Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-08
TO RED|STRICT STATE
oLD BILL. VETOED BY THE COVER
NOR, TO DE REINTRODUCED.
lake THE NINTH STRONGER.
,ossIbIe an Effort May De Made til
Gerrymnnder the District In tina
Interest OF the Democrnts-Lively
Politics Promised Early In the
Session.
Session.

The bill redistrictins the State for rep.
asentatives in Congress, which was IN
-oduced and passed by the General AS
ambly last spring. but vetoed oy cover
or Montague too late for the TIVE
fouses to act on the matter further. will
is understood be reintroduced at thu
ssion of the General Assembly beginning
ext Monday While it may not be pre-.
isely the bill as offered last spring. II
i'll be substantially the same. at that
me it passed both houses by overwheln1-
lg majorities.
The Second District, which is easily the
1rgest in the State. being well-nigh twice
8 populous as the Fifth or the Sixth.
nd a third more so that the Third Dis
rict. are especially desirious Of a redis-
ricting plan that will give their popula-
ion the influence in national legislation
o which it Is entitled. Newport News
nd Norfolk are now IN the same district,
nd their interests in the matter OF ship
building and shipping so confiic that IL
s hard for one man to fairly and sat.s-
actoriIy represent both. The representa-
i've must either incline to ,.Ie Govern
nent yard at Norfolk. or to the private
plant at Newport News, or he must not
tdequately represent either. That Is
bout the way well-known gentleman
md former member of the Legislatures
stated the case last night. It Is probablo
that the old bill. or he subsiue herefor.
will be offered early in he session. and
by member from the Peninsula.
It is not anticipated that the bill viii
encounter strong opposition, having beck
passed by the very same men by a large
majority. Some changes may be made
in the bill as concession to insure
passage One member OF the House. Hon.
Charles NJ. Wallace. of this city stated
last night that ne would oppose the trans-
fer of Manchester and Chesterfield from
the Third to the Fourth District. He does
not believe the people OF --.e soutnsids
desired the change. ard lie ..Irnsalf want
cd to see them retained In the Third dis
trict. The bill. as passed last spring.
transferred them to the Fourth District.
which must be enlarged somewhat. There
may be other objections 70 the bill. which
will develop later.
An old time member of ..Ie General
Assembly said last night that II the two
Houses did not pass the bill he world
be surprised adding that .e did not think
the Governor had acted fairly 20 the
legislature In vetoing the bill In such a
way as to give the General Assembly no
to act on the veto. When ha
was in the General Assembly. he said. he
knew very well what the body would do
in such case.
IT is but fair to say that tl1era many
WHO warmly endorse the Governors ac-
ton and commend him for 1t. and who
declare without qualification that the bill
ought not to have become a law.
1t is possible that an effort may be made
to so serrymander the Ninth district as
to make 1t stronger for the Democrats.
No one has suggested just how this could
be done. however. Il Is now In area the
largest in the State. and yet one of. lie
not the most compact district To
strengthen 1t politically would probably
mean that some other district would be
weakened In It's Democratic moorinss. ara
that would awaken protest from the
representative OF the district affected.
There promises to be some lively politics.
In the General Assembly before the SEES.
sion is two months old.