Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-01-20
DEBATE ON THE coNvENr1oN.

PiostuiiS representation IN the Convention, by
congressional Districts, being under consideration
Ma. ANDERSON of Botetourt. said. tina. the
deep interest which the subject excited was the only
apology he could offer the committee for occupyiny
ITS time and attention. He observed that as the gen
uenan from Westmoreland, (Mr. Newton) was the
only one who had distinctly advocated the principle of
Federal representation contained in the bill before the
committee, he would conine his remarks to the con
sderation OF has arguments. He would concede to
that gentleman that IN the formation of u govern
inent all differences of views should be settled ON the
principle OF mutual compromise and concession but
he would ask by whom should this concession be
made. By counties and boroughs in their corporate
capacities or their representatives upon this floor
who have no legitimate right to settle Fundamental
principles? or by the great body of the people (who
have the rlght either IN person or by their represent
tatvos in Convention All concessiARs should be
made by the parties to the compact, and who lie en-
quired were they That portion of the people who
have natural and inherent right to exercise political
power; and in order to make 1t binding and obeato.
ry upon them it should be their free and voluntary
act The necessary consequence is, tha- the parties
to this compact should be equally represented in tb
convention winch enters into it, if the parties them
selves cannot appear in their proper per ons to
make it. If the white portion of the population only
have the right to exercise political power how can
any others upon Eelera principles Of representation
exercise II? As those only who have the physical
capacity to exercise political power, can b. parties
to the compact, they alone should be represented in
the convention which enters into L. And as slaves
subject to the will of their masters and are not
free agents they have not the physical capacity TO
rrcse political power, and parties to the COM
pact; consequently they should be represented in
the convention which enters into it. The correctness
OF the principle that those only who partics tn he
compact should be represented, must be admitted
and that the white portion of the population ONLY
have the capacity to exercise political power and are
p'rles to the governmental compact, clearly admit
ted ny the general CONSENT that the constitution aop
ted by the convention will be submitted to them opv
Tor their ratification rejection. This full a,ms
sion that they only parties to this compact which
f.1ftfl fi,,,,, al
ton Of it.
MIR. A. said that the gentleman from West,nore-
land and himself, had set out upon similar premises
but they had arrived at very different conclusions
rms difference might be easily explained. He looks
TO the counties and borougs their representatives
upon this floor as the high contracting parties to the
compact; look to the great body OF the people the
ffeecn of this state the only Legitimate parties
who have the right TO exercise this power either them
selves or by their representatives in convention-|
The correctness of this conclusion will not be effect
cd by the decision of this committee Posterity have
yet to pass their sentence upon it. All disnterested
freerncn have the right and ought to decide it. Adj
mt tor the sake OF argument, that the construction
which the gentleman gives the parties the compact
be correct yet he could satisfy himself that his
conclusions are erroneous IN the extreme. He as
suInes In the absence of all proof that the plan of re-
presentation proposed by the bill on vour table is
far and honorable compromise. What he would ask
does compromise signify: a mutual and reciprocal
concession of interests by the parties CONTRACTING
Under this definition, It is easy prove that t,, bill
contains compromise because all of tho concoss
ons are conferred to one of the parties the compact
IL he could sustain this position, he thought his friend
from Wcstmoreland ought in accordance with his
own promises, to unite with him in opposit ion to the
bill under consideration.
But, continued MIR. a. the bill not only comedies
the principle OF rep: eseDaton, based upon a comb
ned ratio of taxation and white population. hut it
contains large concessions in favor of property repre-
sentatlon To sustain his opinion upon this point it
Is only necessary to refer to the proposition which
was made III the House by the member from the CITY
of Richmond. The object of which, is to amend the
first section of the BILL by substituting for Federal
numbers representation based upon c.,mbned
ratio OF white population and taxation. BY this
intdInent (which was evidently drawn up with great
care and labor) II appears that by representation
based upon this principle, Western Virginia would b..
entitled to 35 delegates in convention and Eastern
Virginia to 65--whereas agreeable to the principl
al the bill on your table, by giving to each Congress
Slonal District delegates. as there are districts
west 1T the Blue Ridge, TINT section of the stnt,
would be entitled to 80 delegates, and there are Is
districts east of the Blue Ridge the EASTERN section
would have 10; consequently the bill secures to cas-
torn Virginia an excess of ten representatives more
tran could be claimed upon the principle OF conlbi-
ned ratio OF white population and taxation.
Mr. n. said, that he understood the extreme pro-
positions supported upon principle, to be represcn-
taton IN convention based upon white population and
representation based upon combined ratio of whit q
population and taxation. From every view of the
subject 1t evident that all the concessions were TO
ne made by the friends TO the former basis of repre-
tbhtdtlon Dnt ne begged OF gentlemen not to exact
larger concessions than they presumed to ask for upon
principle, as it is manifest the bill before the commit
tee contains.
by what process of reasoning his friend from w had
arrived at the conclusion that that bill contained fair
and honorable compromise, or that the advocstes for
property influence have conceded any thing nv the
terms OF it, when they have secured more influence
than they have the harlihood TO askf or OPEN
ly, is unaccountable to him. But i'm accordance with
that gentlernan's promises, that al Governments
should be founded upon mutual and reciprocal conces-
sions, the proper basis of compromise would be me-
dunn between the two extreme propositions of Rep
resenfatlon, in other words proper basis of rep
resentaon in convention would be medium bet ween
a representation based upon white population and