The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-28
The NEXT Apportionment.

Sext winter the General Assembly VIII
doubtless reapportion representation IN tna'
body. TIE base the reapporttonment upon
the census Of 1870 would practically be
violation OF the Constitution OF Virginia.
That census gives Richmond credit Tor
only little over fifty-one thousand lnhaoi-
tants, whereas the school-statistics ana the
number Of registered voters both show what
orr police census-takers have proved 10
be true, that Richmond has population
Of some seventy-fve thousand sous.
There arc other towss and counties IN
tho State which have rapidly increased IN
nonnlafion since 1870, whilst on the other
hand there are some few counties andtowns
wherein the population has rather dimin-
;shed than increased, and others still IN
which the population remains now aoout
what it was in 1870. The constitutional re-
o,;remcnt that representation shall be based
upon population cannot be eompiiea WIN
~ the census of 1870 Is to be accepted as
authority.
Fortunately. the new law in regard to
the qualifications Of voters renders 1t neces-
sarv for every man who wishes to vote here
sitter to pay q capitation tax; and in order
that he may pay it he must be assessed with
il, Now IL the voters OF the State be as
scssed according to law, the returns OF the
various commissioners OF the revenue VIII
show almost exactly the relative though not
the actual population OF the several counties
and cities. II, therefore, the commission
ers OF the revenue have done their duty,
the next Legislature will have before
il statistics upon which it can constl-
tutionaily proceed to reapportion repre-
sentation in that body. On the other hand,
II the commissioners OF the revenue neglect
this duty OF assessing the capitation tax,
the delinquent commissioners will have to
bear the blame Of having deprived their
counties and cities OF their due strength and
influence IN the General Assembly. Rich
mond is almost always unjustly dealt with by
the LEGISLATURE. The bin which passed the
House during its last session gave Richmond
at least one member less than she was
entitled to out Of the number OF which the
two houses were under that bill to consist.
Mr.. MuSFoRD and his deputies should there
fore see to it that they do not by their negll-
eeucc diminish the influence OF this city in
a bedy in which she already has too little
strength in proportion to her population,
to say nothing OF the taxes which shesPays.
4 CITY which pays one eighth OF all the
money received into the State Treasury
ought to have more than one twentieth OF
the members OF the Legislature. But she
will ask no more than her population shall
cntitle her to. Whether she shall have even
this number or not will depend upon the
vigilance and industry OF the men who assess
the capltation tax.
or course, it is important to assess the
fax uDon all who under the law are sub
iect to the capitation tax, whether they are
voters or not. In the rural districts, every
tithablc is known personally to the commits
sioners OF the revenue, and so every one is
enlisted. But in the larger towns and cities
such is not the case. \ large number OF
them have always escaped listing in Rich
mond. For instance, in 1875 Mr.. TAYLOR
reported only 1920 colored persons as sub
ject to the capitation tax. Yet there are
over 5000 colored votes in this city; and
there must be between 500 and 1000 colored
tithablcs not old enough to be voters. 1t is
plain that if this state of things exists unit
next winter, Richmond will be shorn of hel
strength in the councils Of the Common
wealth.
All the counties will do we'll to profit by
the hint contained in this article.
Finally, every voter, white or black, who
intends to vote next year, should make il
his own business to see that his name is
upon the books of the commissioner of the
revenue.