The morning call., 1891-02-08
THE NEW ApPoRrIoNMENr.

The new national Apportionment Bill
only lacks the Presidents signature to be-
come a law. 1t appears to have been passed
without opposition from any quarter. I'm
der it no State will lose any member of
Congress and eighteen States Will gain from
one to three members, the total number Of
Representatives being increased from $50 to
800 Thirteen States viii gain one member
each; of them California is one. Under
this apportOnment member of Congress
will represent a larger number OF voters
than u member of any other legislative
body in the world. 4 member of the Brit
ish Parliament represents about 5000 voters,
a member of the French Chamber about
10000 voters; Il member of the lower house
in Prussia about 66,000 OF the population
whereas a member of the House Of Repre-
sentatives at Washington will represent
about 1S0, eco voters.
Constituencies have been growing steadily
ever since the foundation of the Govern
ment. In the first Congress member rep
resented $4,000 voters. Fifty years after
ward the number had Sweled to II, 600. In
the last decade it had risen to $4,000, and
now, as above stated, it is going to be $780,
000 What the true proportion between
members and voters should be was exhaust
lively discussed when the present French
Constitution was adopted. 1t was then de-
cided that in a nation of some 81, 600, 600
people a correct proportion would be one
member to every 10000 adult males. But
this result was reached in view of giving
representation to some small localities
which, under an expansion OF constituent
cies, would have been DISTINGUISHED, and
likewise to conform to the French method
Of transactlng parliamentary business,
which is different from ours.
AT Washington the business of Congress
is transacted to a great extent in committee
Bills on every possible branch of legislation
are referred to standing committees, which
study them and report theiI recommends
tons to the House. 1t generally happens
that their report is approved. 1t IS assumed
by members that committees which have
made special examination of the subject
are better qualified to form a Judgment
thereon than others; and, iu the absence OF
cogent reasons to the contrary, the House
generally stands by its committee From
this practice flows the rule that the House
should contain enough members to ii the
important committees: to add more would
be 10 gain nothing in point of efficiency, and
might impede the transaction of business.
In England and France, where the commit
tee plan IS not so thoroughly carried out as
here. and much business is transacted in
what We would call Committee of the Whole
houses are larger. France. with popula-
ton OF IS. 000, 600. and about TO- 800 600 quail
fed voters, has Chamber which counts 5S4
members; Great Britain, with a popula ton
of $1,000, 600, ahd about 6,0OO, 900 registered
voters, has go members of Parliament For
the practical purposes of legislation our plan
seems preferable. A large proportion o the
members of the French Cham Der forfeit
their usefulness by joining impracticable
factions, and a still larger proportion of the
members of the British Parliament never
attend at all.
The new apDOrtionment will not go into
effect till $685. and the Electoral College,
which now consists of 40 members, will not
be raised to Al till 1896. The President TO
be elected in the latter year Will have to
command 223 votes in the college. If the
States should vote in 1896 as they did in
1888 the Republicans would poll 1TS of the
new votes and the Democrats I. The pro-
portion would be different if they voted as
they did in 1899. OF the twenty-four new
votes TO be added to the college in 1896, about
one-half will come from the grain States
of the central valleys; this Coast viii gain
two votes, one from California and one FROM
Washington.
Assuming that the population will increase
during the present decade at the same rate
as it increased in the last half-dozen decimal
periods, and that Congress should adhere to
the plan of keeping down its members, the
apportionment which will be made in the
year 1901 will swell the constituency of each
member to over 200. 900 qualified voters