Under the re-apportionment following the fifteenth decennial census, as provided by the Act of Congress of June 18, 1929 (c. 28, 46 Stat. 21, 26), Minnesota is entitled to nine representatives in Congress, being one less than the number previously allotted. In April, 1931, the bill known as House File No. 1456, dividing the State into nine congressional districts and specifying the counties of which they should be composed, was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State and was transmitted to the Governor, who returned it without his approval. Thereupon, without further action upon the measure by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and in compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, House File No. 1456 was deposited with the Secretary of State of Minnesota. This suit was brought by the petitioner as a `citizen, elector and taxpayer' of the State to obtain a judgment declaring invalid all filings for nomination for the office of representative in Congress, which should designate a subdivision of the State as a congressional district, and to enjoin the Secretary of State from giving notice of the holding of elections for that office in such subdivisions.
The respondent, Secretary of State, demurred to the petition upon the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. He maintained the validity of House File No. 1456 by virtue of the authority conferred upon the legislature by Article I, section 4, of the Federal Constitution, and he insisted that the Act of
Article I, section 4, of the Constitution of the United States provides:
"The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators."
Under the constitution of Minnesota, the `legislature' consists `of the Senate and House of Representatives.' Const. Minn., Art. 4, sec. 1. Before any bill passed by the Senate and House of Representatives "becomes a law," it must "be presented to the Governor of the state," and if he returns it, within the time stated, without his approval, the bill may become a law provided it is reconsidered and thereupon passed by each house by a two-thirds vote. Id., Art. 4, sec. 11. The state constitution also provides that after each Federal census "the legislature shall have the power to prescribe the bounds of congressional . .. districts." Id., Art. 4, sec. 23. We do not understand that the Supreme Court of the State has held that, under these provisions, a measure redistricting the State for congressional elections could be put in force by the legislature without participation by the Governor, as required in the case of legislative bills, if such action were regarded as a performance of the function of the legislature as a lawmaking body. No decision to that effect has been cited. It appears that `on seven occasions' prior to the measure now under consideration, the legislature of Minnesota
"The Legislature in districting the state is not strictly in the discharge of legislative duties as a law-making body, acting in its sovereign capacity, but is acting as representative of the people of the state under the power granted by said Article I, section 4. It merely gives expression as to district lines in aid of the election of certain federal officials; prescribing one of the essential details serving primarily the federal government and secondly the people of the state. The Legislature is designated as a mere agency to discharge the particular duty. The Governor's veto has no relation to such matters; that power pertains under the state Constitution exclusively
The question then is whether the provision of the Federal Constitution, thus regarded as determinative, invests the legislature with a particular authority and imposes upon it a corresponding duty, the definition of which imports a function different from that of lawgiver and thus renders inapplicable the conditions which attach to the making of state laws. Much that is urged in argument with regard to the meaning of the term `Legislature' is beside the point. As this Court said in Hawke v. Smith, No. 1, 253 U.S. 221, 227, the term was not one "of uncertain meaning when incorporated into the Constitution. What it meant when adopted it still means for the purpose of interpretation. A Legislature was then the representative body which made the laws of the people." The question here is not with respect to the `body' as thus described but as to the function to be performed. The use in the Federal Constitution of the same term in different relations does not always imply the performance of the same function. The legislature may act as an electoral body, as in the choice of United States Senators under Article I, section 3, prior to the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment. It may act as a ratifying body, as in the case of proposed amendments to the Constitution under Article V. Hawke v. Smith, No.
Consideration of the subject matter and of the terms of the provision requires affirmative answer. The subject matter is the "times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives." It cannot be doubted that these comprehensive words embrace authority to provide a complete code for congressional elections, not only as to times and places, but in relation to notices, registration, supervision of voting, protection of voters, prevention of fraud and corrupt practices, counting of votes, duties of inspectors and canvassers, and making and publication of election returns; in short, to enact the numerous requirements as to procedure and safeguards which experience shows are necessary in order to enforce the fundamental right involved. And these requirements would be nugatory if they did not have appropriate sanctions in the definition of offenses and punishments. All this is comprised in the subject of "times, places and manner of holding elections" and involves lawmaking in its essential features and most important aspect.
This view is confirmed by the second clause of Article I, section 4, which provides that "the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations," with the single exception stated. The phrase "such regulations" plainly refers to regulations of the same general character that the legislature of the State is authorized to prescribe with respect to congressional elections. In exercising this power, the Congress may supplement these state regulations
The term defining the method of action, equally with the nature of the subject matter, aptly points to the making of laws. The state legislature is authorized to "prescribe" the times, places and manner of holding elections. Respondent urges that the fact that the words "by law" are found in the clause relating to the action of the Congress, and not in the clause giving authority to the state legislature, supports the contention that the latter was not to act in the exercise of the lawmaking power. We think that the inference is strongly to the contrary. It is the nature of the function that makes the phrase "by law" apposite. That is the same whether it is performed by state or national legislature, and the use of the phrase places the intent of the whole provision in a strong light. Prescribing regulations to govern the conduct of the citizen, under the first clause, and making and altering such rules by law, under the second clause, involve action of the same inherent character.
