Southport Telegraph

APPORTIONMENT BILL:

We stated last week that the House of Representatives had acceded to the amendments proposed by the Senate to the apportionment bill, and that the number of 70,680 was fixed as the ratio of representation. Unless a reconsideration shall be moved and sustained, the basis of representation for the next Congress, is now fixed for the next ten years. The next House of Representatives will have nineteen members less than the present—a number, however, quite large enough for the efficient transaction of business. One great difficulty attending the fixing of the ratio of representation, has been the disposal of the fractional numbers. Whatever number of inhabitants might be fixed upon as the basis of a representation, some of the states must necessarily be losers in consequence of large fractions unrepresented. Under the provisions of the present bill, where the fractional number in a state exceeds 35,340, such state is entitled to a representation for such fraction. By the new apportionment, some of the states, will have their present number of Representatives considerably lessened. The Southern States will be the greatest losers in this respect; Maryland loses two; Virginia, seven; North Carolina, four; South Carolina, two; Georgia, one: Tennessee, two; Kentucky, three. Some of the Northern States also lose considerably. Massachusetts loses two; New York, six; Pennsylvania, four. The gain in representation will be in Ohio, two; Indiana, three; Illinois, two; Michigan, two; Missouri, one.

The following table exhibits the number of members to which each state will be entitled in the House under the new apportionment.

Maine,	7
New Hampshire,	4
Vermont,	4
Massachusetts,	10
Rhode Island,	2
Connecticut,	4
New York,	34
New Jersey,	5
Pennsylvania,	24
Delaware,	1
Maryland,	6
Virginia,	14
North Carolina,	9
South Carolina,	7
Georgia,	8
Alabama,	7
Mississippi,	4
Louisiana,	4
Tennessee,	11
Kentucky,	10
Ohio,	21
Indiana,	10
Illinois,	7
Missouri,	5
Michigan,	3
Arkansas,	1
House,	223