Mr. THOMAS. Not more than ten or fifteen.
Mr. DORSEY thought, that if they should have
before them a proposition to district the State,
they would be here till May.
Mr. JOHNSON said, that the proposition which
he had made was spread upon the journal, and its
distinct object was to district the State, it might
become a question for them to decide, and it was
important that they should examine the subject.
it was certainly within their power, and they
could do it better than commissioners Where
the counties were represented, and where most
of the members were familiar with localities, he
saw no difficulty with the Convention underta-
king the task, provided, they had a map and cen-
sus. They had the census, and all they wanted
was map. He thought it was important that
the map should be lithographed. It could do no
harm, and might effect its object.
Mr. DORSEY said that he was present when the
work was examined and compared. It appeared
to him to be a very incorrect one, and be did not
think that any advantage could be derived from
it. He did not believe that the Convention pos-
sessed such information as would enable it to district
the State, and do justice in respect to num-
bers or any thing else; as for example, Somerset
county was divided into ten election districts,
the number of delegates, four in all human pro-
bability; the election districts must, some of
them at least, be cut up into sections, which must
he attached to different delegate districts; how
is it possible by inspection of the plat and cen-
sus. to ascertain the population of each section
of an election district? Divisional lines must be
run at random, without regard to calls for roads,
creeks, &c., or natural objects of any kind, and
without employing the county surveyor to run
these lines, and furnishing him with one of the
plats before us; no voter living near any such
divisional line, could tell to what delegate district
he belonged, or where he must vote; and
so loose and inaccurate are the plats, that the
surveyor whom they employed, could not ascertain
within, perhaps, mile or miles the spot, at
which the divisional line, which he was called
upon to run, should commence or terminate; and
endless uncertainty and confusion must be the
result.
The lines of the election districts were never
run by course and distances, and consequently the
plat before us, is the mere guess work of the
surveyor, and is incapable of any accurate, or
indeed any location upon the ground, by divis-
ional lines, to be prescribed by this Convention.
Arbitrary divisional lines of this kind are wholly
inappropriate to the location of election or dele-
gate districts. Election districts have al-
ways, as the members of this House may well
know from reference to their respective coun-
ties, been made by persons appointed for the
purpose, who ride over the county, or having
without the aid of a surveyor, a perfect knowl-
edge of localities; and their limits are defined by
county lines, creeks, rivers, roads, &c. objects |
well known by the voters in their neighborhood;
not as is here now proposed to be done, by run-
ning conjectural lines, without knowing their
results as to population. This Convention, from
the want of local knowledge, are wholly incom-
petent to accomplish the districting of the coun-
ties, by dividing them into delegate districts,
with nothing but the plat and census before it.
The counties are divided into a greater num-
ber of election districts than they were entitled
to delegates. These districts would have to be
cut up. He understood that the present census
in some counties, was taken in such a way that
the number of voters and population in each
election district could not be ascertained. He
would not be positive, but believed he had heard
it so stated by a distinguished member of the
Convention, not now in his seat, that the census
in his county was not taken in accordance with
the existing election districts. Thus it would
be impossible for the Convention to district the
State, it must be done by persons, competent
judges of the population of the counties, who
could make as nearly as may be equal divisions
in point of population. The lithographing of
this map would cause useless delay and ex-
pense. The districting of the State should be
done by the Legislature, who could appoint pro-
per commissioners for that purpose. Besides,
he contended that if this system of districting by
this Convention should be adopted, he was con-
vinced that the power would be exercised, not
with a view to the objects for which the people
desired it, but merely for the promotion of po-
litical partizan purposes.
Mr. RANDALL thought that this money would
be well spent whether this Convention could dis-
trict the State or not. He was not prepared
now to pass an opinion as to what would be the
best mode of districting the State. He desired
information on this subject, but it can no where
be obtained—there is no mode prescribed by law
requiring maps districting the counties to be pre-
pared, and none now exist. He believed, from
the character of the gentleman who had prepared
this map, that it would give important informa-
tion to the State as well as to this Convention.
But suppose this map did cot contain satisfac-
tory information to enable this Convention to
district the State, it would be circulated through-
out the State, be subjected to the examination of
those who know the boundaries of the various
districts in the counties, and thus have the errors
of this map, if any exist, corrected. This Con-
vention may confer on the Legislature the power
to divide the State into districts. The Legisla-
ture would, therefore, come here at the next
session with all this information elicited by the
circulation of this map, and be prepared with
amendments so as judiciously and fairly to dis-
trict the State—in case this Convention do not
perform that duty. Again, this cost is to beonly
fifty dollars; to the generosity of the gentleman
who gratuitously prepared this map for the Con-
vention we owe the obligation of at least making
its value known to the public, it will, more- |
