Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-07
No Reapporti0nment of
Members of Legislature
Likely UntllMext Year

there Will be no reapportionment of
members of the general assembly of
Georgia until 1921, after the official
report Of the 1920 census has been
promulgated. An opinion rendered
by Assistant Attorney General Gra-
ham Wright, coupled with a letter
written to Governor Dorsey by Sam
l.. Rogers. director of the census,
combine to influence the general as
sembly to delay the reapportionment
until next year.
The opinion was rendered by the
assistant attorney general at the re-
quest Of Representative w. A. Cow
ington, of Colquitt, who had intended
70 introduce reapportionment reso-
iutlon under which Colquitt county
would be given two representatives
instead or one as at present. Mr..
wright holds to the view that there
IS no precedent for making q reap
port1onment in a census year, but
rather during the year Immediately
Iollow1ng the announcement Of the
census returns for the entire coun-
try. He also states that the report
thus far received from the director
OF the census indicates that 1t is in
c COMPLIES and. possibly subject to
The opinion of the assistant attor-
ney general follows:
legal Opinion
Hon. W. A. Covington, House of Repre-
sentatiyes, State Capitol-Dear Sir: In COM
pllance with your request for an opinion as
to the reapportionment of the representa-
tives Of the general assembly by the present
session OF the legislature, 1 have carefully
gone into the question involved in this mat
ter and have reached the following conclu-
sions:
A~&fa
constitution of the state Of Georgia pro-
vides that the apportionment of the repre-
sentation In the house shall be changed by
the general assembly at its first session
after each census taken by the United States
government.
The census act Of congress of 1919 makes
no provision as to when the census shall be
completed and take effect, other than that
it should be completed within three years
from the first day of July, 1919 The gen.
erai rule appears to be that in the absence
OF time specified when census shall
take erect the same takes effect from the
Date OF the official publication Of the result
OF such census by the officer or bureau
charged With the duty Of taking same. (see
volume IL, Corpus Juris, page III
I am, therefore. Of the opinion that the
present legislature or the state Of Georgia
Is not authorized to reapportion the repre-
sentatives in the house upon any prelim mary
report Of the director Of the census, but
that the first session Of the legislature Of
the state Of Georgia after the completed and
session" Of the general assembly within
the meaning Of the constitutional provision
above quoted.
This opinion is borne out by the fact that
the reapportionment was made after the
previous census in the years 1901 and 1911.
and not 1900 and 1910.
/ trust that this answers your inquiry
fully and am returning herewith the let
ter or Mr.. Rogers, which you left with me-
1 am also furnishing the governor with a
copy OF this opinion at your request. Very
(SigneO GRAHAM WRIGHT,
Assistant Attorney General.
List Of Counties
AS at present indicated, the coun-
ties entitled to three representatives
each on the reapportionment are Full
mond and DeKalb. This means that
DeKalb county displaces Floyd in the
'fbig six" list. The next twenty-six
counties entitled to two representa-
tives each are Floyd, Gwinnett, Hall,
Lowndes. Meriwether, Bulloch. Bar
Troup. Ware, Walton, Washington,
Brooks. Coweta, Emanuel, Jackson,
Laurens. Ebert and Worth. All the
remaining counties of the state will
be given one representative each.
Colquitt, Mitchell and Worth coun-
ties have apparently displaced De-
catur. Houston and Wilkes counties |
IN the list of those entitled to two
representatives. But for the fact |
that Seminole county has been cut |
from a portion Of Decatur county, |
thus reducing it's population. Deca-
tur would have retained its place in
the list Of twenty six
There have been suggestions that
the constitution be amended so as to
give the three largest counties four
representatives each, to the next six
largest counties three representatives
each, to the next twenty-six largest
counties, two representatives each. |
and to the remaining counties, one
representative each. Under such a
system, Floyd. Laurens and Troup
counties would get three representa- |
tives.
The population of Georgia, bv
counties, for 1920, compared with
1910. is as follows:
COUNTIES 1920 1910