.MTUyOA.MTI0NDY

514

[opinion of S.J.C.]

of Representatives had been presented to us by their Committee, requiring the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court to give to the House their opinion on the construction of the following extract of the Constitution of this State, to wit: "The number of Representatives of all at the several periods" "of making such enumeration be fixed and apportioned amongst the" "several counties, as near as may be, according to the number of" "inhabitants, having regard to the relative increase of population" The undersigned Justices of said Court in the absence of Judge Weston, whose distance from this place precludes us from receiving the aid of his views and reflections, have in compliance with the requisition thus communicated to us, given to the subject the best consideration in our power ; and now have the honor of transmitting to the House the results of our examination and deliberations. In order to arrive at a correct understanding of the clause in question, it is necessary to attend to the whole section of which it forms a part; and also to examine it in connection with other provisions of the Constitution.