Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-16
HOW THE CIVILIZED PEOPLES OF THE
WORLD ARE GOVERNED.

Recent Figures Showing the Membership
OF the Different Observation-Disclosures
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 $50 men,
bers. The English parliament consists Of
$50 members, including those elected in
Ireland and Scotland as wei as those elect
ed in England. OF these members 465 are
chosen from English constituencies, 1913
from Irish, 72 from Scotch and 80 from
Welsh. The French chamber of deputies
consists Of 629 members.
It 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. Tho Belgian par
Lament, prior to the extension Of universal
suffrage and the adoption Of the multiple
system Of voting, consisted of 1874 men,
bers, the number varying according to tho
number Of qualified electors in each dis
trict. The Hungarian house of magnates
consists of 1856 members and tho Hungarian
house Of Representatives of 445. The Dutch
parliament is constructed on the basis Of
one deputy for every 40, 900 Of population.
The representation of all the Swiss can
tons in the national council is 1856.
In the choice Of representatives few
European governments conform with the
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, as it Is called in the United
States, nine university districts continue
to have representation as such, and the d.
visional lines of parliamentary districts
are such that the representation is I'M
equal, being largest proportionately 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-
tionmont. 1t rose gradually under sue
cessive appointments until 1913, when 1t
was put at 20, 900. In 1853 it jumped to
9e, 900 and In 1868 to $4,000. From that
figure 1t grew gradually until 1888, when
it was 151, 900. The present basis of rep
resentation is materially higher-173, 9Ol.
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 state
legislature.
The rule of equality Of division Is not
very we'll preserved, though an effort to
follow 1t is shown generally. The First
congressional district Of Texas has popu-
lAtion Of 100, 000i the Second congressional
district Of Texas has population Of 21O,-
600. That is fragrant and exceptional in
equality. Nevada has a representative in
congress for 45, 900 inhabitants. In New
York state the district having the largest
population is the Fourteenth, now repre-
sented by Congressman Quigg. The Fourth
district Of Pennsylvania, one of the strong
est Republican districts of the country,
had by tho last census a population Of
100000. Ohio had only one district with
more than 200, 900 inhabitants, Twelve OF
the 10 districts of Massachusetts, have no.
900 population or fraction more-New
York Sun