The daily gazette., 1879-07-21

SENATOR BAYARD AND REPREsEN |
TATIoN IN DELAwARE.-The Constitu- |
ton of Delaware was formed and adopt
ed in 1892. At that time the three
counties were nearly equal as to popula-
tion, and to each county was assigned
three Senators making the whole num-
Der of Senators 8; and each Senator is
elected for four years. To each county
is assigned seven Representatives, who
are elected to serve for two years. The
Legislature meets bi-annually, and trans
acts the business in about 80 days. Since
the adoption Of the present constitution
the population Of the city Of Whining
ton has increased to such an extent a. TO
make it equal to the whole Of the
population of New Castle county, out
side Of its limits; and thus New Castle
county has outstripped the counties Of
Kent and Sussex in the increase of popu-
, lation. At the formation Of the Consti-
tuition by the Convention in 1882, the
! population of the three counties was
; nearly equal, and the proportion OF
! representation was made equal.
/ Twenty years after the formation Of
the constitution the Democrats who had
been in the minority in the State agitat
T ed the question Of altering the constitu
ton. The Wings opposed it. But th'
Democrats gained sufficient strength Il
n carry through the Legislature law au
- thorizing the election Of members to
~ convention empowered to change tn
q fundamental law. This convention me-
= but as it consisted Of a majority Of men
W. bers opposed to the Democratic principl
n of representation according to populatio
a. it refused to incorporate that feature
., the proposed new constitution it adopte
n, 1t gave to New Castle four Senate
ia and twelve Representatives; to Ken
=, four Senators and eight Representative
to Sussex four Senators and nine Repr
Of sentatiyes.
ver Hon. James A. Bayard was elected
h,t member of this body; but when he ia
,ow ed after exhaustive arguments to
INV cure the incorporation Of representa-
by according to population into the N
rb;s constitution, he left the convention,
IN claring that he would oppose i'll ratifi
Rut tion by the popular vote Of the peoI
tbo As it gave New Castle county an incre
liver in representation and made the cou
bree officers elective by the people, the DEL
OK WARE GAZETTE, controlled exclusiv
tbe by its present editor, favored the adopt
,i,,u of the new Constitution. So did the
,ined Hon. Martin w. Bates "a member Of
now convention,) and the late Chancellor,
GOLD NJ. Bates, the late U. S. Senator, Gee
asks neau niuu'o' ''o P'e'en' 0h"noei
dol Willard Salisbury; Ex-Governor G
t;on. Salisbury and the present U. S. Ssna
10 Of Eli salisbury.
will The Wing partizans led on by the
1cers John NJ. Clayton, to whom was attri
>, ed the credit of making our constitut
d took the stump against the adoption o.
e,,ub- new constitution. He had long been
fayo- most Poweriu, ora.or 'lA' De'A"are
some ever produced pe1ore her electors,
idden his party SO long as he lived and W
char ever he appeared before them witt
ty of, appeal ans" ei'q AiS ~is'n'i's Api
yould ingly with their votes. And they d
,,.uo on this occasion in 1858. But it is
If the to Senator Bayard, who was then a "
them man only about 23 years of age, to
can that he joined his father in an a
N the canvass against the new constitu
r.. II and being Joined by four-fiftbs o.
all he Democrats who had got into {
,urch: through the election of the Governc
v and the strength Of the convention n
efforts ment, (of which the GAZETTE wa
n the chief organ and ieader) the new cons
q too. ton was rejected. The Democrats
what were in Office by appointment and
| Ropnhlicans who still held nv tina ,