Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-05

be offended, Tor assure them and the committees.
thatI had not the least allusion either of them
they never crossed my mind.
The last Of the gentlemen IRON Powhatan, WIN
addressed the committee, has told tho House tba,
was an old stedfast federaiist. He Yratuito,sIv
bestowed on inc, the cpithet uitru. He even smoke
OF Scotch Democrat, and of something which he
loathed. His zeal led him to LAWYERS office.
to learn some words Of mine rnany wears ayo. Gu.
'ogizing the speech CT certain gentleman against
universal suffrage. Its an evidence of great in.
dustry, indeed, that gentlernan, who has been
30 long Wishing his pen aga:nst a convention,
l"hicf' he nan perfect right IL dog should have
treasured up these words so long, and that they
shouid have been thought worthy of the pre- sent
occa-ion. IL my conjecture is right, the gentle
man got them FROM the same shop, from which he
cot tho bill under consideration.
1t am not mistaken, the gentleman who now
terms me an ultra. has more frequently than per-
haps any person in this part Of Virginia spoken of
me as libcra, politician and legi Slator. OF this
mere are many witnesses now 10 my hearing.
do not deny, that there was time when would
no; have extended the right of suffrage. There
was time wien l considered this community too
d,viied, agitated and infamed by political strife
TO meet in convention. This state Of things, has
passed away with the causes hatproduced it.
gave she~n, and will presently shew that, at
least in 1915, andi 1876, and ever since, have
been sustaining our present principles in relation
10 the question OF suffrage. Perhaps this is Pc
ROO longer than the gentleman ever professed
The same political creed at time; for if repor
be true, he has, politician tried all political
creeds, and been violent in all; at all times de-
| nouncing others trmmers. According to re-
port. the gentleman has been consistent in but one
thing-the admiration and aduation OF one gentle
mau; gentlemen whose rare and uncommon tai
ents IN that way, have been often employed in in
vectipes and personalities. ] have seen some
though not on this floor, attempt TO initiate that
gentleman; but never have l seen any man make
that attempt, without rendering himself ridicu-
iou5.
1t was here, Mr.. ID. was Interrupted
Both gentlemen from Powhatan, have stated,
mat had been candidate for Congress, but had
failed. One OF them stated this, to prove that /
was not always opposed to sitting by the side OF the
representative OF slave. This sarcasm proves
| that its author does not know that representa-
tive ID Congress is, in case, the representative
OF a slave. The other gentleman said had en-
deavored to get into Congress upon federal princi-
pies. The tact is otherwise. always represent
ed what is termed democratic county here, and
democratic district in the senate. | never was 4
candidate for Congress until party differences had
ceased.
wish to set the gentleman from Powhatan
right III two or three particulars in which he has
fallen into error. He represents me as saving that
| a fohe gheny had been represented in convention
| the usurpaion which happened at the revolution
would not have happened. | said no such thing
| said that il YohcgheDy had been represented,
there would have been voice against the surren-
der OF that beautiful country The gentleman sup
poses the act OF Dec I776 to have led 10 the loss
OF Fohegheny, by settling the boundary of Penn.
syivania. The facts are these, however. The
charter of Virginia was 72 wears older than tn at of
Pennsylvania; these charters interfered, and the
constitution OF Virginia gave preference to Penn
syivania This brought border dispute be-
tween the settlers under the two states and the
act OF December l776 provided for running tenn
porary line. The permanent line was not settled
until 1855. In settling the boundary permanent.
'y, Pennsylvania acquired more than her charter
covers and in this lies the fraud OF which the gen.
tleman speaks
Mr.. Chairman; had little expected any person.
a'ltles ilom the gentleman from POwhatan. There
had existed long state of friendly feelings and of
mutual respect between us-and notwiths; andinp
what has happened, 1 determined, if posi-.
6ie TO part with him as we met indulging in those
feelings.
MIR. Chairman: will now proceed to notice par
icuiarly, some of the arguments OF the gentleman
from Northampton. That gentleman has re-as-
serted that the friends of reform have at no time
declared the principles on which they sought it,
10 prove this, he has again alluded to the report
ascribed to me in the journal ofISI6. He has as
serted that at the Staunton convention they acted
by counties. He has represented me, as having
sought convention before the meeting at S,aun
ton Tor one object aone:-equalizing the represen
tat!on-and as having at Stanton, to suit the
views OF other gentlemen, adopted other views, as
an extension Of suffrage, and abo hing the execu
tive council, &c. This he calls engagement II
is my purpose to show beyond the possibility of
doubt. than in relation to suffrage and representa-
ton, the friends of reform, and among them. have
been uniform, from the time we first acted TO the
present moment.
In the first place. will appeal to the journal of
1916 The report attributed to me- il paqe 81
contains tae following paragraph:
"l our committee, aware that a great diversity
exists in opinion as to the particular amendments
~hlch our Constitution requires, and fearful that
the dread OF rash innovation may deter MANY from
submitting that whole instrument TO revision who
are DESTROYS OF partial REFORM think il most pru-
dent, at present, to recommend such specific a.
inendinents, as they conceive will challenge The
assent OF every citizen who is willing to do JUS
tee and to receive it. These are, equality of re-
presentation in both branches Of the Legislature
equality OF taxation, and provision for future a.
mendments, &c."
| The resolutions that follow in the same pags.
propose the amendments thus indicated, and as 10
representation, they propose TO equalize il on the
basis OF white population.
The first section of the Convention bill of that
session, (see journal, p 1907 contained the fol.
lowing provision for over writing the columns OF
the poli-book, to take the vote on calling a Con-
venton:
"Ihe one 10 be over-wrtten, "a Convention TO
equa!ize the representation of the free white peo
pie of this State, in both Houses of the General
Assembly; TO eQualze taxation; to ertend the rieht
o. sutTdge to oil persons having sufficient eyi.
dence oil permanent common interest with and
attachment TO the community, &c.''
An amendment was offered TO strike these words
from the bill, which failed by vote of 73 to e.
Thus it appears that, in 1916, we were looking TO
farther amendments than what merely went TO
equsiize the representations for one of the specific
ooJec's then proposed for present action, was the
extension Of the right Of suffrage. So far is the
gentleman from Northampton from being correct.
when he aiiirms that this question was first taken
4 at &tatYn frF,