The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-18
TO REAPPORTION STATE
IS MEASURES DESIGN
Biil' Introduced BY Delegates Myers
RoIston and Slant Meeting sug-
gcStion Made BY Governor.
WOULD GIVE RICHMOND TEN
Seven Delegates and Three Senators
Observation-Disclosures Makes Re-
dlstricting Mandatory In 1919 and
1922--Right Now Questioned.

For the reapportionment of the
state into Senatorial and House dis
tricts at this session Of the General
Assembly a bill was introduced In the
House yesterday afternoon by Captain
Myers, of Richmond: Mr.. Rolston. Of
Rockingham, and Mr.. Slant, of Bris-
toll
The bill provides for numerous
changes in the present plan of redis-
'.iCting the State and its passage will
give to Eichn.o nd seven members OF
the House of Delegates, instead of
FIVE. and three Senators, instead OF two.
The city of Norfolk will be given
four delegates. instead of two. and
Norfolk in two Senatorial districts will
have two Senators. one of whom will
| represent Jointly the cities of Norfolk
and J prtsmouth.
The bill was drawn by a subcommit-
tee Of the Committee of Privileges and
Elections, which has had the redis-
tricting matter under consideration
since shortly after the General Assem-
bly, received the biennial message OF
Governor Stuart. in which the Gov
ernor suggested that the State be re-
districted at this time The subcom-
nlittee was composed of the three
members who are patrons of the bill.
with Captain Myers as chairman.
Governor Sugge rs Action Now.
Governor Stuart in his message
pointed TO the fact that the consIitu-
ton in section 40 makes mandatory
redistricting of the State in 1912 and
every ten years thereafter. and called
attention to the fact that the 1912
and the 1914 sessions OF the Legisla-
fure had failed to obey that mandate.
He r. ped the General Assembly would
act at this session.
There is considerable sentiment In
the General Assembly with regard TO
reapportionment at this time, some
of the members believing that the Leg
islature has no right to redistrict the
State, under the constit ution. until
1922, because OF its failure to comply
with the constitutional provision that
the reapportionment be made in 1917
The Myers r olston Slant bill was
( referred to the Committee on PrlVl-
leges and Elections, To numerous
changes from the present plan. made
tn the bill, there will be much OBJ
lection, and when the bills returns IL
will carry many amendments.
Representation in House.
The bill, as drawn, provides the fol-
lowing districts and their representa-
ton in the Hous. of Delegates;
Accomac. two, now one; Abemarle
and Charlottesville two: Alexandra
CITY and county. one: Allegheny and
Craig. with the city of Chiffon Forge
added. one; Amherst, one: Appomat-
itox with Prince Edward added, one;
4 Amelia and Nottoway, one; Augusta
tand city of Staunton, one.
/ bath Highland, Buena Vista ana
+ RoCllbridge, one; Bedford, one; BED
ford County and city OF Roanoke one
new district: Botetourt, one; Bruins
wick. one. Buchanan and Dickinson
one; buckingham and Cumberland
one. ,.x ry,u,.
George added. one; Carroll, one: Char
(lotte one; Chesterfield. one; Clark and
Warren, one; Culpeper. with Madi-
son added, on
Dinwiddie, one Elizabeth city, one:
Fairfax. one; Fauquier, one; Floyd,
one; Franklin. one: Frederick and
Winchester, one.
Giles and Bland, one; Gloucester. with
Sfa+bews added. one; Goochland and
Fluvana, with Powhatan added. one'
Grayson, one.
Halifax two; Hanover. with Kine
william. added, one; Henrico. with
Charles City aid New Kent aooed
one; Henry, enc. -.,.--
Isle of Wight, one; James city
Warwick. York and the city OF WI.
|liamsburg one; King and Queen and
Essex. with Middlesex added, one.
lancaster and Richmond County
one; Lee, one; Loudoun. one; Louisa
one; Lunenburg. one Lynchburg, one
Richmond and Norfolk Gain
I Mecklenburg. one; Montgomery and
Radford one; Nansemond and Su-
folk, one: Nelson, one; Newport News
one Norfolk city, four, now Two
worfollk County. two; Northampton
one, northumberland and Westmore-
= land, one.
Orange, with Greene added. one;
Page and Rappahannock. one; Pat
rick. one; Ptttsylvania and DanVille
three; Petersburg one; Portsmouth
8 one. Princess Anne. one; Prince VIII
= liam, with Stafford added, one; Fu-
laski. one.
: Richmond city, seven. now Ave;
; Roanoke city. one; Roanoke unity
one: Rockbridge and Buena Vista
one; Rockingham, two; Russell. one