New-York tribune., 1882-02-16
THE HOUSE AND APPORTIONMENT.

WASHINGTON Feb. 15.-The discTcditablc per-
fornancc in the House yesterday has had the good
effect of arouSng in many members Il determination
that hereafter if they compel IT, the rules of the
House shall be strictly observed As soon as the
journal was read this morning Mr.. Burrows, of
Michigan, demanded and insisted on the regular or
der and the result was that the House Immediately
settled down 10 work and an hour of time was
saved that would otherwise have been wasted.
The whole day was devoted to the discussion Of
III Apportionmcnt bill. Even the friends of the
committees bll have at last been brought TO real
ize that their measure is dead and consequently
there were no attempts to-day TO make beleve tlat
if was still living and the debate turned mainly
upon the question to what shall be thetota men,
bcrship of the House under the new apportionment.
On the Republican side there seemed to he some
what general concurrence in favor of 322 or 325
while on the Democratic side S s. Cox gave notice
of an amendment fixing thetnumberat 3l0-the very
number against which the Democrats fought so
stubbornly last winter. Mr. Cox gave good reason
for his change Of heart. He said that, should any
number under 316 be selected, the State OF New
York would lose a member. 1t was hardly probable
that the Reapportionment bill could become law be-
fore the next election of Congressman in New-Iork,
and consequently, should their number be reduced.
il would be necessary TO elect the 80 members to the
XIVIIIth Congress from that State on a general
ticket--a proceeding which he would oppose as
undemocratic and wrong.
Nj. Sherwn of Illinois, said that to fix the whole
number at 321 would not be politically fair; by IN
crcasing the total to 325 the Democrats would gain
three members-one from New-York City or Brook
lyp. one from South Carolina, and one from Texas
and the political balance would be restored lie,
therefore, advocated 325.
Mr.. Tillman, of South Carolina, made one OF the
most interesting speeches Of the whole debate. To
most OF the members the proposition which MF.
Tillman advocated with much ability was novel
one He believes that the membership Of the
IIouse should be increased to Goo on the grouGd
that large representative bodies COnduce to honest
legisat ion aud the prevention Of legislative abuses
Mr.. lillman compared the legislatures or MaSSa-
ebusetts and other NewEngland States with those
OF New-York and Pennsylvania. uufayorably to the
latter, and declared that the former had a better
reputation than the latter simply because they are
larger and "Tweedlsm" can gain no fOothOld i'll
them. Mr.. ITilman compared John Adams, haHlI-
ton and Jefferson, and declared that Adams, to
whom he assigned the honor OF being the author of
the township representative system Of NeW-Eng-
land. was the greatest OF the three. Growing
warmer as he proceeded Mr. Tillman, cas- Demo
crat and as a South CaTolinianV declared that
"JOhn Adams did more for civil liberty on this con-
tnent than any other slnan iwho ever drew
breath upon it," declaration which evoked consid-
cradle applause.
Before the House adjourned IT was agreed that
after two hours more of general debate and discus
sion of amendments voting thereon shall begin. IT,
therefore, seems probable that that the bill will be
disposed of tomorrow without the House taking
the trouble formally TO bury the "new method"