Evening star., 1952-03-06
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TO Gov. Battle After
Approval in Senaie
By Alex r. Preston

II
| RICHMOND. Mar. 6.The Gen.
leral Assembly today completed ac-
ltion on the Fenwick redistricting
1bill, placing a new 10th congress
Isional district next to Washing
ton. and sent the measure to the
Governor.
| Final action was in the form
Iof Senate acceptance Of amend
lmentS which had been tackled on
Ito the measure by the House of
Delegates yesterday afternoon.
The Senate vote was "a to 13.
A promised floor fight by Sena-
tors from the I'd congressional
district, who wanted the 10th
placed in the Norfolk area. failed
to n1aterialize.
| Emergency Clause Needed.
/ Principal problem now facing
1.-THE bills sponsor, Senator Charles
1R. Fenwick Of Arlington. Is get
lting enough votes to have an
lemergency clause tackled on the
measure. It is believed Gov. Bat
tie will send the bill back to the
Eassembly asking for an emergency
amendment. But this would re-
quire q four-ffths vote of both
houses.
The emergency language is
needed SO that candidates for
Congress. can file for the primary
by the April 16 deadline. Other
WISE. the bill will not take effect
until late In June.
Proponents, under the leader
ship Of Delegate J. Maynard Ma
gruder of Arlington, beat down
seven attempts to amend the
bill and steered it over a rocky
course in the House Of Delegates
yesterday, where it emerged with
q 67-to-26 vote.
Population Disparity Cut.
It bore one set of amendments.
offered by Delegate George S. Aid
hizer II Of Rockingham, which
were acceptable to MIR. Magruder
and Senator Fenwick. The effect
of these amendments would be to
reduce the population disparity
between the largest and smallest
congressional districts disparity
that was widely used in an attack
on the bills constitutionality.
If the emergency clause is
beaten-and up until now the
Norfolk area delegations have said
they would not give init is be-
lieved that administration stall
warts may resort to the last
minute introduction of a new bill
that would make it possible for
Congressional candidates to file
for the primary despite the April
16 deadline.
Still preserved in the revised
version Of the bill, as it left
the House. is the proposed new
10th district embracing Arling-
ton, Alexandria, Falls Church and
Fairfax. These areas, embracing
a population of 303 1000, would
come out of the present 9th dis
trict.
Makeup of District.
This was the makeup of the
proposed 9th as the Fenwick bill
was passed by the Senate: The
counties Of Loudoun, Prince VIII
liam, Fauquier. Stafford, King
George. Culpeper. Madison,
Greene. Orange. Spotsylvania,
King and Queen, King William,
Hanover. Goochland Fluvanna,
Albermarle and Louisa, and the
cities of Charlottesville and Fred
ericksburg. The total population
would have been 277,000, making
lit the States smallest.
This is what the Aldhizer amend
ments do to the above setup: Mad
ison would be removed to the 7th
district and King and Queen
placed back In the 1st, where it
now is. To the areas remaining in
the 9th, the Aldhizer amendment
would add the Northern Neck
counties Of Westmoreland, Lam
caster, Richmond and Northum-
berland. The population figure
for the 20 counties and two cities
would be $4,000.
7th District Composition.
The Senate-approved bill places
these localities in the 7th District:
Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shen-
andoah, Page, Rappahannock,
Rockingham, Highland, Augusta,
Bath, Rockbridge, Nelson and Am
herst, and the cities Of Harrison
burg. Staunton, Waynesboro, Win
chester and Buena Vista. The
Aldhizer amendment adds Madi-
son County from the 9th, so that
the IA counties and five cities in
the 7th would have nearly 100000
inhabitants.
The population disparity of the
original Senate-approved bill ex-
tended from 277,000 in the 9th to
403 in the I'd. The Aldhizer
amendment would leave the I'd
district unchanged but would
make the 7th. with 10000. the