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Summary of Legislative Debate on Apportionment, 7 January 18411
Mr. Woodson moved that the house resolve itself into committee of the whole on a resolution of the senate fixing the ratio of the apportionment bill, which was agreed to—Mr. Woodson in the chair.2
Mr. Murphy of Cook moved to strike out [12,000 for senator].3 Mr. Murphy said he did so with the design of moving for a less number.
Mr. Hardin opposed the motion. The ratio fixed in the resolution would give about the present number of members in each house.—He was most decidedly opposed to increasing the number of members of the legislature, and he believed the people were also opposed to it.
The house refused to strike out 12,000.
Mr. Carpenter moved to strike out 5,000, the ratio for a representative, with a view of filling the blank with a less number. Mr. C. said, more than fifty counties were under this number, and would therefore be disfranchised. He thought every county should have a representative in one branch of the legislature. There was no expense the people would pay so willingly as that of a representative.
Mr. Lincoln said there was always in agreeing upon the ratio of an apportionment, no number we could fix upon that could suit all. Our counties ranged in population from 750 to 16,000. If we adopt the idea of the gentleman from Hamilton, and give each county a representative, we must begin with the county which has 750 inhabitants; and as the republican principle of representation according to numbers, will not be denied as proper for the basis of our action, we must then give a representative, according to the gentleman from Hamilton (Mr. Carpenter) for every 750 in the state. This by calculating, would be found to give a house of representatives of about 650 members. Such a proposition he was satisfied would not be tolerated by the house. He was disposed to go for the resolution as it came from the senate.
Mr. White was in favor of the resolution, and Messrs.[Messieurs] Logan, Dodge and Dollins, were in favor of striking out 6,000 and inserting a smaller number.
Without taking the question, the committee rose, reported, and had leave to sit again.4
1An inferior summary of Abraham Lincoln’s remarks appears in the Illinois State Register of the same date. The various accounts of this debate disagree on its date. The Peoria Register has it occurring on January 7. The Illinois State Register has it occurring on Thursday, January 9, but Thursday was actually January 7. A cursory glance at the page shows that this was undoubtedly a mis-print. The House Journal has debate occurring on the issue on Thursday, January 7, and on Saturday, January 9.
Illinois House Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 200, 205.
2On January 4, 1841, the Senate adopted a resolution fixing the ratio based on the latest state census at 12,000 for each senator, and 5,000 for each representative.
Illinois Senate Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 124, 135; Illinois State Register (Springfield), 15 January 1841, 2:6.
3Supplied text gleaned from the summary in the Illinois State Register.
Illinois State Register (Springfield), 15 January 1841, 2:6.
4On January 11 and 13, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole to consider the Senate resolution. On January 13, the House struck out 5,000 as the basis for representation in the House and inserted in lieu thereof 4,500. The House further reduced the number to 4,000 by a vote of 47 yeas to 37 nays, with Lincoln not voting. The House adopted the Senate resolution as amended by a vote of 47 yeas to 36 nays, with Lincoln not voting. On January 14, the Senate rejected the House amendment by a vote of 12 yeas to 23 nays. On January 25, the House refused to recede from its amendment by a vote of 32 yeas to 54 nays, with Lincoln voting yea. The Senate and House created a committee of conference to resolve the disagreeing vote. On January 28, the conference committee reported back the Senate resolution as amended, recommending that the Senate adopt the House amendment, and the Senate concurred. The Senate resolution as amended became the basis for the ratio of representation found in section one of an apportionment bill that became law on February 26.
Illinois House Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 210, 219, 220-21, 277, 285, 298; Illinois Senate Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 164, 190, 205, 214, 217.

Copy of Printed Document, 1 page(s), Peoria Register and North-Western Gazetter (Peoria, IL), 15 January 1841, 2:5.