union, wiz 4
voting population Of 1882, have a Joint
senator in Fayetfe, Union and Rush, a
joint senator between Decatur and
Rush one between Decatur. Jennings
and Scott. and for representatives.
Rush, one; Fayette and Union, one
Decatur, one; Ripley, Decatur aud
Rush, one making two and ome-ha,f
senators aud three representative. while
the conn,ie. Of Adams. Allen aud Wells.
with 1918. have only two senators and
three representatives. With 4 600 more
votes Than Decatur. Rush, Fayetfe and
Union, they have less representation
The county of Jefferson, with 5.9O7 Ia.
a senator and one representative. That
II more than il Is entitled 10. Jennings
l-s q joint senator and one representa-
tiye--all that il is entitled TO with 3.759
votes, vet The counties Of Jennings.
Scot and Jefferson have ioint repre-
IeonlAtivc. The representative should
more property Dei0nr TO Scott and
Clarke. Clarke has 5.6sl, and only a
ioint senator and one representative.
Montgomery has one senator and one
representative, with 65s5 votes y all
that Ii is entitled 10. Parke and Yer
million. with 1857 votes has 4 senator
and each a representative; and Parke
and Montgomery have joint repsesen-
tative, making two senators and four
representatives with 1883 votes. while
the counties Of Cass and Carroll. with
l0, ,969 have only ono senator and two
representatives. The comfy Of Upton.
with 3, ,302 votes, Is attached to lIami,-
ton for senator and also for rcprcsenta-
tive. yet there are 673 votes more than
in Vcrmillion or Warren. and they each
have representative. Fulton, with g.
3O2 votes is attached 10 Kosciusko for 4
representative. This county has more
than Lake. and yet Lake has one alone.
Jay, with $3.50, is attached to Delaware
for representative, while Lagrange
with 3.254 il given representative
alone. Bartholomew and Brown have
z, ,236 aud only one senator and ono rem
rescntativc, while the counties OF Law
renee aud Monroe with C.963, have a
scDator and each representative.
could 90 on making comparisons Of
a similar character. but this is enough 10
satisfy any candid man that these
wrongs onght to be righlcd. But many
will say this is not the year 70 apporion.
Section 5. Of article IL of our State con-
stiiulion SAYS:
"The number OF senators aud repre-
scntstivcs shall Ut ench session-ncxt fol
lowing each period Of making such emu
mcralion. be fixed by law and appor-
toned among The several counties ac-
cording 70 the number of white male
inhabitants above Il years OF age in
each"
While II makes II obligatory every six
years, u does not say that il shall not be
done ottcncr.
suppose thr county of Warren bad
been left out of the hill entirely. Would
i not be proper 70 oamend the act AZ this
time % the 2,623 votes might have Al
voice in the halls Of oflrgislation Then.
with the same propricty you should
amend the act SO as 70 prevent the dis
franchisement OF 1000 voters in Alien.
Adams and Wells. and o,Oo0 in the
counties Of Cass and Carroll. Trusting
you may consider this matter calmly
and act in accordance with the dictates
OF your own conscicnccs. I would notl
recommend any change IN the senate
and only five or six IN the house. where
the greatest injustice has been done.
JAMES ID. WILLIAMS. Governor.
Executive Department. Jan. 81. 1877.