The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-09
the next HOUSE
WILL HAVE A MEMBERSHIP or
3S6.
MEANS 20 NEW C0NeRESSMEN
THE BURLEIGH SUBSTITUTE PRE-
Walls.

Large MuJOrtty-SOuth Gets Ten
New Members, but Georgia Not One
of the Lucky States-A Warm De-
bate Before the Adoption of the
BiII-Crumpacker's Proposition De-
feated-DistrIcts Must lie "COntis-
nous and Compact"
Washington, Jan. S.-By vote OF 165 to
l02 the House to-day accepted the reap
portionment plan proposed by the Burleigh
bill which increases the membership OF
the House during the next decade from
S57, the present membership and the MEM
bership proposed by the committee or
Hopkins bill, to 1856.
The result was largely brought about
by the influence of certain senators from
several of the larger Northern states VINO
threw the weight of their influence in the
scale in favor of the larger membership.
When it became apparent that these fac
tors were at work against his bill Mr..
Hopkins attempted TO compromise by Civ
ing an additional representative each to
North Dakota, Colorado and Florida, but
his adversaries refused to compromise
| after complete victory was assured.
The Crumpacker proposition 10 recon-
init the bill for the purpose of ascertain
ing what states abridged the right to vote
to an extent which would entail reduced
representation was defeated, 1SO-l1O
There was no roll-call on the vote, but a
number of Republicans voted with the
Democfats. a.
Under the bill as passed to-day no state
loses a representative and the following
| make gains: Illinois, New York and
| Texas, three each; Minnesota, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania. two each;, Arkansas
] California, Colorado, Connecticut Florida,
| Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi
Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota,
| Washington, West Virginia and Wiscon-
sin, one each.
The bill provides that whenever a new
state is admitted the representatives as
signed to it shall be in addition to the
| number provided in the bill 1t also adds
! a provision never hitherto Incorporated in
a reapportionmeut BILL to the effect that
congressional districts in addition to be-
| ing contiguous" shall also be Compact" !"
States which are allowed additional rep
resentatives by the bill shall by its terms,
elect them at large until the Legislature
shall redistrict the state
| Mr.. Dalzell of Pennsylvania spoke first
He denied the affirmation that under the
rules this was an efficient House; on the
contrary it was an inefficient House The
records showed It, He argued that the
House even at its present size is inehi-
cient in administration.
Abiding in the course of his speech to
the French Chamber of Deputies Mr.
Dalzell characterized it as dsgraceful
as parliamentary body, and said II there
was one more so on the face of the earth
he would like to know where it Is. The
Chamber could be adjourned at any time
by the speaker ringing a bell, and a num-
Der of times within the past few years it
had been adjourned In that manner In
order to avert possible bloodshed on the
floor of the Chamber.
MIR. Grosvenor of Ohio declared that if
the Burleigh bill became a law 1t turned
over twenty-five Der cent of the power
of the Fifty-eighth Congress to the cities
of this country and stripped the rural
districts of their power.
Mr.. Otey of Virginia enlivened the de-
bate with a characteristic speech
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee and Mr.. Jones
of Virginia also spoke.
Mr.. Hopkins closed the general debate
with a speech in which he sought to meet
and answer the criticisms Of the oDpo-
nents of mis- bill.
He closed with an eloquent appeal TO
members to vote not for what might be
best for their own districts or states but
for the best interests of the whole coun-
try.
The bill was then read for amendment
under the five-minute rule. Mr.. Burleigh
Of Maine offered the first section of his
bin making the total membership Of the
House 3S6 members "a substitute for the
first section Of the Hopkins bill.
Mr.. Spalding of North Dakota offered an
amendment 10 increase the membership
provided for in the Hopkins bill from 357
to $50, and assigning the three additional
representatives to North Dakota, Colorado
and Florida.
Mr.. Wilson OF South Carolina, a member
Of the Committee on Census, opposed the
amendment, which, he said, was IN effect
a compromise proposition that would de-
stroy the system upon which the Hopkins
bill was based
Representative White Of North Carolina,
the only colored man in the House. Gre
ated something Of a sensation by a fiery
speech Of five minutes denouncing the
traducers of his race. He had tried to
be heard during the debate, he said but
1t had been denied him. He was he
said, the representative Of one-eighth Of
the population Of the country. Of a race
that had been grossly misrepresented and
maligned by three members Of the House
during the pending debate. He was glad
however, the idle and slanderous words
had come from young men, against whom
the Statute Of youth" could be pleaded.
"They will know better when they grow
older" he said.
lie said he would take occasion a little
later, in a speech which would, perhaps,
be his valedictory, to defend the men Of
his race who were no less American citi-
zens than those of white skin and eau
casian blood.
Representative Whites remarks receiv-
ed a whirlwind Of applause from the pub
lie gallery in which were seated many
Of his race
William A. Smith of Michigan offered
an amendment to the Burleigh substitute
to fix the membership at 1885, The vote
was first taken upon the Spalding amend
ment to the original text of the Hopkins
bill to increase the membership to 800 and
assigning the additional representatives
to Colorado, Florida ana North Dakota
and II prevailed without division.
The Smith amendment to the Burleigh
substitute was defeated, 50 to 1885,
The vote was then taken upon the Bur-
leigh substitute. Both sides demanded the
ayes and noes and the roll was called
The Burleigh substitute was adopted 1865
TO 102. The announcement was greeted
a .lasaa Me- taulr s.N