The New International Encyclopædia/Congressman at Large

CONGRESSMAN AT LARGE. A member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the entire State, and not, as is customary, by those of Congressional districts. Such Congressmen are elected under the apportionment acts of Congress, and the election of a Congressman at large is merely a device adopted to give each State the proper number of representatives under the acts until the State should be redistributed. Some States have had two such members, and several one. According to a Congressional act of 1901, the ratio of Congressional representation is one Representative for every 194,182 of the population.