Richard Yates to Isaac N. Arnold

May 27 [186]4.

Hon Isaac N. Arnold

Washington D.C.

My Dear Sir:

Permit me to call your attention to the necessity of the passage of a law giving us our full representation in lower House of Cong. We were originally assigned 13 representatives. The Leg. of Ills. 1861. passed law in accordance with that Congl. assignment which divided the State into 13 Districts

On the 4th of March 1862 by Act of Congress approved that date a law was passed entitled "an act, fixing the number of the Ho. of Reps. from and after the 3rd of March 1863" by which after 3d March 1863,

the number of members of the Ho. Reps. was fixed at 241. and 8. additional members were assigned One each to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont & Rhode Island Chap. 36. p 353. Session Act. 1862.

On 4th July 1862 Act passed with following title - "An act in relation to the Election of Representatives to Congress by Single Districts." providing also for election of a Congressman at Large. for 38th Cong in Illinois.

It is possible this law has spent its force and perhaps very important that a law should be passed at once applying provisions of the last mentioned act to 34th and all subsequent sessions of Cong. until Legislature of Illinois shall provide for fourteen Dists in this State we will only have 13 members instead of 14.

I wish you would see our members and have this attended to immediately as we cannot afford to lose the full representation

Truly Yours

Richd Yates

Governor.