Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-04
VIRGINIA LEGISL AZURE.
HOUSE Of DELEGATES.
Enclosed in the a5ors.l

On Saturday, the question of Conren-
ton was settled in the House of Delegates
The engrossed bill being put upon its
final passage.
After filing all the blanks, (tlIat among
the rest which fixes how many thousand
people shall give claim TO one Delegate,
at five)-Mr. Atkinson moved TO lay the
bill on the table to wait tie fate ofthe bill
about to be proposed for equaIizing the
representation in the Senate, &c.-This
motion was supported by Mr.. Thwcatt,
who said if the latter bill failed, he should
probably vote for the Convention Bill
also, by Mr.. Blackburn, who said, he
held in one hand the bill for euualizng
the Senate, and in the other an amend
ment to the Convention Bill, if which a.
mendment were adopted, he should go
home happy.--Mr. Mercer (of L. decla-
red he should vote for both bills but he
had no doubt, iftie equalizing bill pass
ed, il would operate in the minds of the
people against the callofa Convention
Mr.. Smyih opposed the motion, upon the
ground that the MISREPRESENTATION in
the Senate was not the only evil of which
they CONFERENCE.-The representation in
this House was also very unequal
Mr.. Doddridge wished both the bills
to go together 10 the Senate, that
they might both take their chance
For this reason, Mr.. Blackburn said, he
wished the Convention Bill 10 wait, till
they could go together. He contended
that the Western people had their full
weight and representation in this House
he was satisfied, if the equalizing btll
passed, not Ia members of this House
could be dashed into Convention-Alr
Colston remarked, If the section of the
State, which the gentleman from Bath re-
presented, had IFS full weight, it was very
different in his part of the Countrywide
representation there was unequal and OPP
presslye.
The question nlaying the bill on the
table was then taken, and lost-ayes 60,
nees II.
The question then being on the passage
of the bill, Mr.. j. Thompson (efTazeweID
opposed it, on the ground that if numbers
were the basis of representation, many of
the Western counties would have very
little weightin the Convention, or the
subsequent Legslatures-they would on
" be merged in the large counties near
them. Hereturned his thanks to the low
land members, for aiding them in eqiiali-
zing the representation in the Senate, but
conscientiousIy believed, that the West
ern People we're fully represented on this
floor.
Mr.. Tazcwell pressed the same idea
contendng, that if numbers were TO be
the basis Of representation, Richmond
would govern the Senatorial district TO
which II would be attached and that If
Fairfax and Loudoun were united togcth-
er, as proposed, the former would be tied
to the car of the latter and dragged at IFS
carriage wiccls.-He looked into futuri-
ty and predicted, that before forty years
were numbered, the Western People would
be obliged To petition for a change OF this
principle of representation for, that 1t
was the natural tendency offowns TO in
crease in population ; Philadelphia dou-
hlcs in ten years, the county OF Pllladel-
phla not in fifty that the towns in the
lower country of Virginia must increase,
because they were situated on navgable
rivers. and commerce wOuIdincrease their
prosperity that Richmond was already
rich and great that she must continue TO
grow and would obtain great share of
the representation Of the whole State, II
that was graduated by numbers that the
true principle, however, was, That every
interest IN the State ought to be represen-
ted but that, il numbers alone formed
the standard, the principal influence
would irresistibly he with the towns.
Mr.. Mercer (of ID conbatted the posi-
lions Of MessTs. Thompson and Iazewei!
he con,ended that the small counties
would not be merged in the large ones
that it was not correct that Londonn
would drag the county Of Fairfax at IFS
carriage wheels, for that very lately Fau-
quier which is now attached TO Loudoun,
furnished Senator to the whole district
that in the congressional district ofAcco-
mac, sc. the smallest county ia the dis
trict gives The present representative IN
Congress; that tIsorc vas no danger. Of.