The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-25
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Prospect of a Revival of the Old Dis
pute Over It's Membership.

DuIS ON6T AUS
Washington Letter. New York Sun.
In the apportionment of the house
of representatives following the ma
tional census of 1890 no attempt was
made to readjust the number of con-
gressmen among the states by any re-
ductions of membership to make up for
the increase of population in other
states during the ten years preceding
Instead an addition of thirty-one MEM
bers was made to the house, then COM
prlsing 325 members, and the state
which benefited most by the increase
was Nebraska; it secured three addi-
tional members, or double it's former
representation, while Illinois, Minneso-
ia, Pennsylvania and Texas secured
one additional member each. The prac-
tiCal effect was to increase the number
OF congressman from 325 to 3j6, and
there has since been a further addition
of a member for the state of Utah, ad
mitted Jan. 4, 1896.
Under the census of 1900, the prelim-
mary details for which are engaging
the consideration of congress, an even
larger increase in poulation is probable
during the present decade than was
enumerated in the census of 1890.
Should there be an addition of MEM
bership on the same basis, and to the
same extent, the total number of con-
gressmen in the popular branch would
reach 3SS, a cumbrous body of MEM
bers, in the opinion of leaders on both
sides. Under the apportionment made
in 1878, based upon the census of 1870,
the total number of representatives was
nd lNo
or more the enlargement of the house,
already great, would exceed reasonable
limits. Moreover, it would make the
disparity in numbers between the house
and the senate still more striking, for
there are now but two territories seek
ing admission as states-Arizona and
New Mexico. Nor is any considerable
addition to the senate probable during
the period of the congresses which shall
be elected under the next apportion-
ment.
Originally the house of representa-
| tives consisted of sixty-five members,
and the first ratio of representation
was one member for each 10000 inhabi-
tants. Virginia had the largest dele
cation and Massachusetts had more
| than New York. The first house haG
fewer members than the senate has
today. The membership was gradually
| increased and the ratio enlarged until,
in 1922, a population of 10000 was re-
quired for a member, and the total
number of representatives ran up to
212. 1t is now 357.
The explicit provision of the consti-
| tuition allotting to each ste .e two sem
| ators, and two only, has obviated any
chance for controversy as to the mem
| bership of that body. The senators
being twice as many as the states
there are now ninety senator's, As to
representatives IN the house, the con-
stitution directs that a census shall
be taken every tenth year, and that
after each census the basis of rep
resentation shall be fixed by the house
at so many inhabitants to each MEM
| ber but there is now no limit upon
| the total membership and all efforts
| to regulate it by fixing such q limit
have been futile. In May. 1856, a law
| was passed limiting to 23S the mem
bershiD of the house. with the inten-
| tion of making the limitation perma-
nent, though there We're, by the appor-
tionment of 1862, 23S members in the
house, or five more than it was intend
| cd to have thereafter. Subsequently TO
the passage of this law, however, Min
| nesota, Oregon and Kansas were ad-
mitted as states, and all of them be-
fore the next apportionment. The size
of the house, however, increased stead
| lily thereafter, or under the census OF
1860 to 24S, of 1870 to 293 of 1880 TO 1926,
and at present to 357. If, after the
| census Of 1900, in order to reduce the
total membership, the ratio of repre-
| sentation is largely increased, as II
must be il the membership OF the house
| is to be reduced or kept where it Is.
! the smallest states will enjoy dis
| proportionate advantage, for each of
| them is entitled to at least one repre-
sentative, be the ratio 10000, as it was
half century ago. 10000, as II was
eight years ago. or more than that.
| Very naturally, therefore, these little
| states, which would lose nothing by
the reduction, being assured of at least
one member each, are not unfavorable
to reduction of the total member
ship of the house to 325 or less. The
| larger states, not less naturally, are
desirous of maintaining their relative
strength in the house even at the risk
of making the membership unwieldy.
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