Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-11-11

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Lifted powers; they had not extended 'l'e,'
views TO general powers, as they asser'eu'
that the countrymight not be prepared 70 90
INTO = revision and reformation Ofthe whole
loftbe Constitution. II was first proposed
to eouallze the members OF the Oeiiefa'
Assembly. on the basis otthe wlllte POPu'
lation: to eonalize the land tax; ana Oh
motion Of a gentleman from Fairfax, TO ex-
tend the right of sufrage-lhls was SUD
seonenily amended by his colleague so as
TO give the qualification TO such as have
ner,n,uent common interest with, and al
iacbment 10 the community. The bill was
then passed in this limited form 1t was a
| hill authorizing the taking Of the sense OF
the people on the subject OF a Convention
10 eoualize the representation on the whI'e
popnlntlon basis, to extend the right ot
suffrage, and TO equalze the land TAX -
After an Intellectual struggle to strike out
the clauses. respecting suffrage. the bill
was passed by majority representing
nearly three fourths ofthe white inhabitants
and was sent to the Senate. The gentle
man from Norfolk, now IN Convention OPP.
Dosed the bill in all IT'S stages. tie NOV
\ ed an amendment pending the discussion
/ IN HANK. to secure a representation Tor
slaves. whether three flths or the whole
then not ex llaned. THIS amendment was
supported for reasons abandoned now.
The gentleman did not state how he meant
to 6lI that blank. whether with three htthS
~ the whole timber OF slaves; hut with
all his power Of eluquence he failed IN ms
PROPOSITION. and was only able to carry 70
ofthe House Of Delegates with hun accor-
dug to his Mr.. DIS recoIectlon--accor-
ding 10 that of others 30. II could not be
certain. the number not being entered on
the Journals of the House. Here pro-
position to take into the enumeration the
slave population was lost, so that the rep
resentation IN the Convention would have
been apportioned on the basis oil white pop.
ulalion. So far from proposition tor a
white basis OF representation being new
one, the principle is a portion Of our own
history.
The bill was then sent TO the Senate. -
For several days it was nailed to The table
under an impression that some gentlemen
who thought that the power to change the
Senatorial districts did not belong to the
| General Assembly, had changed their o.
pinion and would bring forward a bill for
that purpose which might for time allay
the public dlsquietude. Accordingly they
did so, and the gentleman from Norfolk,
| CMr. Tazewell, was one Of them. thus
giving his support TO the principle OF a
white population basis-that pure element
for The Senate was based on that prIn-
clple. From that day to this, the Senate
have represented the white population, and
thus were established that principle and
the precedent that the districts might be
changed from time to time, so as TO equal
we that representation. On that founda-
ton the Senate Is now established. Yet
there was some room to complain Of mus
tee. The change was based on the census
oflSl0 We we're therefore in the sixth
wear of the change, when this principle was
fixed, aud the country was thus far salts
fed The principle was adopted, and not
rashy for 1t was opposed by tie first talent
Of the land. That branch of the govern
ment therefore, Is now constructed on tie
principle we advocate. The representa-
ton Ia the House Of Delegates has subse
quently becnme too unequal to be borne,
aud cannot be borne any longer-Publlc
attention has been called to that inequality
ever since the year 1875.
The whole proceedings which took place
IN 1916 must be familiar TO the gentlemen.
They had been published in all the news
papers, and every man who knew the his
tory Of the times knew that the character
OF the Senate had been changed, aud that
by tue adoption Of the principle for which
We now contend IN the House of Delegates
the power had passed INTO other hands.
! lie mentioned this to repel the idea that
there was no precedent for the ado ,tlon OF
this principle The puuClple has been
settled. The Senate then became the rep.
resentatIye Of the whIie population alone.
, When called To convene again Il Was tho't
that the public mud was not abiding
on the principle that It would not be
carried INTO the House Of Delegaies--ln
order to make II harmonIze with The Senate.
! % correct this error, lhere was a public
meetiuga at Stanton 10 1916 There was
at the same lime d dIscussiOu ~ one Oithe
newspapers winch tended to Increase tie
public discomfort, as It illustrated the evils
winch resulted from the unequal represen.
tatIon IN the House Of Delegates. o. The
other side 1t was couteuded that from the
II Innnnnllfu nm The Hnn.o IL nnI..,..to, -.