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ARTICLE IV
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
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SEC. 31. The State shall from time to time be divided into convenient districts, in such manner that the senate shall be based upon the free white male inhabitants of the State, each senator representing an equal number, as nearly as practicable; and until the first enumeration of the inhabitants shall be taken, the districts shall be arranged as follows:
The county of Washington shall compose one district, and elect two senators;
The counties of Carroll, Searcy and Izard shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Independence and Jackson shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Lawrence and Randolph shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Johnson and Pope shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Crawford and Scott shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Conway and Van Buren shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Pulaski, White and Saline shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Hot Spring, Clark and Pike shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Hempstead and Lafayette shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Sevier and Miller shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Chicot and Union shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Arkansas and Jefferson shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Phillips and Monroe shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Saint Francis and Greene shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
The counties of Crittenden and Mississippi shall compose one district, and elect one senator.
And the senate shall never consist of less than seventeen nor more than thirty-three members; and as soon as the senate shall meet after the first election to be held under this constitution, they shall cause the senators to be divided by lot into two classes-nine of the first class and eight of the second; and the seats of the first class shall be vacated at the end of two years from the time of their election, and the seats of the second class at the end of four years from the time of their election; in order that one class of the senators may be elected every two years.
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SEC. 32. An enumeration of the inhabitants of the State shall be taken under the direction of the general assembly, on the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, and at the end of every four years thereafter; and the general assembly shall, at the first session after the return of every enumeration, so alter and arrange the senatorial districts that each district shall contain, as nearly as practicable, an equal number of free white male inhabitants: Provided, That Washington County, as long as its population shall justify the same, may, according to its numbers, elect more than one senator; and such districts shall then remain unaltered, until the return of another enumeration, and shall at all times consist of contiguous territory; and no county shall be divided in the formation of a senatorial district.
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SEC. 33. The ratio of representation in the senate, shall be fifteen hundred free white male inhabitants to each senator, until the senators amount to twenty-five in number; and then they shall be equally apportioned, upon the same basis, throughout the State, in such ratio as the increased numbers of free white male inhabitants may require, without increasing the senators to a greater number than twenty-five, until the population of the State amounts to five hundred thousand souls; and when an increase of senators takes place, they shall, from time to time, be divided by lot, and classed as prescribed above.
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SEC. 34. The house of representatives shall consist of not less than fifty-four, nor more than one hundred representatives, to be apportioned among the several counties in this State, according to the number of free white male inhabitants therein, taking five hundred as the ratio, until the number of representatives amounts to seventy-five; and when they amount to seventy-five, they shall not be further increased until the population of the State amounts to five hundred thousand souls: Provided, That each county now organized shall, although its population may not live the existing ratio, always be entitled to one representative; and until the first enumeration shall be taken, the representatives shall be apportioned among the several counties, as follows:
The county of Washington shall elect six representatives.
The county of Scott shall elect one representative.
The county of Johnson shall elect two representatives.
The county of Pope shall elect two representatives.
The county of Conway shall elect one representative.
The county of Van Buren shall elect one representative.
The county of Carroll shall elect two representatives.
The county of Searcy shall elect one representative.
The county of Izard shall elect one representative.
The county of Independence shall elect two representatives.
The county of Crawford shall elect three representatives.
The county of Jackson shall elect one representative.
The county of Lawrence shall elect two representatives.
The county of Randolph shall elect two representatives.
The county of White shall elect one representative.
The county of Pulaski shall elect two representatives.
The county of Saline shall elect one representative.
The county of Hot Spring shall elect one representative.
The county of Clarke shall elect one representative.
The county of Saint Francis shall elect two representatives.
The county of Pike shall elect one representative.
The county of Hempstead shall elect two representatives.
The county of Miller shall elect one representative.
The county of Sevier shall elect one representative.
The county of Lafayette shall elect one representative.
The county of Union shall elect one representative.
The county of Arkansas shall elect two representatives.
The county of Jefferson shall elect one representative.
The county of Monroe shall elect one representative.
The county of Phillips shall elect two representatives.
The county of Greene shall elect one representative.
The county of Crittenden shall elect two representatives.
The county of Mississippi shall elect one representative.
The county of Chicot shall elect two representatives.
And at the first session of the general assembly after the return of every enumeration, the representation shall be equally divided and re-apportioned among the several counties, according to the number of free white males in each county, as above prescribed.
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