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Constitutional Revision Study Documents of the Constitutional Convention Commission, 1968
Volume 138, Page 144   View pdf image (33K)
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LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

 
 

1867 convention spent less than a day
on the subject. The composition of the
Senate was continued unchanged, con-
firming the added representation for
Baltimore City. It was different for the
House of Delegates, for limitations were
again placed on the total representation
that could be given to Baltimore City or
to any county. This was accomplished
by the following weighted apportion-
ment formula:
For each county not exceeding
18,000 population, 2 delegates.
For each county over 18,000 but
less than 28,000 population, 3
delegates.
For each county of 28,000 but less
than 40,000 , population, 4 dele-
gates.
For each county of 40,000 but less
than 55,000 population, 5 dele-
gates.
For each county of 55,000 or more
population, 6 delegates.
For each legislative district in Balti-
more City, no more delegates
than the number held by the
most populous county.68
As before, an interim apportionment
was provided until the next census could
be taken and the permanent apportion-
ment plan implemented. The interim
apportionment plan gave each of the
legislative districts of Baltimore City,
Baltimore County, and Frederick
County, 6 delegates each; Allegany and
Washington, 5 delegates; Carroll, Cecil,
and Harford, 4 delegates; Anne Arun-
del, Dorchester, Montgomery, Prince
George's, Somerset, and Worcester, 3
delegates; and Calvert, Caroline,
Charles, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's,
Saint Mary's, and Talbot, 2 delegates.69
68
md. const, art. III, § 4 (1867).
69 md. const, art. III, § 3 (1867).
144

It will be noted that this temporary
apportionment was basically the same
as that provided by the interim appor-
tionment under the 1864 Constitution,
except that representation for the
smaller counties was doubled from one
delegate to two delegates, ending Balti-
more City's equality in representation
ratios.
The 1867 Constitution has, of course,
continued in effect until the present
time, but with significant amendments
insofar as apportionment is concerned.
A constitutional amendment, ratified in
1901, gave Baltimore City a fourth legis-
lative district,70 but Baltimore's popu-
lation had almost doubled to 508,957
since the permanent apportionment for-
mula had gone into effect following the
1870 census. Relatively speaking, the
city with 43 per cent of the total state
population, had lost ground, even after
the amendment, from where it stood in
1870.
In 1918 provision was made for ex-
pansion of the territorial size of Balti-
more to its present boundaries.71 In
1920 Baltimore's population reached
733,826, an approximate 50 per cent
increase since 1900 when the city ac-
quired its fourth legislative district, giv-
ing the city 51 per cent of the total state
population. The gross disproportion-
ment between the city's size and its rep-
resentation led to an extensive cam-
paign to increase its representation.
This succeeded in 1922 when the city
was given two more legislative dis-
tricts.72
The amendments of 1901 and 1922,
however, merely ameliorated some of the
consequences of the 1867 apportionment
70
md. const, art. III, § 2 (1901).
71 Md. Laws of 1918, ch. 82, at 135.
72 MD. const, art. III, §§ 2, 4 (1922).

 

 
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Constitutional Revision Study Documents of the Constitutional Convention Commission, 1968
Volume 138, Page 144   View pdf image (33K)
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