GERRYMANDERED SEATS.
''■■:.- »~ IN BRITISH CONSTITUENCIES. By Telegraph—Press Areociation— Copyright (RecV March 5, 11 p.m.) ■ London, March 4. .The House of Commons has agreed to Mr. Edgar.Jones's (Liberal) motion for a Select , Committee to consider the'redistribution of seats question'.
The Rt. Hon. Walter Long (Unionist) appeals to the Government to institute an independent inquiry to prevent the present suggestion of gerrymandered constituencies.
■ Mr. Herbert Samuel.(Postmaster-Gen-eral) said that the Government was.willing to! appoint, a Minister to the Committee if- the Opposition l would. join in the effort .to formulate ■. a fair scheme., He ' hoped to settle the,' redistribution question/before the general election of 1915,-if Parliament ran its normal course. ; - ..'■■'' ■ ■:
The term • gerry-mandering has its origin in the .United , States'during the Governorship ,'of Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts. The redistributing ' of Massachusetts- by the -Legislature in ■1811 was, intended (it was believed .at the instigation of. Gerry). to . secure unfairly the. election of a majority of Democratic Senators. . It is 'now known that he was'opposed to the measure. .In'modern parlance, it has come to mean an atbitrary and unfair .arrangement-, as, ■ for example, tho fixing of electorate boundaries to suit the exigencies of a particular/political party. . :...-... •• ,'■■
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2000, 6 March 1914, Page 7
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192GERRYMANDERED SEATS. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2000, 6 March 1914, Page 7
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