The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-30
THE FIRST CONGRESS.
THE MEN WHO COMPRISED OUR
EARLIEST LEGISLATURE.
!. Ellsworth, Sherman, Madison, Lee, Mon
roe and the Other Eminent Statesmen
Who Made Laws For the Infant
Republic.

By the fat Of the Continental Congress
the old Confederation was to die on March
3, 1885, and the Government under the
Constitution was to be called into being
on March 4. The first part OF this project
was carried out to the letter; the second
part OF it failed. The Confederation went
out at the appointed time, but the new
scheme which was to replace il did not
come in at the date set Indeed the Con-
federation was virtually dead from about
the middle of October, lTSS, a month after
the Continental Congress set day apart
for its demise by fixing on the first Wednes-
day in January, 1889, for choice OF Presi-
dbtial Electors, the first Wednesday in
february for election OF a President by the
Jectors. and the first Wednesday in
March for tho inauguration Of the Presi-
dent and the meeting OF Congress. From
that time onward there had seldom been
q quorum in the old Congress and but lit
tie business was transacted.
Cannon were fired in New York on
March 4, 1889, in honor Of the birth OF the
Government under the Constitution. In
reality, however, the wheels OF Govern
ment did not begin to move until some
weeks later. The House did not secure a
quorum until March 30, nor did the Sem
ate organize until April 0, while April 21
arrived before the Vice.President quail.
/ fed, and April 80 was reached by the time
y the President was inaugrated and had en-
- wed upon his duties.
There were only eleven States in the
Union on March 4, 1885, Neither North
Carolina nor Rhode Island had yet ratified
the Constitution, and consequently they
were not represented in Congress when
the organization took place. The eleven
States which figured on the roster OF
the National Legislature at that time
were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massa-
chusotts, Maryland, South Carolina,
New Hampshire, Virginia. New York.
The States are here arranged in the order
in which they accepted the Constitution.
The ratification in Delaware took place on
December Z, 1857, less than three months
after the Constitution was framed, while
New York gave in its Endorsement July 20,
17SS.
North Carolina and Rhode Island were
still out of the Union when President
Washington was iuaugurated, and were
without q government except rs their
* Legislatures provided. The Confederation
was dead, and eleven OF the thirteen mem
bers OF il had joined in the new scheme
under the charter framed by the Consiitu-
"A tional Convention OF 1887 The irail tic
binding each OF these two 10 the others bv
the articles OF confederation had been dis
solved, and as neither had yet taken up
the new tie entered upon by the other
r States, they were, to the other eleven. for
eiyn countries for the time being. Both,
E however, very sensibly accepted the new
n compact beionJthe First Congress expired,
Fl North Carolina coming into the Union in
the November after the Congress organized
/pnd Little Rhody" in May OF the follow
lug year.
The First Congress under the Consttn.
tion was numei caliy small body COM
pared with Congresses in recent years.
when the thirteen States were represented
ho Senate consisted OF twenty-six mem.
bcFs and the House OF slxty.iive. Virginia
at that time was the Empire State. Ia the
House Of Representatives the Old DO.
minion had rs many members rs New
,NYeyk and New Jersey combined, while
n 2cnnsylvania and Massachusetts stood
Xcond on the roll. For the third place
New York and Maryland were tied, each
having the same number OF members in
the House.
OF course representation in tho popular
branch OF Congress was based on popula-
ton in the beginning, ~ II has been ever
since. The Constitution fixed the utio at
the commencement ut one member in the
House IN each state for every $1,000 popu.
lation, hut each State to have at least one
member. a count OF population at all
.tpf, hal .sug
made. but year l1O0-when the
first enumeration under the Constitution
was had, Il was found that the appouion-
ment made for the First Congress had
been moderately accurate, except as re-
CARDS North Carolina, which had been
given n smaller representation than It's
population warranted. The leading States
stood in this order ut that time with re-
spect 10 number OF inhabitants Virginia,
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Massachu-
l. sets, New York, Maryland. New York
was fifth on the roll. The population OF
these States was Virginia, ~, Il0 Penn
sylyania, 43i, 373; North Carolina, 500 7jI;
Massachusetts, 37S. 7S7; New York. 3lo,-
I20; Maryland, I'D. rs. Delaware was NJ
the loot Of the roll, with J9,OJ5 popula.
ton.
This was the standing Of the States In
ftrltik W NhAhAfN VI AlilANllhuth Nllfil TIC
census Of 1870 was taken In the next
ten years New York jumped from the
fifth 10 the third place, Virginia still being
iirsl, and Pennsylvania second. by 1910
New York had beaten Pennsylvania, TAX
=, The second place on tbs list, and In
r<f4Ns % IL went to the head. Ever since 1870
ew York has held the first place Un tho
lsl OF states, and since 1850 Pennsylvania
has stood second. Virginia, which was
first unii 1920. was fourteenth In 1880, and
will probably have dropped TO the six.
tccnih or seventeenth place by 1890.
Here Is the number OF Representatives
which each State had In the First
Congress Virginia, TO- Ponnsylyaniaand
Massachusetts, each s. Maryland and New
York, each o. North Carolina, South Car
olina and Connecticut, each ., New Jcr-
soy, 4; Georgia and New Hampshire. each
3; and Delaware and Rhode Island, each
].
The Constitution, as before mentioned.
made the ratio Of representation In the
popular branch Of Congress one member
10 every $1,000 Of the population in the
beginning. Congress has itself adjusted
the ratio after each national census since.
Tho basis las been increased from 5000
under the census of 1890 aud 1900 10 1872
600 under that OF 1850.
Eleven guns were fired at sunrise, noon
and sunset OF March T. l1SD, ushehng into
being the Government under It's now char
ter. Noon was the hour SGT apart for the