Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1880 — THE NEXT HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE NEXT HOUSE.

Congressional Repret.enlo.tfpn on the Hasis of flic New Census. [From the Detroit Free Press.] From the reports of the population of a number of the States which have already been made public through the •olumns of the press it is apparent that, unless they are considerably out of the way, the total population of the United States, as shown by the census just taken, will very nearly reach 50,000,000. We givh below the reports from States in which approximate estimates of the population have been made, based upon census returns of a portion or all of their respective counties. The population of Massachusetts, as given below, is taken from the Springfield (Mass.) Republican. That of Texas is the mean between conflicting reports. It is not unlikely, however, that the State, wonderful though its growth has been, may not reach the total here assigned it. In the remaining States the population is a close approximation : New York 5,080,000 Louisiana 920,000 Pennsylvania ... 4,200,000 California 803.000 Ohio 3,206,832 Minnesota 780,000 lllinf is 3,125,000 Arkansas 750,000 Missouri 2,300,000 Maine 047,000 Massachusetts.: 1,750,000 Connecticut.... 623,100 Kentucky 1,734,331 Nebraska 452,000 Michigan 1,020,000 New Hampshire. 347,311 Texas. 1,600,000 Vermont 334,455 Virginia 1,000,000 Rhode Island... 270,214 Georgia 1,500,000 Colorado 195,161 North Carolina. 1,385,000 Oregon 175,000 Wisconsin 1,300,000 Delaware 146,620 Alabama 1,150,000 New Jersey 1,100,000 Total 40,170,000 Kansns 1,009,000 The following table contains ail estimate of the population of the States not included in the above list. The populations are based upon the best information attainable at this time, and we believe will be less than the census will show, though there, may be some overestimates : Indiana 2,100,000 Mississippi 8)0,000 lowa 1,600,(XX) West Virginia.... 550,000 Tennessee 1,600,000 Florida 275,000 Maryland 925,(XX) Nevada 11X1,000 South Carolina... 900,000 Total 8,900,000 Below is given tlie population of th several Territories, including the District of Columbia, as closely as they can at present be ascertained : Arizona 25,000 New Mexico 150,000 Daketa 124,000 Utah 144,(XX) District of Colum- Washington 50,0(H) bia 180,000 Wyoming 40,000 Idaho 30,(X)l) Montana . 39,000 Total 782,000 The aggregate population of the States and Territories, as given by tlie above tables, is 49,852,090, against 38,588,371 in 1870, showing a gain in the population of the United States in the ten years of 11,263,719, or nearly 30 per cent. Upon the .basis of the foregoing figures, which are approximately correct, it will be interesting to estimate the apportionment of members of the next House of Representatives. Assuming that there will be no change from the present membership (293), the Representative population is ascertained by deducting from tlie population of tlie States (exclusive, of tlie Territories) the population of Delaware and Nevada States not having a full Representative population. With this deduction made a total is left of 48,823,470, among which 291 Representatives are to be apportioned. This gives a Representative rate of 167,780, audaipon this basis representation in the next House will bo apportioned as follows, an additional member being allotted in eacli case in which a State lias a moiety of the ratio in addition to the full population to entitle it to one or more Representatives. Present Xext House. House. (Jain. Loss, New York 33 30 .... 3 Pennsylvania 27 25 .... 2 Ohio 20 19 .... 1 Illinois 19 19 Missouri 13 14 1 .... Indiana 13 13 .... .... Massachusetts 11 10 .... 1 Kentucky 10 10 .... .... Michigan 9 10 1 .... lowa 9 10 1 .... Tennessee. 10. 10 .... .... Virginia 9 10 1 .... Texas 6 10 4 • .... Georgia 9 9 .... .... North Carolina 8 8 .... .... Wisconsin... 8 8 .... .... Alabama. 8 7 .... 1 New Jersey 7 7 .... .... Kansas 3 6 3 .... Maryland 6 6 .... .... Louisiana 6 6 .... 1 South Carolina 5 5 .... .... California 4 5 1 .... Mississippi 0 5 .... *1 Minnesota 3 5 2 .... Arkansas 4 4 .... .... Maine 5 4 .... 1 Connecticut 4 4 .... West Virginia 3 3 .... .... Nebraska 1 3 2 .... New Hampshire." 3 2 ..... 1 Vermont 3 2 .... 1 Rhode Island 2 2 ... .... Florida 2 2 .... .... Colorado 1 1 .... .... Oregon 1 1 .... .... Delaware 1 1 .... .... Nevada 1 1 .... .... Total 293 296 16 13 In the above it will be seen that the number of members in the next House is placed at 296. This is because the States having a surplus equal to a moiety outnumber those in which the surplus is less than a moiety. The number can be strictly limited to 293 by dropping from each of the three States whose surplus, though equal or greater than a moiety, is the least. We have made no attempt to discriminate thus nicely, for the reason that the population, as given, is not -sufficiently definite in all cases to warrant it. Indeed, the changes made by the official census will somewhat affect the estimate, but not to any material extent.