Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-09-18
WORLDS LEGISLATURES.
Differences in the Apportionment OF
Members.

The recently elected Italian Chamber of
Deputies consists of 534 members. The
present German Rcchstag consists OF 393
members. The mex. House of Represen-
tatives at Washington, exclusive Of Terri
torial Delegates, will consist of 1856 mem.f
bers. The English Parliament consists o
$50 members, including those elected in
Ireland and Scotland as well as those elect
ed in England. OF these members 465
are chosen from English constituencies.
103 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 smaller body than the popular branch
of the Legislature of Great Britain, Ger
many, France, or Italy. The Belgian
Parliament, prior to the extension of uni
versal suffrage and the adoption OF the
multiple system of voting, consisted OF l24
members, the number varying according
to the number of qualified electors in each
district. The Hungarian House Of Mag
mates consists of 73J members, snd the
Hungarian House of Representatives Of
445. The Dutch Parliament is constructed
on the basis of one deputy fer every 49,
900 of population. The representation OF
all the Swiss cantons in the National Coun-
Gil is 1875.
In the choice of representatives few Eu-
ropean governments conform With the
American plan Of seIscting representatives
on the basis of the number of voters only.
In England, for instance, where the tight
of suffrage has been extended TO thep -
of being almost universal, or MANHOOD SUIT
frage, as it is called in the United Statcj,
nine university districts continue to have
representations as such, and the divisional
lines of parliamentary districts are such that
the representation is unequal, being largest
proportionately in the country ano small
est in the urban districts. The basis OF
representation in the United States has
varied greatly from time to time. The ratio
of representation per population was 3d.
900 under the first apper,ionment. 1t rose
gradually under successive appointments
until 1S43, when it YVES put at 10000. III
1853 it jumped to 90, 900 and in 1868 to
127, 900. From that figure it grew grad
ually until 1888, when it was 151 600. The
present basis of representation is materially
highcr--173, SOL Congress fixes the num-
Der OF members which each State shall
have, but the subsequent subdivisions,
based on the preceding national census, is
made by the State Legislature. The rule
of equality of division is moi very well pre-
served, though an effort to follow it is
shown generally. The First Congressional
district of Texas has population of 120,.
600; the Second Congressional district OF
Texas has population of 100000. Tha.
is fragrant and exceptional inequality.
Nevada has representative in Congress
for 45,G00 inhabitants. In New York
State the district having the largest popu-
lation is the Fourteenth, now represented
by Congressman Quigg- The Fourth dis
trict of Pennsylvania, one of the strongest
Republican districts of the country, had by
the last census population of 100000.
Ohio had only one district with more than
eco 1000 inhabitants. Twelve of the thir-
teen districts of Massachusetts have l70.-
900 populati or fraction more.