As the authority is conferred for the purpose of making laws for the State, it follows, in the absence of an indication of a contrary intent, that the exercise of the authority must be in accordance with the method which the State has prescribed for legislative enactments. We find
The practical construction of Article I, section 4, is impressive. General acquiescence cannot justify departure from the law, but long and continuous interpretation in the course of official action under the law may aid in removing doubts as to its meaning. This is especially true in the case of constitutional provisions governing the exercise of political rights and hence subject to constant and careful scrutiny. Certainly, the terms of the constitutional provision furnish no such clear and definite support for a contrary construction as to justify disregard of the established practice in the States. McPherson v. Blacker, 146 U.S. 1, 36; Missouri Pacific Ry. Co. v. Kansas, 248 U.S. 276, 284; Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52, 119, 136; The Pocket Veto Case, 279 U.S. 655, 688-690. That practice is eloquent of the conviction of the people of the States, and of their representatives in state legislatures and executive office, that in providing for congressional elections, and for the districts in which they were to be held, these legislatures were exercising the law-making power and thus were subject, where the state constitution so provided, to the veto of the Governor as a part of the legislative process. The early action in Massachusetts under this authority was by `resolves' and these, under the constitution of 1780, were required to be submitted to the Governor and it appears that they were so submitted and approved by him.
The case of Davis v. Hildebrant, supra, arose under the amendment of 1912 to the constitution of Ohio reserving the right "by way of referendum to approve or disapprove by popular vote any law enacted by the General Assembly." Id., p. 566. The act passed by the General Assembly of Ohio in 1915, redistricting the State for the purpose of congressional elections, was disapproved under the referendum provision and the validity of that action was challenged under Article I, section 4, of the Federal
It clearly follows that there is nothing in Article I, section 4, which precludes a State from providing that
The further question has been presented whether the Act of Congress of August 8, 1911, is still in force. The state court held that it was not, that it had been wholly replaced by the Act of June 18, 1929. Sections 1 and 2 of the former Act, making specific provision for the apportionment under the thirteenth census, are of course superseded; the present question relates to the other sections. These have not been expressly repealed. The Act of 1929 repeals "all other laws and parts of laws" that are inconsistent with its provisions (§ 21). The petitioner urges that this Act contains nothing inconsistent with sections 3, 4 and 5
There are three classes of States with respect to the number of representatives under the present apportionment pursuant to the Act of 1929, (1) where the number remains the same, (2) where it is increased, and (3) where it is decreased. In States where the number of representatives remains the same, and the districts are unchanged, no question is presented; there is nothing inconsistent with any of the requirements of the Congress in proceeding with the election of representatives in such States in the same manner as heretofore. Section 4 of the Act of 1911 provided that in case of an increase in the number of representatives in any State, "such additional representative or representatives shall be elected by the State at large and the other representatives by the districts now prescribed by law" until such State shall be redistricted. The Constitution itself provides in Article I, section 2, that "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States," and we are of the opinion that under this provision, in the absence of the creation of new districts, additional representatives allotted to a State under the present reapportionment would appropriately be elected by the State at large. Such a course, with the election of the other representatives in the existing districts until a redistricting act was passed, would present no inconsistency with any policy declared in the Act of 1911.
Where, as in the case of Minnesota, the number of representatives has been decreased, there is a different situation as existing districts are not at all adapted to the new apportionment. It follows that in such a case, unless and until new districts are created, all representatives allotted to the State must be elected by the State at
This conclusion disposes of all the questions properly before the Court. Questions in relation to the application of the standards defined in section 3 of the Act of 1911 to a redistricting statute, if such a statute should hereafter be enacted, are wholly abstract. The judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
Reversed.
MR. JUSTICE CARDOZO took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
FootNotes
"Sec. 3. That in each State entitled under this apportionment to more than one Representative, the Representatives to the Sixty-third and each subsequent Congress shall be elected by districts composed of a contiguous and compact territory, and containing as nearly as practicable an equal number of inhabitants. The said districts shall be equal to the number of Representatives to which such State may be entitled in Congress, no district electing more than one Representative.
"Sec. 4. That in case of an increase in the number of Representative. in any State under this apportionment such additional Representative or Representatives shall be elected by the State at large and the other Representatives by the districts now prescribed by law until such State shall be redistricted in the manner provided by the laws thereof and in accordance with the rules enumerated in section three of this Act; and if there be no change in the number of Representatives from a State, the Representatives thereof shall be elected from the districts now prescribed by law until such State shall be redistricted as herein prescribed.
"Sec. 5. That candidates for Representative or Representatives to be elected at large in any State shall be nominated in the same manner as candidates for governor, unless otherwise provided by the laws of such State."
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