Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-22

bcrs of whom % shall be elected from the District Yves,
OF the Allegheny mountain; "a from the Valley between
the Allegheny and Blue Ridge, and 40 from the Blue
Ridge to the bead Of tdc-waer and 81 thence below"
question OF order arose to the proper course to
be pursued in order to get at the confederation OF the
proposition offered yesterday by Mr.. LEIcH IL could
not be moved as amendment 10 the proposition OF Mr.
GORDON by way OF substitute, because MIR. GoRDoN's
amendment had yesterday been agreed by the House
and coad not he stricken out without vote to recon-
slider. IL could not BE- added TO Mr. GoRDoN's amend
ment because it Inconsistent with II, and contained
different plan. Aud II could not be taken up and
considered an original substantive proposition, he
cause rule OF order adopted by the Convention
quired all such propositions to ge6Fsttoa committee
| and be reported on.
After some conversation had taken place, and Mr.
SrANARp had NOV ed TO lay the proposition Of Mr.
GORDON the table, with view then to re scind the
rule above referred to, and thus 10 arrive the discus
sion OF MIR. LEIGHs proposition,
MIR. DoDDRIDGE said he was at loss TO conceive
how the friends of Mr.. GoRDoN's plan could consent
to lay II the table with view to consider that of
Mr.. Leigh, which was obviously more hostile to their
views He then went into comparison of the opera.
ton OF the two propositions upon Western interests and
came to this conclusion, that while the plan Of Mr..
GoRDoN secured to Eastern Virginia majority of 81
that OF Mr.. LEIGH gave them majority Of 81. The
first he considered greatinroa the rights of the
Western portion OF the State; but the latter still
greater.
Mr.. GORDON addressed the Committee as follows
Jfr. President: 1 greatly regret the excitement,
either OF expression manner apparent in this debate
shall end-avour TO avoid either, in what may saw
The proposition submitted for the consideration OF the
Convention made in the hope of sinking she dis.
c,tsso on the basis Of future apporonmen Of repre-
sentahon. My ow opinion was, and is, that the white
population, fair criterion for just arrangement
Of power among the al parts the Common ab
We have, however, found the Convention equally di.
vided in opinion; each positive aud pernscious in op
posing any plan OF representation founded i'm the views
OF the other This discussion had greatly agitatcd our
councils distracted deliberations, and disturbed the
quiet OF the country. We had nothing to hope from
prooneing il: there be any other purpose
in continuing it, unless to rupture the Convention and
send us home to distracted and dissatisfied communal
ty, divided by Geographical line, into great hos
lille parties. Sir, it was in the hope of healing these
divisions, that vsntured to propose to this Conven-
ton plan for the present division of representative
power in the State.
various calculations the condition of the Common
wealth, drawn from statistics within my reach. Sir
the proposition which have submitted was not guess
tc0Tk; much less il scheme give to one part of
the Commonwealth dsproporlionate and unjust pow
er over the rights and interests Of any other II
proposed in spirit OF Cancellation and compromise vic.
ating no principle deemed correct by myself and those
with whom had thought aud acted; and, above ALL in
strict regard 10 what considered just every part Of
the state.
found by calculations on the Census Of 1920 the
only authentic docusent OF population within pow.
err that the present apporonment Of representation in
the House OF Delegates greatly unequal through
ont the state, and among its several ports That in
House of Delegates of 2li members, the &c Counties
West OF lie Allegheny mountains, composing the
lst Western district, had so Delegates, when, by
the white numbers OF 1920 they were entitled TO
only AZ: that the section OF the State, below tide
water, with SO counties and towns, had rs dele
gates, whilst they entitled to but So That the
Valley or 2nd western district with ii counties and IS
delegates, was entitled to ~ and that the Middle Coun-
try OF Virginia. from which come, with % counties,
had 90 delegates, and was entitled TO &c. That the
two last mentioned subdivisions of the State, the VAL
ley and Middle Sections had MAORI Of 7,742 white
population of 2562 slaves and paid of the taxes of
he Ot two Tho
west and eastern divisions. That these two central
ugious districts OF country, containing majority Of
whites majority OF slaves, and paying greatly more
than half the OF the State, had vote in the
House of Delegates, Sc is to 2l4. Sir, the garing
inequality Of representation, has not and be met
by any argument, and challenges universal assent to its
injustice. do gentlemen suppose that /, Of the
representatives from of the largest and popu
lous districts in Virginia both white and Federal
numbers, nsensibe OF its interests, or was
disposed to abandon them? gentlemen the pro-
position have submitted for their considerations was
not leap in the dark My first proposal to reduce
the House of Delegates to 100 q added members to
satisfy the wishes OF some of the Convenon) made
various estimates the different propositions for appor
tonment suggested TO the Convention by Others that
presented themselves TO my own mind. found that if
taxation alone the basis of representation in house
oil 100 nemheIs the % counties composing the LIST
tern district, would have III l-2 The 2nd western VAL
ley District. II 12 the LIST eastern Middle District,
46 IL, the End eastern Lower District, A I-2 If
the Federal number the LIST district 20, the 2nd 49, the
3rd l3 H. and the 4h 81 l-2 If the combined ratio
of numbers and taxation, the LIST district 49, the End
40 81, the 3rd A. the 18th SO Ia members: on the
federal numbers of the Auditors estimate of the pre-
sent population the LIST district would have o. the End
81 the Bird a., and the 4th SO members. Sir, made
other estimates from the Auditors of the taxes
OF 1898. Dividing the whole amount of taxes
nue., by the whole number of delegates in present
TX. OF ID found that if all parts OF the Sac paid equal
ly, the average for each member, should be s Il 872
then made comparative estimate of the tax aon and
representation of each section of the Sate-I found
that the LIST western section paid 1851 per member the
End western Valley District paid So 233 per member
the Bird middle district 81 $780, g. the 4th I'd eastern
District paid 81 ,69i per member Sir give these es-
Inmates in spirit of reproach to that Western District
for the small contributions to the Treasury in propor
ton to their actual representative power in the govern
ment, but to admonish gentlemen who complain that
my proposition does injustice to their country that thew
should not forget that in Committee of the Whole 40
members of this Convention i'm favor of a proposi-
ton to base representation taxation alone. Sir when
il is conceded all hands, that, without spirit Of tenn
perance and moderation, good result from our
deliberations, ask what injustice my proposition can
do TO the Vest On the contrary. is IL not fair and
liberal? 1t gives to the whole county west of the
it would be entitled to upon the present uncertain
estimate of The auditor Of the white population
of the Safe, and IL gives TO the Valley all, all il
claims for the present any scheme Of represent alton
and To Tie trsns.Alleghany country 2, than il
would be entitled Ia by the Census Of 1920 on white
popu alton alone Sir, is not this fair and liberal es
mat. for the West? Does II not give all that IL may fairly
claim for the present. What do gentlemen ask that we
should give atule OF future appointments without
fixing the repres sntacn for the PRESENT. Can our
Bre thren Of the West think il would be right or reason
able in ne Of the East, who represent country contain
ing nearly IL million Of Bondsnsn whilst they have
coparaively but iew return 10 our Constituents the
~ a..