APPORTIONMENT BILLS. In the United States, laws passed by Congress after each decen nial census, to define the number of members of the House of Representatives to which the sev eral States are entitled. Every State has at least one member. Eleven apportionment bills have been passed. The first constitution adopted by the original thirteen States fixed the number of members at 65, and the ratio of representa tion at 30,000- Representative population then meant all free white citizens and three-fifths the number of slaves; two-fifths of the slaves, all aliens, and Indians not taxed, were excluded from any share in choosing members of Congress. The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution conferred the franchise on the emancipated slaves in the South. The following figures show the variations of apportionment made for each census: The House had grown rapidly in number of members until 1830, when it was found that it would soon become unwieldy unless the num ber of representative population required to a member should be largely increased; so the ratio was increased by one-half (raised from 47,700 to 70.680). Since then the purpose has
been to keep the House below 300 members, and the ratio is raised regularly, while the number of members is seldom increased unlesA by the addi tion of new States. In that way the House was increased by the admission of Oregon in 1859, Kansas in 1861, West Virginia in 1863, Nevada in 1864, Nebraska in 1867, Colorado in 1876, North and South Dakota. Montana, and Wash ington in 1889, Idaho and Wyoming in 1890, and Utah (making the forty-fifth State) in 1896. In the various State a similar prac tice prevails. At stated intervals, generally of ten years intermediate with the Federal period, a reapportionment is made. This period is often taken advantage of by the party in the majori ty, who, by combinations of various kinds, "ger rymander" the State, and so redistrict that their opponents are in a hopeless minority at the polls on many succeeding election days.