Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-12-11

other, and both were acted upon together
The Senatorial bill only provided a TEN
porary remedy, the limited Convention
bill permanent one. l advocated the
latter, hut it was lost-the first was carried
by majority oil one only. Both bill:
were in common obnoxious TO the people
ofthe East, and they opposed them both ,
but some preferred the Senatorial bill
to the other-but when they found the
Convention bill was lost, and the other
wonld be passed, proposition was made
by one of those gentlemen from the East,
who had defeated the Convention bill, that
if it could be re-cOnsidereG ne would now
vote for it IN preference the motion
accordingly made, but he who had proms-
ed to give the vote, did not redeem the
promise the motion of course failed, and
the Senatorial bill was then taken up and
passed.
Permit me to tell you how that thing
happened the gentleman who made
the promise, intended to have kept tit
was no bargain, it was promise made to
himself-the passage Of the Senatorial
RtSAks kuowp.to depend upon 'siug's'
.,i,or who was considered as doubtful
his vote had been counted.upon by both
sides-under these circumstances, gen.
tleman from the East, met gentleman
from the south-they had conversation,
in which the gentleman from the E,st,
was asked fhe knew what he was about,
and was told, by adhering to his former
vote. he might defeat both Bills.-Accor-
dinghy when the vote was taken, he voted
II of arIc
cnquired to know why he had thus chang
ed his determination. He told nc 1t re-
minded him how nnfit he was for Legis-
latiou, for he had been served as he was
formerly, in this election to that body, for
knowing that the Sheriff of his own coun-
ty would vote for him, and the Sheriff of
his adyersary's county would vote for his
adversary, he had been persuaded by his
opponent, to waive the right of requiring
the Sheriff of his own county. to vote, un-
der the expectation that the Sheriff of the
other county would also, not be required
to vote,--but when they came to the last
county, the Sheriff voted for his opponent
I enauired if he had not promis I'd that the
Sheriff should not vote Yes Do You
now intend he shall vote Yes Then
YOU intended to deceive me }? Certainly I!
And now call upon all the voters, To take
notice that have taken you in ; and
warn the people against electing you. for
if YOU can thus be cheated, in the same
way you will be cheated out of your votes
in the Senate.
beg pardon for OBTAINING the Com
mittee with this anecdote. The bill was
II tho ppnnln nf tha WaSf
their full share of repres -ntation-lt gave
them nine Senators, when according to
the census Of 1910, they would only hav'
been entitled to eight and a fraction
They already had their share is the House
Of Dclegates-they then had their full
share of power, and the new bill. provided
for the removal of the objection to the
inequality of the land tax. Though /
paelerred the permanent to ,his temporary
relief yet was then content rather that
expose the whole Constitution to the dan.
ger of innovation and injury. thought
our present Constitution was better suit
ed to the genius and character Of our peo.
pie, better adapted TO promote our interests
and protect our rights, than all the Con
stitutions Of all the other States of this
Union.-I preferred it to all, because "l
its antiquity-l indicated it because it
was the work of our iorefathcrs, and be-
cause it was the child Of the revolution.
From the time when this great political
inequality was removed, have constantly
opposed the call Of any Convention, gen.
eral or limited, and have labored no lite
to prevent it. Step by step. side by side,
j have followed my noble friend from
Chesterfield (Mr Leigh in preserving
the old Constitution, and he will bear me
witness that have fought like faithful
soldier, and did not abandon my arms till
victory was wrested from me-but from
the time the majority had decided in ia
your OF It, my opposition ceased-- from
that time all wise men agreed that the
Convention SHOULD be organized without
delay, and all complaints speedily settled.
have detained you with this explana-
lion because | thought it due to myself,
my consistency. | neither expect nor
desire to recommend myself thereby to
your favorable accoptalioH. submit my
remarks with the hope they will not be
lost on the candor and intelligence of this
Committee. My first duty is to ackRowl-
edge the error fell into 10 the early stage
Of these proceedings the error Of suppns.
ing that the order Of debate ought to have
been that proposed by the member from
Norfolk, who now no longeI holds a seat
among us. ! loollshly imagined that we
had learned the rudlments at least Of p0-
ltical science before we came terrestrial
va did not require 10 be taught our holn
book, NOR To be scboaled Ia the clements
Of government, that lhH members # this
body had been selected for their wisdom,
iur Their knowledge Ia the science of 10.
yeTnmeut, and Iur their experience bat
have been lnlofmed by all OF my nislaks
! have been taught 90 Acknowledge my o.,
ToT. by the conclusions o. Shish my adssT.