Vigneault v. Secretary of the Commonwealth

This petition for a writ of mandamus, brought originally against the Secretary of the Common-monwealth, raises the fundamental issue as to the constitutionality of St. 1967, c. 877, § 3, “An Act apportioning representatives to the several counties of the commonwealth and providing that each representative shall represent an equal number of inhabitants, as nearly as may be.” This act, amending G. L. c. 57, § 4, apportioned the 240 members of the House of Representatives to the fourteen counties “as existing at the time as of which the census of the inhabitants in the municipalities thereof was…