Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-28
DEBATE ON THE CONVENTION.


House. OF DELEGArEs.
Speech Of mn B.HYLEY Of .1ccon,nc, o., cngross-
ing the Contention Bill
MIR. Speaker,-l had no intention 20 address the
House, but the observations Of the gentleman
from Northampton, (NIr. Parker,) seemed to i'm
pose 1t as duty on me. would have answered
him Immediately after he concluded his speech,
1t the late hcur OF the day at that time, had not
induced me to postpone my reply. And not be-.
ing able for several days to obtain the floor had
tnally renquished all expectation OF taking part
IN the Debate. And should not have changed
my intention, ii the eloquent gentleman from Al
hernarie, (Mr Gordon,) while eulogsing his friend
from Northampton, (MIr. Parker1 as gallant
chyalrous and learned, had not referred 10 the
county have the honor in part TO represent. 1t
is no longer proper for me to remain silent. Be.
lore reply TO the arguments Of the gentleman, l
viii turn my attention to the Bill as amended
which provides that the delegates to the Conyen.
ton shall be elected by counties, sending one,
two, three or four delegates, according to their
white population. This principle having now ia
ken place, to equal county representation, and by
congressional Districts as reported by the Select
Committee, II the friends of the two last schemes
unite and vote against this BILL it will be rejected
40 either of these two propositions, I cannot a.
gree, and 1t seems to me, that this bill does not
pass, a majority Of the House will not unite to
pass any law TO organize Convention, and thus
leave the people 10 act without the aid of the
Legislature and in their sovereign character, ap-
point delegates TO form Constitution and recur 10
IL,
no great objection TO it. My colleague represents
with me county, crowed with population in.
dustrious and Acknowledgements rich, but they
support by taxes their full share Of the burthens
~ The State, and have but small proportion Of
slaves. They are now, and always have been
most ardentiy attached to their country the great
State OF Virginia wish Virginia had been equal
'y attached 10 Accomac. | know the opinions Of
my constituents upon this subject and il is proper
that this House should know them. | have been
often asked since this bill! has been under discus
sion, why the delegates from Accomac had for
saken tie delegates from the low country, and
particularly the small counties, their neighbors,
and cleaved 10 their friends beyond the noun
tains? The answer is easily made. The people
Of Accomac for years past, have considered their
interests and wishes entirely dsrcgarded by the
government of Virginia, and treated ani governed
more IKE colony than an integral part of the
Commonwealth The small counties on the
western side Of the Chesapeake, which are our
neIghbors, and form with the Eastern Shore the
Congressional and Senatorial Districts, have uni
ioimiy been un:riendly to AccoInac. But as this
CHI has given to those counties so much moro in
huence III The Convention than their population en-.
title them to expect, had hoped that the gentle.
man from Northampton, mir. Parkcr,) being him
sell native Of Accomac, would have united with
the three delegates from the Eastern Shore and
supported this bill in preference TO equal county
representation; but ii did not thus seem good 10
that gentleman. l will now endeavor TO show
that the people Of Accomac, even in this BILL will
not receive their just share Of representatives in
the Convention, and that the small counties vii,
have more than ther just proportion. This b;l!
proposes TO give delegate to the Convention to
every county having 1000 white population or
less than that number-so that every county, city
or borough, however small their pooula.;on shall
nave delegate 10 the Convention; and having
this, let us see If they ought 10 complain, four
thousand being the number assumed to elect
member The county Of Accoinac, by the census
oil 1920, is returned as having o2s6 white inhab-
4.4lfa oDhtxy 4. Il
OF 1896, not represented This being the emu
rnerated number, cannot ask for more, yet, il is
evident that ii the census had been correctly ia
ken, that county would have been entitled 10
lhFee delegates, having white population OF more
than $4,000. Perhaps the census was incorrectly
taken in other large counties in the State 1t is
not very probable that the small counties had
their population diminished. l believe in no part
OF the State, was much in ustice done, as was
in the county of Accomac at the last enumeration
For, by the census of 1900, the white population
Of that county was 1926; by the census oil 1910,
1t was ii ,20i; increase in ten years, l4z5 But
in 1920, by the census, the number was 1885, less
by 3I0 than il was in 1900, and less by 1915 than
it was in 1910. Surprising the increase from 1910
to 1920, equal to what il the ten preceding
years, the population of that county would be at
1920. 1874. And that the population has con-
tinually increased since 1900, will not be denied
by any who resides in that county, and has
any knowledge of its inhabitants, the number of
the militia or the ;itheableS. For az yet, emera-
ton has not commenced.
The two parishes in Accomac are supposed 20 be
nearly equal in the quantity Of land and number
OF inhabitants. To the one man was appointed
10 take the census, attentive 10 his duty and il Is
believed he made a correct return. TO the other
which is bounded by Maryland and has within lis
limits many islands in the Atlantic andChesapeake
waters, the man appointed TO take the census was
inattentiye; the islands he did not visit and lhey
have dense population. Besides it was sun.
posed that this man might be tax.ga,her Of the
United States, and The people we're not very apx-
ious 10 enter the numbers Of their families The
return was very incorrect-One third loss than thn
other parish. There car be little doubt therefore
ii he census of 1929 had been accurately taken,
that county would have numbered more than foIit-
teen thousand, and consequently had three mem
bors in the convention. But admit the population
10 be as the return, 1886, which give two dele
gates with 1886 fraction, (and believe my con
stituents will be satisfied,) and compare il with
the other counties in the la'c congressional dis
ttct with thc number OF delegates 10 the conven-
lion, and we shall see that the members Of this
assembly from these counties have no Just cause
10 oppose this bill Unanimously believe) Sure.
" It cannot be because they will not have their
edual influence in the convention
The number Of white population 10 \ 5elseofe On
nc convention in the large counties being zed
IT 1900 Gloucester has 1908, 8 above tleir MIN
her, Matthews 36l6, less 3si; Elizabeth Citv
907G, lees 1928; Middlesex 1856, less 224i: Yotf
ASS, less 2412; James City 1917, less 2osS; War.
wick 620 less $3.50; William burg 624, less J0e.
Thus is evident that oil the counuos( Gloucester
eacep.so) are greatly under their proportion, end
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