.MTUyNw.MTIzMjI

391

inhabitants of the respective Counties in determining the number of Representatives to be apportioned thereon. Read and passed.

[order requesting S.J.C. to give their opinion &c -]

The Committee aforesaid reported the following order to wit. Ordered, That the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court be required to give to this House, according to the provision of the Constitution in this behalf, their opinion on the [A] following question, In determining the number Representatives to be apportioned to any County according to the second section of the first part of the fourth article of the Constitution of this State, is it competent for the Legislature to take into consideration the future relative increase of Inhabitants of the respective Counties between the time of the present apportionment and the time when the next following apportionment may be made in manner by the Constitution prescribed? [B] Read and passed. Immediately on motion the last mentioned vote is reconsidered.

[order amended -]

On motion the foregoing order is amended by striking out from A to B and inserting instead thereof the following words to wit "construction of the following extract of the Constitution of this State to wit" the number of Representatives shall, at the several periods of making such enumeration, be fixed and apportioned among the several counties as near as may be, according to the number of inhabitants, having regard to the relative increase of population, and the order aforesaid passed as thus amended.