National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-04
REPRESENTATIVES
FIXING A NEW APpoRTIoNMENT.
Debate in the House on the Subject Yesterday
Speeches by Mr.. Richard Crowley and
Others II orr aud MrLane
Have a Tilt.

House again yesterday Mr.. Richard Crowley, OF
New York, was opposed TO an increase in the num-
Der of Representatives i'll Congress. This House
was the eighth largest assembly in the world
From It's numbers this body was noisy. disorderiy
aud sometimes turbulent. The calendar of the
House. containing over 200 bills. showed that it
could not act with dispatch on the measures COM
ing before it. The history and policy of the
American Congress had tended to an increase OF
Representatives. The older States, TO keep pace
with the more rapidly growing States of the West.
had always favored such legislation as would save
their representation Was it polite, was it WISE 10
still further increase the numbers and size of the
House? The Senate, with its seycnty-six members,
brought as much dispatch to business, as much
widom to deiiberation, as did the House with w.
members.
He commended the action of New York in main
/ tanning the assembly at the number which had
been fixed in 1921 though the population Of the
State had increased within that time from 100000
| to over 100000. He was opposed to reappor-
| tionmcnt at this session. Every apportionment
| bill proposed representation based upon numbers
| only Under section of the Fourteenth Amend
1 nent voters as well as numbers might be taken
into account in apportionins representation; and
whenever any State denied 10 any male citizen
over the age of twenyore the right to vote, in his
! Judgment that State should be denied representa-
right to vote. Massachusetts and Connecticut had
t imposed an educational qualification which de-
priYed many persons of that right. Massachusetts,,
! Delaware, Georgia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,
! Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia
had added property qualification, and the ale
CATION had been made that in sixteen Southern
States voters had been DISTINGUISHED by violence
and Intimidation. The gentleman from New York
(Nir Cox had said that the whole of Pennsylvania
ha
property and theyeforenot voters were disregarded
in fixing the apportionment. If that were so, the
blame would be with nnsylvania, and not with
the General Government. He commended that Con-
grcss should frame an apportionment bill on the
basis of voters as well as numbers He criticised
the bin of the majority also, on the ground that it
did not provide for continuance of the district
system, and argued that to change that system
would not be good craftsmanship nor wise legisla-
ton. In conclusion, he advocated careful delib-
Grafton of this great question: and the adoption by
the neXt Congress of measure which would make
this body what it ought to be. and what it was
destined to be-the greatest parliamentary body in
the world [Applause.l
Mr. McLane, of Maryland said the South &C
cepted in its full development the theory pro-
pounded by the gentleman from New York CHR.
Cox that the Constitution of the United States
based representation upon population, and past ex-
perence had given it confidence in the result OF
universal suffrage. There was no occasion for any
one to suppose that the negroes of the South,
whether they be voters or representatives, would
fall below the level of the white voter or the white
representative, as he had often been found in the
States of the North and upon this floor
Mr.. Horn. Do you think that the negroes of the
South have been permitted for the last six years 20
have a free and untrammeled ballot?
Mr. McLane have no idea that the negroes of
the South have had as free and untrammeled a
suffrage they will have in the future; bur, while
l answer this question thus frankly, he will not
withhold his attention while point out why the
negroes of the South have not had that suffrage.
Objection was made to Mr.. McLares proceeding,
but subsequently he obtained the floor, and said
that at the close of the war; and for twelve years
thereafter, the South had been held in subsection
by the army and the voting i'll the Southern States
had been under the protection, almost under the
direction, of the army The white and black
people had been held in relations of antagon-
ism During that period there had been
no free vote i'll the South, and that time
only ceased upon the Inauguration of r.
B. Hayes. Since that time the black men of
the South had voted as they pleased [Derisire
laughter on Republican sidc.I He said it for the
credit of Louisiana that the black men Of that State
had sent good representatives to this floor; and he
said to the gentleman from Michigan Mr.. HOTr
without disrespect, that he Mr.. HorrI might be
compared in this House with the representative
sent here by the negro vote, not in any sense TO
their disparagement.
Mr.. Horn. Why is it that the vote for Hancock
fell off and was much less than that east four years
ago?
Mr.. MeLane. The gentleman knows that at an
election where there is no contest
Mr. Horr. Why no contest?
Mr.. McLanc desired TO reply, as did also Mr..
Robertson, but objection was made, and good
deal of confusion ensued, in the midst of which
Mr.. Robertson was heard to exclaim: You don't
want the truth, and you know il"
Mr. White denied that there was property
qualification in force in Pennsylvania and Mr..
Briggs argued in favor of large legislative body.
Mr. Keifer commended the bill of the minority
of the committee, fixing the representation at $40,
as measure which was absolutely fair and just,
which could not be said for either the majority bill
or the bill originally introduced by the gentleman
from New York (NIr Cox. He insisted that justice
should be done to all sections and stated that he
would oppose any number who was unfair by
every means known to parliamentary law.
Mr. Ryon, of Pennsylvania confined himself |
chiefly to the discussion of an amendment which !
he proposed to offer to put end to what he |
termed the ubiquitous gerTymandcring which had |
been practccd in several States, instancing par |
tculary the evils which had flowed from it in his
own State.
This closed the debate for the day.