Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-06
NATIONAL COUNCILS.
HOW THE CIVILIZED PEOPLES OF THE
WORLD ARE GOVERNED.

Recent Figures Showing the Membership
Of the Different Parliaments-Represe
tation on the Basis Of Number Of Voters
Not Common In Europe.
The recently elected Italian chamber Of
deputies consists of 534 members. The
present German reichstag consists of 393
members. The next house of representa-
tives at Washington, exclusive of terri
torial delegates, will consist of 356 men,
bers The English parliament consists Of
$50 membcrs. including those elected in
1relaf{d and Scotland as well as those elect
ed in England. OF these members 465 are
chosen from English constituencies, 1O3
from Irish, 70 from Scotch and 30 from
Welsh The French chamber Of deputies
consists of 622 members.
1t appears from these figures that al.
though popular control over the choice OF
representatives Is most general In the
United States, the lower house OF congress
Is q smaller body than the popular branch
of the legislature of Great Britain, Ger
many, France or Italy. The Belgian par
lament, prior to the extension Of universal
suffrage and the adoption Of the multiple
system Of voting, consisted OF 124 men,
bers, the number varying according 70 the
number Of qualified electors in each dis
triot. The Hungarian house Of magnates
consists of 735 members and the Hungarian
house Of representatives Of 445. The Dutch
parliament Is constructed on the basis Of
one deputy for every AZ, 900 Of population.
The representation Of all the Swiss can
tons In the national council Is 1876.
In the choice Of representatives few
x<o forv ho
American plan Of selecting representatives
on the basis Of the number OF voters only.
In England, for instance, where the right
of suffrage has been extended to the point
of being almost universal, or manhood
suffrage, a. 10 n called in the United
States, nine university DISTRICTS continue
to have representation as su q and the di.
visional lines Of parliamentary districts
ore such that the representation Is un-
equal, being largest proportionatcly in the
country and smallest In the urban districts.
The basis Of representation In the Unit
cd States has varied greatly from time to
time. The ratio of representation per popu-
lation was 10000 under the first appor-
tionment. 1t rose gradually under sue
cessive apportionments until 1S43, when ID
was put at 20, 600. In 1853 it Jumped 70
92, 900 and In 1853 to 1877, From tha.
figure 1t grew gradually until 1883, when
At was 15l, ,000 The present basis of rep
resentation Is materially higher-l73, 9O1
Congress fixes the number of members
which each state shall have, but the sub
sequent subdivision, based on the preced
ing national census, Is made by the stat,
Legislature.
The rule of equality Of division is nc
very we'll preserved, though an effort .,
follow it Is shown generally. The FRS
congressional district Of Texas has popu
lation of 12O, 900; the Second congressiona
District Of Texas has a population of 210,
900. That Is Hagrant and exceptional In
equality. Nevada has representative II
congress for 5000 inhabitants In New
York state the district having the larges
population s the Fourteenth, now repre
sented by Congressman Quigg. The Fourtl
district Of Pennsylvania one Of the strong
est Republican districts Of the country
hs4 by the Last census Q population o.