Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-17
DEBATE ON THE CONVENTION.

psoNnInE Tor representation III the Convention, by
Congressional Districts boing Under consideration.
Ma ANDERSON of Bote.ouit, said that the
deep interest which the subject cxctcd was the only
apology he could offer the committee for occuryjn,,
MS time and attention. He observed that as tho IN.
uclnan from Wcstnlcre,srI, (Mr. Newton v,s tho
only one VINO had distinctly advocated The principle of
Federal representation contained in the bill before ;he
comartec, hc would coniic his remarks to the com,
stcratlon uF ms arguments. No would eonce1c to
That gentleman, that m Tie ~ nation OF govern.
mont ali differences cfyicws should be settled on the
principle OF mutual compromise ana concession bat
he would ask h. whom should this concession be-
made b. counties ami 1Oroughs IN their corporate
capacities. or thCir representatives upon this floor
who have no legitimate iyht settle fjiu,pnlent Il
principles or by the great body of the people (yvho
have III" right either person or BY their represcn.
tHtivoS IN Convention, AL concessions shonid hc
made by the parties - the contract ana VINO he en-
CURED were they That rnrtOn of tho rcoNlc who
have natural ami inherent riYlt 20 exercise ,,lt;r,
power; ond III order 10 make binding and ohirato-
ry upon them T. should - tioir free and voluntary
act ne necessary consequence :, that t.e parties
70 tins compact should DC CGUalY represented in the
contention which en'cr into 1t. if the parties hcrn
selves cannot appear ia their proper ppr-ons 10
make IL VI 'he White rcrtion of the Foundation only
nave the right to exercise political power, how can
any othr': upon Federal principles ot representation
exercise ii; As those only who have the physical
capacity Ia exercise political power. can be srtics
tn the COMPACT they alone should be represented IN
the convention wGich enters into il. And as slaves
oit i''Nl 10 me VIII Oi tAcir masters and
free ag MS they have not the ply. zeal capacity TO ex
crclsc political power and arc rot parties To the COM
pact consequently they should not be represented "
the !ch enters into It. The correctness
OF the principle that those ouiy who are parties 70 tho
compact should be represented, must be admitted
and that the white portion Of the POPULATION ONLY
nave the capacity 20 exercise political ooer mud ,In
parties 10 the governmental compact is clearly admit
ted by the general consent that the cons, tun ,don
ted ny the convention will be Submit 10 them only
for their ratification rejection. This is fnll aJ,,:
sion mat they only arc parties to this compact which
entities them TO an equal represon alton in the orna
ton of il.
Mr.. y. said, TINT the gentleman from wcstr,oro-
land AID himself had set out upon similar premises
but tLcy had arrived 1T very different CONCLUSIONS
FMS difference might be easily explained. He LOOKS
10 nc counties and boroughs their representatives
upon .-- ticor as the high contracting parties to the
c''.'-' .oos to the great body Of the peoplc the
u ~ OF this state, the only legitimate parties
VINO hsve the right to exercise this power either thon,
selves or ny their represc Atativcs in conveiion-
The correctness of this conclusion will not be effect
ed by Che decision of this committee Po,crit have
ycJ 10 pass their sentence Upon it. An DISTINGUISHED
ircom ~ have the right aud ough. 10 decide IT, Ad
mi! 'r the SAKE OF argument, that the construction
Whch t"e gentleman gives the parties the compact
be correct yet he could satisfy himself tina; his
conclusions are erroneous in the extreme. He as
sumes m The absence of I'll proof that the plan Of ro
present alton proposed by the bill! on your table Is
iaif and honorable compromise. What he would as,
concession Of interests by the parties contra
Under tins definition, It Is easy TO prove that the hill
contains no compromise because all Of the conccss
ons are conferred 10 ofthe parties to the
II he could sustain this petition, he thought his friend
from W estmoreand ought in accordance win mic
own promises 60 unite wth him in opposition TO the
b under consideration.
But, continued Mr.. A. the bill not only comedies
IN. principle OF representation, based upor colpbj
- ratio a taxation and white popvlntion hut Il
contains large concessions il favor of propcrv renre
Sohtatlcn. To sustain his opinion upon this mint il
IS Only necessary TO rc"r to the proposition which
vas radc IN nc House by tic member from the civ
OF Richmond. The object of which il TO amend the
first section of The bill, hy substituting for Federal
numbers representation based upon a combined
ratio OF white population md taxation. By this
omendmsnt (vShch evidently drawn I'D with rrcat
care and labor It appears TINT by representation
based upon t'ir principle " csfcrn Yirpjnia v,ud NJ
enrI d 70 80 delegates IN convention, and Eastern
Virginia 70 65-whcrcas agreeable 10 the principle
of the bill on your table, by giving to each Conorr5
sionm District delegates. there are districts
wet Of tho Blue Ridge, That section Of the state
would be entitled to 81 Delegates and n there are IA
districts castof the Blue Ridge, the eastern section
would have -; consequently the bin secures TO cas-
tHn Virginia cXccrs oP ten representatives more
han could be claimed upon the principle of a combj-
ned ratio Of white population and TAXATION
mr.. a. SAID that he understood the extreme pro-
positions supported upon principle 20 be rcprcsen-
trucn IN conventions based upon white ropulution and
representation based upon a combined ratio of white
population md taX8tion. From every view Of the
subject u WAS evident that all the concessions were to
DC made by the friends TO the former basis Of reprc
son'aton; but he begged Of gentlemen not 20 exact
larger concessions than they presumed 10 as for upon
p1ncipIe as u Is manifest the bill before tito commit
tee contains
by what process cf reasonng HE friend from W had
arrived Mt the conclusion that that bill contained fair
mud honorable compromise, tnt the hdyocates for
property influence have conceded any thing by the
terms OF IT,, when they have secured more Influence
IMAM they have the h1r'llood even oskf or OPEN
~, rs unaccountabe 10 him. But in accordance with
tm qentloman8 promises, that nj Government
should BE- founded upon mutual and reciprocal conccs
SONS, the proper basis . compromise would be me-
DUN between tho two extreme propositions Of Rep
Tcscntatinn, m other words proper basis Of rep
res, niaton in convention would be medium between
n representation based upon white population and
upon combined ratio Of whtc population and tax
au"n. ]rs be would cali compromise bused upon
mutual and reciprocal concessions. 4 compromise
m which all the parties 10 the compact have made
egpa concessions IN short in the strong language Of
the gentleman, IL would BE- fair and honorable com
prCUIec. And continued Mr.. 4 su dcciroue rss