Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-28
MAINE LEGlNLATURE,
SExAeE.
Confined from first pape.)

"ouiu oe f-zSo % -l0I. ne law requires that
the number of Representatives shall be s.appor-
TONED amongst the several counties, as near
as may be, according to the number of in
habitants. having regard to the relative. in
crease of the population" Dividing the
population of each county by the number of
persons required for a representative gives
the number of representatives to which that
county is entitled and a fraction. The
representatives remaining-in this case eight
are to be apportioned ameng the counties
having the largest fraction, with due regard
to the relative increase. In this case the eight
counties now having the largest fractions are
Hancock. 1892; Lincoln. 3, 1929; Aroostook
3,04S; Knox, ? SOC; Oxford, 2,570: Waldo,
2,4l3; Somerset. 2,2S4: York, 2. l56 But
We claim that relative increase" should be
taken into consideration. We must not only
consider what the size Of the fraction was in
1880. but also what it will be in lSs5-the
next period when the Law provides an appor-
tionment may be made-if the same rate of
increase or decrease is maintained Applying
this rule we find that six of the eight repre-
sentatives should go to the counties of Aroos-
took. Androscoggin, Hancock. Knox. York
and Lincoln. Where shall we place the other
two? They should go to Cumberland and
Sagadahoc which will have the largest frac-
tIoHs, ann not 10 somerset ana henneDec
whose fractions will be much smaller. Mr.
Lord read extracts from the opinion of the
Justices of the Supreme Court in regard to
the proper construction of that section of the
constitution which relates to the apportion-
ment of the State for representatives.. claim
ing that the minority of the committee felt
that they had complied with its conditions
and made a just apportionment.
Mr.. Heath of Kennebec said that if he I'M
derstood the rule which the Senator from
Cumberland Mr.. Lord had dug out of the
past. the committee in apportioning these
eight representatives should have been in
fiuenced solely by the Il lative increase; they
should not have taken the prospective in
crease into account for one moment. Mr..
Heath said that the rule could not be adopted
as it would not work in fact. Counties
which lost in population in one decade fire.
quently showed large increase the next,
and in gaining counties the increase was by
no means regular. The minority report asks
that a representative be stolen from Kenne-
bee and given to Brunswick town with
$3.50 population. 1t was something never
known before in the history of the State for
town of this size to have two representatives.
In apportioninR the representatives you cannot
refrain from taking the senatorial question
minds of men, whatever the law says on the
subject. The Committee on Legislative
Apportionment have made as fair and equita-
Bile an apportioRment as was ever made in
the State, and he thought it should be accept
ed by the Senate
Mr.. Young of Cumberland said the
constitution was the proper authority in this
matter, and he was willing to accept the
Interpretation put upon it by those eminent
Justices of the Supreme Court who were
alive when the constitution was adopted. He
found that they called attention very promi-
nently to the fact that this clause in regard
to relative increase, omitted in case of
senatorial apportionment and inserted in the
case of representative apportionment, must
mean something. Cumberland does not pro-
pose to steal representative from KeDne-
bee. We steal from people who have; we
cannot steal what people do not have: a
foytiO,f, we cannot steal from Kennebec
what does not belong to her. Until the
report of the majority of the committee
is adopted by both branches of
the legislature. we have a right to claim an
extra representative for Cumberland. Now,
in regard to the opinion Of the Justices of
the Supreme Court, whether they are entitled
to any weight The republican party has put
itself on record on that question. what does
the constitution mean when it says that we
are to consider the re lative increase in appor-
tionng the State for representatives? Obvi-
ouslv, that those counties which have in
creased in one decade are liable to increase
in similar ratio in the next and that fact
must be taken into account. If this extra
representative does not belong to Cumberland
county, said Mr.. Young. I, for one, would
be sorry to see it assigned to that county !;
but. if it belongs there we want it. He hoped
the Senate would not be deceived by the
rhetoric of the Senator from kennebec, but
would carefully examine the facts, and then
decide to do what is right
Mr.. Wentworth of Penobscot said that. as
member of the Committee on Legislative
Apportionment he desired to call the atten-
ton of the Senate to the opinion of the JUS
tees of the Supreme Court which has been
referred to several times in this debate, which
may he found in volume 3. Maine reports.
pages Az to $50, inclusive. He read portions
of the opinion, and claimed that the rela
tive increase was not the only element
to be taken into consideration in max
ing up an apportionment. The legislature
has the right to anticipate what will be the
population of given county at the proper
intermediate period between two periods of
enumeration. and allowing to such county
an additional representative, if by COMPARE
son VI it'll the ratio of increase in other coun-
ties. such anticipation will not encroach on
the right to equal representation in other
counties. If any Senator can gather from
that opinion q stubborn. uDyielding rule by
which we can Judge of the future only by the
past, it was more than he had been able to
do.
Mr.. Kimball of Sagadahoc said that so far
as his county was concerned he did not ap-
peal to the charity of the legislature he only
asked that justice be done. When the APP
portionment of 1870 was made. Sagadahoc
claimed that it was harshly treated; that it was
wronged out of representative. Taking
the relative increase into consideration, Saga
dahoc stands eighth in the list of counties
having large fractions. He thought that with
the extensive shipbuilding and manufacturing
operations now in progress in Sagadahoc, thar
county would show large increase in popu
lation in the next decade.
Mr.. He ath of Kenuebec called attention to
the fact that cotton mill with 80, 600 spin
dies had been erected in Waterville since
1880. and large wooden mill is now in pro-
cess of construction in Wet Waterville.
This, taken in connection with enterprises
going on in other parts of the county, would
give Kennebec the largest fraction in the list
by 1885. and en,itle her to another Senator.
Mr. Kimball of Sagadahoc, in reply. said
that senatorial and representative apportion-
ments should not be COMPOUNDED; they were