The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-09-22
THE MARYLAND HOUSE OF
DELEGATES.

The census of 1900 will probably make
some changes in the representation of
several counties of Maryland in the House
of Delegates. Under the Constitution of
the State counties having population of
5000 or less have two Delegates, those
over 10, 900 and less than 90, 900 have three
those over 90, 200 and under 10000 have
four, those over 10000 and under $4,000
have five, and those over $4,000 six. Each
of the thu ee districts into which the city
of Baltimore is divided is entitled to the
same number of Delegates as that to
which the largest county is entitled.
Baltimore county is the only one in the
State having over $4,000 people. 1t has
six Delegates, and so each of the city dis
tricts has six. If for any reason Ralti
more county should suffer reduction of
its delegation the city representation
would have to be reduced. But as the
population of the county was in 1890
nearly $4,000, and is now far larger, there
is no danger of any such event. The
counties having two Delegates are Cal
vert, Caroline, Charles, Garrett, Howard,
Kent and St. Mary's. Those having three
Delegates are Cecil, Dorchester, Mont
gomery, Prince Georges Queen Annes,
Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Wor-
cester. Those having four Delegates are
Anne Arundel, Carroll, Hartford and
Washington. Allegany aud Frederick
have five each, Baltimore county and the
three city districts six each. The total
membership of the House is 81. The CEN
sus of 1900 may increase the total men,
bershipto 81.
In 1890 Garrett county had IA, 1873 popu-
lation. 1t is increasing rapidly, ard if it
maintains the same rate of increase this
decade that it did the last, of which there
is no reasonable doubt, it will have'a popu-
lation over 10000 in 1900 and be entitled
to three Delegates. Howard county in
1890 lacked Las of $4,000 people and
that county also will likely get another
Delegate. An increase of 56S in the popu
lation of Kent will give that county three
Delegates, and an increase of less than
1900 will give Montgomery four Dele
gates. Of that increase there is little
doubt. There has been a large overflow
from the District of Columbia into Prince
Gerge's, as we'll as into Montgomery, and
it is not unlikely that the new census will
show that its population has increased
from 26059 to over 1000, and it, too will
get another Delegate. Washington county
tainly be entitled to five, as it lacked in
1890 only 307 of the necessary 10000. 1t
is curious fact that while the census
credited Allegany with few hundred
more people than Washing ton, and so it
got five Delegates, Washington has IA
registered vote of II ,1GS, while Allegany
has only 1856, and the former frequent
ly casts vote between 900 and 1000
greater than the latter. The explanation
given is that as the population of Allie
gany is more in the towns the census
takers got it more accurately. The cen
sus of 1890 showed that the population of
some of the counties was decreasing, but
it is scarcely possible that any of them
will suffer a reduction in representation.
baltimore Sun.
Gen. Bates is making another tour
among the southern islands of the Philip
pine group.