The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-27
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MLsr vInaINIA LEcIsLATuRE.
Saturdays Proceedings In The senat
aud House OF Delegates.

saturdays Proceedings IN The sennt
and House Of Delegates.
The Senate met at $50 o'clock saturda,
morning and occupied the day in the dis
cussion OF bills ON their second and thirt
readings. One bill provoked considerabl,
debate on n provision denying the right o
persons to sell commodities within tw,
miles Of any camp ground. Senator New
man was in favor Of stringent measures il
regard to liquors, but thought the restric
tons ought not to apply to other articles
as the distance would frequently in
cludc Il farmers premises, and by the bill
he would be prohibited from selling hi,
ownproducts. Judge Brown gave the Senat,
the benefit Of his knowledge on camp
meetings, and the experience related wa,
quite rich in some instances.
MINORITY REPORT on ArPoRTIoSMENT.
Mr.. Smith, from the Joint Special Com
mittee on the Apportonment Of Sena.
tors and Delegates, submitted the
following minority report thereon
which was signed by himself and
Senator McGrew and Delegates +. p. Nc.
Nell, W.P. Hubbard, j. X. Thompson and
G. NJ. Babb. The Committee express the
opinion that the bill reported by the major
ity OF the committee ought not to pass be-
cause its provisions violate the constitution
in several particulars; because the proposed
increase in the number OF Delegates is in
expedient, and because the apportionment
OF Senators and Delegates and the ar
rangemcnt OF the districts in some in
stances does marked injustice. The
committee claim that an increase OF Sena-
tors is unconstitutional. This opinion has
been twice declared by the majority OF the
committee upon the votes taken, one year
after the other. These votes are mentioned
ils the majority OF the committee have
failed to report them. The minority re-
port asserts that the apportionment must
be made according to the provisions OF sec
tions2, 3, 4, Q, I, 10 and II OF Art, ii OF the
constitution.
As the Interpretation OF these provisions
OF the constitution is plain the minority Of
the committee are at loss to know why it
is not equally unconstitutional to increase
the number Of delegates The inquiry
next TO be made is, "what provision for an
increase OF the Senate or House is TO be
found in the subsequent part Of the Consti-
tuition Z" There is none except section ii,
which provides for the case OF admission
oiadditional territory into the State. The
phrase "the number Of which the House is
to consist" upon which an argument for
the right to increase has sometimes been
made is found in the constitution oil 1868,
because OF the possibility OF increase there
in provided ior-that is additional territory
acquired.
The report pertinently says: "rhis be-
ing the first apportionment made in this
State, except by constitutional convcn-
ton, we regard it as especially important
that the Constitution should be strictly
followed, and that the precedent now TO be
established should in every sense be
right" With regard to Senatorial districts
the constitution provides: "The districts
shall be compact, formed Of contiguous ter
ritory, bounded by county lines and as
nearly US practicable rqual in population"
This prt ,ision is violated in regard to
population by the majority report in the
bill reported by it as follows:
FIrt District. ....ats air seventh District"
second District 80 9O eighth pistrict......59 0l5
Third District By Ninth Dlstrict-..-..5s 09G
Fourth Dlslrct......ig I0I Tenth DlstTict...A09 %
Fifth Dl.trict..,-6!l1tl ELEVENTH DiStrict.3y 1853
sixth District ......S6, iSl Twelfth DiSrict..S S2
The committee argue against further
increase in members on account OF addi-
tional cost, which will amount 10 $500
session, and the further claim that the ap-
portionmcnt both as to Senators and Rep
resentatives works marked injustice in
some instances. The disparity in the pop
ulatiOn OF the Senatorial districts has been
stated in former part OF this report. Why
shall voter in the Fifth or Sixth district
have only about half as much power in
voting for Senator MS voter in the Tenth
or Eleventh or Twelfth district. In the
matter OF the superintendent OF Delegates
there are similar instances OF Partially.
One tier of counties composing Cabell,
Wayne, Lincoln, Logan, Boone, Raleigh,
Wyoming Mcdowell and Mercer having
1905 people will, according to the bill re-
ported by the majority, elect ten delegates,
while another tier composing Tyler, Dodd-
ridge, Harrison, Taylor and Preston, hav-
ing about the same number OF people,
72lS9, will elect but eight delegates, and
according to the original scheme Of the
majority Of the Committee, would have
elected only seven delegates.
The minority report concludes: "lf the
number named in the constitution must
be abandoned, some number OF delegates
and some apportionment should be de-
vised, which will not reach such remarka.
BILE results as are accomplished by the bill
=. - o,l, -
ported do not pass, and the representation
remain as it ut present obtains.
A number OF House bills were passed
and bills on the calendar advanced, and
the remainder OF the day was taken up
with the consideration OF the bill making
an appropriation for the purpose OF paying
the costs OF establishing and maintaining a
quarantine by the State Board OF Health,
and pending its further consideration the
Senate adjourned,