DISTRICT, CONGRESSIONAL, in the United States, a division of a State according to its population, sufficient in size to entitle it to a representative in Congress. The ratio of representation is established by Congress every 10 years, and is based on the total popu lation as reported by the last preceding census. This is in accordance with the provisions of the United States Consti tution (Art. 1, Sec. 2), which further declares that the number of representa tives shall not exceed one for every 30,000; and, lest some State nright have less than the required population, that each State shall have at least one repre sentative. The action of the Federal Government ceases with the fixing of the rate, and each State establishes the boundaries of its own districts by an act of its Legislature. There is, therefore, a decennial change in the number and often in the boundaries of the districts.
The ratio of representation in the United States House of Representatives based on the different censuses was as follows : From 1789 to 1793 as by the U. S. Constitution 30,000
From 1793 to 1803 based on the U. S. Census of 1790 30,000 From 1803 to 1813 based on the U. S. Census of 1800 33.000 From 1813 to 1823 based on the U. S. Census of 1810 35,000 From 1823 to 1833 based on the U. S. Census of 1820 40,000 From 1833 to 1843 based on the U. S. Census of 1830 47,700 From 1843 to 1853 based on the U. S. Census of 1840 70,680 From 1853 to 1863 based on the U. S. Census of 1850 93,425 From 1863 to 1873 based on the U. S. Census of 1860 127,381 From 1873 to 1883 based on the U. S. Census of 1870 131,425 From 1883 to 1893 based on the U. S. Census of 1880 151,912 From 1893 to 1903 based on the U. S. Census of 1890 173,901 From 1903 to 1913 based on U. S. Census of ...... 1900 194,182 From 1913 based on U. S Census of 1910 212,407