Citizenship. The question of citizenship was, for many years, a troublesome one in this country, and it was not definitely settled until the adoption of the fourteenth amendment to the United States constitution. The quali fications required of representatives are certainly not too high.

Age. By the clause of the constitution quoted above, it will be seen that the earliest age at which a native-born citizen may become a representative in congress is twentyfive years, and as this is only four years after the person has acquired the right to vote, the minimum age is generally considered low enough.

Aliens.—An alien, by the usual process, must reside in this country five years before he can be naturalized. This period, together with the seven years' residence required by the constitution, make it necessary for an alien to have resided in the United States at least twelve years before he can become a member of the house of representatives in congress.

Residence. It is required that members of congress shall, at the time of their election at least, be inhabitants of the states from which they are chosen. For convenience, as well as for the purpose of carrying out the idea of close representation, each state that is entitled to more than one representative, is separated into congressional districts, and each district chooses its own representative.

Congressional Districts.- Congressional districts are formed by the legislature of each state in such a way as to make them as nearly equal in population as possible. These districts are designated by number, and their boundaries are subject to change every ten years. Residence in the congressional district he is chosen to represent is not a

constitutional requirement, although only a very few rep esentatives have ever been chosen to represent districts in which they did not reside. The qualification of resider.ce applies only to the time of election, but it would seem eminently proper for a representative who has removed from the state in which he was chosen, to resign at the time of his removal.

Clause 3.-Apportionment.

The parts of this clause enclosed in parentheses are now obsolete.

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, (which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a number of years, and) excluding Indians not taxed, (three-fifths of all other persons.) The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of representatives shill not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative, (and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.)

Representatives-Direct Taxes.-One of the most difficult things for the members of the constitutional convention to agree upon was the basis of representation in both houses of congress. After much discussion, it was decided to apportion representatives and direct taxes amo.ag the states according to population.

Census. No formal counting of the people of the United States had ever been made, and the assignment of members of the first congress to the different states was purely arbitrary. The convention had agreed upon forty thousand inhabitants as the basis, or ratio, of representation, but Washington, in about the only address he made to the convention, urged that the number be changed to thirty thousand. The change was made at once.

Number of Members.-The constitution does not limit the membership of the house of representatives. At first there were sixty-five members, on the estimated basis of one representative for every thirty thousand inhabitants of the country, but so rapid has been the growth of the United States in population, that there are now nearly six times as many representatives as there were in the first congress, and the ratio of representation is nearly six times as great as it was at first.

Ratio of Representation.-The first census of the people of the United States was taken in 1790, and one has been taken in the last year of each regular decade since that time. At the first session of congress after the census had been taken, a committee was appointed to decide upon the number of representatives in congress for the next ten years. The number, at present, is three hundred and fiftyseven. The ratio of representation is found by dividing the number representing the population of all the states, exclusive of the territories and the District of Columbia, by the number representing the membership of the house of representatives. The ratio now is one representative for every one hundred and seventy-three thousand, nine hundred and one inhabitants.

Each State Represented.-It is also provided that each state shall have at least one representative. Should

new states be admitted before the next census is taken, the number of representatives will be increased accordingly.

Representative at Large.-When a state has more representatives in congress than it has congressional districts, the additional members are chosen from the state at large. This sometimes happens after the census has been taken, and before the state legislature has had time to change the number of congressional districts.

Objects of Census.-The primary object of the census is to show the number of people in the United States, but in addition to this, very many important facts concerning the nationality, education, occupations, and general prosperity of the people, are obtained by the census-takers. Nearly all the states have a special census taken every ten years, but so arranged that it occurs five years after the United States census has been taken. In this way the counting of the people occurs every five years.

Slavery. At the time of the adoption of the constitution, slavery existed in nearly all of the states. There were several members of the convention who were bitterly opposed to slavery, and they wished to have nothing done by the convention to encourage it. The status of the slave was hard to settle. If he was simply a chattel-mere property he should not be counted among the people any more than horses, houses, or any other form of property. If he was to be counted as "of the people," then slavery must be recognized as a traffic in human beings.

Compromise.-As a compromise, it was decided that neither slaves nor slavery should be mentioned in the constitution, and the evasive language, "three-fifths of all other persons," was used to determine the political standing of slaves in fixing the basis of representation.

CHAPTER VII.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES-CONTINUED.

Clause 4. -Vacancies.

When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

Vacancies in office may occur by the death, resignation, or removal of the incumbent. When a vacancy occurs in the representation from any state, the governor, or acting executive, issues a proclamation to the voters of the congressional district in which the vacancy exists, directing them to meet at a specified time, for the purpose of electing a representative to fill the vacancy. The day for this special election is named in the proclamation, and it is the same for all counties in the congressional district.

Clause 5.-House Powers.

The house of representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers, and shall have the sole power of impeach

ment.

House Officers-Speaker.-The right of the house of representatives to choose its own officers is a proper one. It is customary for all deliberative bodies to do this, although a notable exception seems to exist in the election of the vice-president to preside over the senate. speaker of the house is always chosen bers, but the other officers are not.

The

from its own memn

The speaker is the