Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-21


The apportionment bill recently passeo
by the House, by placing the number OF
Representatives at 325, will have a ten
dency to make that body rather unwieldy;
still. upon the whole. it is a much fairer
measure than the bill previously reported
from the Census Committee, and which
provided for apportionment upon what
is known as the Seaton plan. 1t was
evident from the first that the commit
tee bill would prove unpopular, because
of its unfairness to the smaller States
as we have already on previous occasions
demonstrated in the case of Florida, for
instance-inasmuch as il deprived such
States of the representation to which,
under the old method Of apportionment,
they are, at present, entitled. This
inequality was admitted, but it was
urged that as the smaller and weaker
States had a representation in the Senate
equal to that of the larger and more pow
erful. il was but fair that the latter
should be given increased strength in
the House This argument vas, as
was to have been expected, unsatis-
factory TO members who felt their first
duty to be to their States. and who
were unwilling to see the smaller com.
monweslths which they represented
shorn OF strength for the benefit of the
larger and more deusely populated, and
so the committees bill was rejected.
The present bill provides for the old
method of superintendent which is OBJ
tanned by dividing the aggregate pOpula-
ton oft the States by the figures represent
lug the membership of the House, and then
first giving TO each State the Represents
tive to which it will be entitled under this
system, and. afterwards, dividing the re
mainder as equitablyas possible among
the larger fractions of population in the
various States. 1t seems that this is
about as fair a system of apportionment
as can possibly be devised, aud that it
was finally adopted is attributed to the
fact that the strength of the two parties
in the House is so evenly matched that
neither was able to manipulate the mes
ure to its special advantage. 1t is pre-
sumable, however, that the Democrats
would not have attempted any such tao
tics even if they had have possessed the
power, since the bill, as passed, is SINH
lar to one introduced in the last Demo
cratic House except that it provides for
six more members than did the one
which was offered at the last session.
Under this bill the South will receive the
full representation which she should re
ceive according to the late census, being
Gn increase of fifteen over the present
Congressional strength of this section.
Il is the opinion of some that the bill
would have been considerably improved
by the adoption of one amendment
which was offered during its discussion
to prevent gerrymandering of districts
in the interests of any party which might
happen, at the time, to be in power, and
which forbade the division of counties
and parishes in making up such districts.
This is too common g practice, however,
and has been too frequently adopted
with success by both parties for it to be
received with favor, and so it was de-
feated. As the matter of sppOrtionment
affects the House altogether, it is proba
bic that this bill, having passed that
body, will also pass the Senate without
difficulty, and viii speedily become
law. Under its provisions Georgia will
hereafter be entitled to ten MEMBERS
gain of one.