Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-12-18
general Aseemrhlp.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
FRIpAY, DEcEMBER s..
CONYEN TION.

0eF Oh tue udys on Tue tdhOiuttbhs yes
terday submitted by him. Should bis
motion prevail be would ask leave TO
withdraw all the resolutions but the last
in relation to the cause of convention
In proposing many of them, be had not
been apprised that their subject had
already been referred to the proper
committees.
The motion prevailed, and the House
then accordingly, resolved itself into
committee of the whole, .ur. Goods 10
the chair.
BY consent of the House. Mr. .Nslso7,
then withdrew sllthe resolutions offered
by him, but the one concerning con.
yention, in the following words:
Resoipsd. That so much Of the Mes.
sage as relates to the subject of carrying
into effect she decided sense OF the PEG
pie of Virginia, manifested at the cleo
lions in April last, of the propriety Of
calling a Convention for the revision of
the State Constitution. be referred to a
Selsct Committee, 10 be composed of
one member from each Senatorial Dis.
trict, who shalt have power to report
thereupon by Bill or otherwise.
The question being on adopting this
resolution, .Hr. Wallace (who had on
Tuesday. offered resolution on the
same subject) stated his objections to
it, in the resolution he bad offered, he
left the Districts from which the com
mittee was to be chosen, in blank, from
respect to the House. Whatever char
acter was given 10 the committee, that
he thought would be the character Of
the convention. If the committee was
composed Of one member from each
Senatorial District, or one member from
each Congressional, he apprehended the
convention would be constituted on The
same principle. He did not wish to pre-
cipitate discussion on this point A
mother reason for his early Submission of
the resolutions he had offered, was that
their publication iu the newspapers,
might operate as summon 60 absent
members These reasons induced him
to oppose the resolution now before the
House, and be therefore moved to strike
the word Senatorial. from the resolu
ton, with the view of leaving it blank,
and subject to the decision Of the House
at a future time, how the committee
should be constituted. MIR. w moved
TO amend the resolution by striking out
the word Senatorial, and erecting
blank.
Mr.. Nelson disclaimed any intention
of offering dsrespee, to the House by
the shape in which the resolution was
offered. i.Nr. Waiiaes explained, that
he had not intended TO impute disres-
pect OF the House to the gen,lemen.)
Mr.. W proceeded. The RESOLUTION had
in fact, been drawn many DAYS before
the gentleman from Fauquier bad offer.
ed his, and he consequently bad no pur-
pose ofinterferring with THAI lie had
been absent from the House for 90
years. and was not so intimate with the
course of proceedings as be had been.
His reasons for preferring Senatorial
Districts were, that upon that basis. the
committee would be more numerous,
and equally distributed through every
portion of the commonwealth. lie pre-.
ferred Senatorial TO Congressional Dis
tricts, because by that rule, the CON
mittee would be more numerous. He
did not suppose that any principle would
be decided, or doctrine adjudged by the
number Of which the committee should
consist, or the basis upon which they
might be appointed
Mir. Bryce moved 70 amend the a.
mendmsnt, by striking out ali ofthe re.
solution, which bad relation 10 the mum.
bers of the committee or the principle
upon which they should be appointed.
so as metely to provide for the refer.
snce o. the subject of convention to a
selact committee. He wished to avoid
6 premature discussion of the relative
merits of the Congressional or Senate
rial District System, as the House was
at this moment unprepared for il.
Mr.. Fifzhugh of Fairfax, enquired
what would be the number Of the select
committee il left to be determined by TIE
rule of the House? ct was stated by
the Chair, that in that case, il would
consist of 49, Mr.. +. said be should
prefer larger ENTHUSIASTICALLY when
In order, he would move that that UNI
Der be designated, without reference to
Districts.
Mr. Brace thought a5 foo iavoe Je