Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-21

TienCeu no SUCH didfh, no SuCn tefTSr. WIS
willing 10 submit to the people ut large. the
question arising from the Stanton memo
rial. voted therefore for the report OF
the committee, and was hostile Ia every pro-
position. calculated TO embrace other tvpics
than those Indicated by the memorialists.
Nc,c orange } On the day which the
ment 81 Sena bin tor a limited Conyen.
toriGidistricts. ton, passed the House OF
Delegates, one of its most Jealous opponents,
brought in bill, for arranging the counties
into districts, for the election of Senators, ani
for equa!izing the land tax. The avowed oD-
iect of this bill, was. to defeat the other. Lit.
tie opposition was made 10 this measure, urtii
II was maiurcd In fact its details were hut
little understood. The bill which had necn
printed was superseded in the committee OF
the whole, by a Substitute, never printed:
l mean so much oft, as related TO the new ar
rahsement OF Senatorial districts. As Ia that
part which provided for the equalization or
the land tax, | do not recolloct any discussion
at any i,he. The bin passed by a majority of
fonr only. voted against il, convinced that
the Legislature had no right 20 adopt such
measure. The effect, howe, or. anticipated by
IT'S friends, was realized. Ia 4 few hours, AT
ter II was communicated 10 the Senate. the
Convention Pill. which they had very 'u,lici-
ously amended. was thrown out. The Send
toriai Biil was then taken m, and agreed TO.
with two amendments, which in fact amount
Ell 10 new bill. The FIRST amendment rela
ted to the new arrangement of districts. the
subsequent history of this unconstitutional
proceeding, originating with. and supported
nv membcrs, who professed and, no doubt
fc IN most devoted attach reri T. our Pre-
sent tohst tntior. is worthy of notice.
The amen irent in question came down
from the Senate on Monday morning. 1t was
Immediately taken up in the House of Dele
gates motion having been made, in vain
~ postpone the subject until the 3Ist of March
tor which voted, spoke against the aLop.
ton OF the amendment. | endeavoured to
demonstrate that twas Unconstitutional The
friends of the measure instead of meet ting ;Ie
objections. moved 10 commit the amendment
OF me senate 10 ? select committee. The mo
ton prevailed. The committee mot on Mon
day Right, and again early on Tuesday morn
ing. TN that same morning thcv reported
I'm amendment TO the amendment of the Sc
nate. This amendment was substantially indeed
almost word for word, the same will, the nm
printed substitute before spoken of. which had
esn rejected in the Senate The subject was
t"Nen rpm - u use. on this same TueSd.y
morning, d the new amendment agreed TO
~ vas immediately communicated to The Sc
ma e, and on the same day agreed to by that
BODY. These are the facts. make no com
mont.
Tue arrangement of the districts proiectedin
the Senate ~ that which was finally adopted are
both radically wrong. Which of the two is most
cNceptondble, il is difficult to decide Bv the
irst, according to schedule furnished nv "A
friend IN the Senate, Elizabeth City, Warwick
and York would have been without senatorial
representative. frsm April 1917 TO April 1918
Greersvlie aud Louisa from 1915 to Isla Eau
qner " Cnipepper from 1919 10 1920; 4, orr
own county of Henrico from 1878 TO IS2D
while fifteen counties and one town ,vonld
have been doubly represented: that is 10 saw.
they would have voted fora Senator. while
there was Senatori in office. for whom they
had voted under the old system
The present bill. ii is believed is not liza HE 70
the first obIectisn lust stated TO the plan of
the senate. ] do otknow that any district or
county Is disfranchised, bnt il was impossible
TO escape this error without falling into ano.
iner. HE right OF suffrage is not suspended
ont accunuiated.a and called into action in de
hance OF the provisions of the Constitution
The people inhabiting counties attached TO
Old senatorial districts are to vote with those
districts They thus vote for Senator, while
actually represented BY a Senator in office
Another effect Of this nnconstituton arronoe
ment is OF an alarming character. In several in
stances individual Senators are DISTINGUISHED
he counties III which lhevlive are a ttac bed To
new districts, which elect Senator before
their term of service expires. Being in Office.
they cannot be elected and when thew cease
10 ne IN oiilce, the election has already heen
made This is believed to be the fact with re-
spect 10 n1r. ZONES OF Gloucester, MIR. Ball of
Nortlumberiant and our own representative
MT PoindeNtcr: when their term of service
expires. the door is shut against them. untila
second election in the new district shall TAKE
piace-t speak here from the Information OF
trend who had AN opportunity of e xan,iniug
the results of the new arrangement.
Upon the principle of this bill the General
Assembly, having right. to make a new ar
ranEenent OF the senatorial districts. may ex
erclse portion of that power, and transfer
country from one district tn another at their
discretion. The Senator liyinr in the conn
~ so transferred, may be thus rendered bv law
ineligible at the next election. tits needless
tG>aN that this power will not be abused y ,ver
IS always llableto be abused g. none more lia
Die than power MISUNDERSTANDING The whole
power exercised by this bill is anusurpaiion.
''cHoot b". A law passed the House
49, >of Delegates for the esta-
b'ishment OF schools in the several conn.
ties, the general establishments of academies
" COLLEGES, az finally ofan university. Yon vii
reroiiect that there is fund alreadv provided
ana rapidly accommodating, which is 10 be appE
ca 10 the accomplishment of these objects: of
the primary school, in the firstinStaace. 7
voted for this bill Throughout notwithstanj;,a
ne loss OF the ryder, which forbid the esta.
D'IShment OF any theological prOfpss,rsbins
am not certain that did right The plan was
certainly benevolent; perhaps wise: bat The
machinery necessary to keep it i'm motion en-
complicated, and in all probability so expen
siye, that do not regret the ultimate f,i,nre
oftle bill in the Senate. We shall have tine
now 10 examine the system. and its probihje
effects, with more deliberations
hreardgesl Thelaw concerning the arreara-
G tdrcS ges OF taxes on land passed i'm tIe
session. OF 1913 "a was amended during theIate
session.. The amendments caIcuIated 10 IS
ford relief to the owners of lands vested in a.
literary fund, and OF those sold i'm August IaJG
but sales prior to that date made nndcr Tho
act OF February 1871. are left to standnoari,.
on Tue ground IN which they were before ~,
TINS law, citizen of this Commonwealth, n,aS
ioNe MS Whole estate for Delinquency cf
which he neverhear; IT is needIess H.. ~
to add that | voted to make the relief ennl'I'
These believe were the r.ncin.I .o,,s r