The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-27
RE.APPoREIoNnENT on rae STATE

For Delegate and Senatorial Purposes
Meeting Of Joint Committee Last
Might.
The Joint Committee Of the Legislature
for the re-appOrtionment Of Delegates and
Senators, met in the Supreme Court room
in the Capitol building last evening, The
matter was fully discussed and melton
was made to increase the number Of Dele
legstes to seventy.seven, an increase OIL
twelve over the present superintendent,
and to increase the Senatorial districts to
fifteen, which will increase the number Of
Senators to thirty, This proposition was
strongly opposed by the Panhandle mem.
bers, but the opposition was futile, as the
motioned prevailed,
The basis OF population for each delegate
Is determined by the following provision
OF the Constitution, which is found in Ar
ticle V, Sec. VII;
"After every census the delegates shall
be apportioned as follows: The ratio Of
representation for the House OF Delegates
shall be asCertained by dividing the whole
population OF the State by the number OF
which the House Is to consist, and re-
jsCting the fraction oil a unit, II any, re-
sulting from such division. Dividing the
population OF every delegate district, and
Of every county not included in q delegate
district, by the ratio thus asCertained
there shall be assigned to each, q
number Of delegates equal to the
quotient obtained by this division
excluding the fractional remainder. The
additional Delegates necessary to make
up the number Of which the House Is to
consist, shall then be assigned to those
Delegate Districts, and counties not inclu.
ded In a Delegate District, which would
otherwise have the largest fractions un-
represented; but every Delegate District,
and county not included In q Delegate
District, shall be entitled to at least one
delegate"
The Senatorial Districts are required 10
be compact, formed Of contiguous terri
tory, bounded by county lines, and, as
nearly as practicable, equal in population,
to be ascertained by the census Of the
United States.
The last spportionment was made on q
basis OF 0,S00 population 10 each member,
on which basis Ohio county, with popu.
lation Of 2S,000, was entitled to four mem
bers and was left with margin OF 800.
Kanawha county, under the same appor.
tionment, got three members and had q
margin Of 1000. The population Of West
Virginia at the last census Is put down at
61S,l06, which, divided by n, the number
the next House Is to be composed of,gives
q quotient OF 5000 in round numbers,
which Ia the basis Of representation.
This will give Ohio county the four
members she has at present, but will leave
the enormous fraction Of 5000 unrepre.
scented provided that the gains in the other
sections OF the State make up the quota Of
the House. KAnawhR county, on this
basis will gain one member, but as to the
other gains we have not time ct present
10 ascertain.
Two subcommittee were appointed to
arrange the matter, and report their work
to the joint committee OF the earliest mo.
ment practicable. The subcommittee on
the part OF the House Is composed OF
Messrs. Hubbard, Grantham and Fergu.
son, and the Senate subcommittee OF
Messrs. McGregor, Dennis and FARMS
worth-one from each Congressional Dis.
trict.