Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-13
RICHMOND. JAM "a.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
HOUSE OF Delegates.

l bLoA ON HE CONVENTION.
| thursday, Jan S-The House being in Com
niitee of the whole on the Convention bill, and
| the question being OIL the adoption of Mr. Terrilps
substitute to the original bill, proposing county
representation in the Convention in lieu of rem
by the bill. s'''"
MR.. PARKER, Of Northampton, rose and ex-
pressed his sentiments in favor of the substi,u, 70
lie congratulated the Committee on their b.v
ing arrived at that stage of its proceeding. He
!hai ne might have the satisfaction of con
graduating them on the same vote in favor of the
proposition he advocated, as had been shown in
| Inc vote rejecting the amendment of the yentIe.
man iron Essex. MIR. p. took rapid review n,
| .ne arguments that had been urged by gentlemen
III opposition to the views which he entertained on
| the subject Seine of these arguments he had
heaid with surprise, and thought that i'm the SEQUEL
! the would be brought home 10 the members from
inc western counties great ou,crylhad been rails.
cd against the injustice s incuuav of ia. nresan,
| STARE oil things IN reference 10 subjects on which
the cause OF complaint if any cause existed. rested
with those mplaining. He was surprised AZ tba
various assumptions that had been made, merely
20 sun me views and arguments of gen;emen-
one gentleman mad even gone far in the spirit Of
/ his dissatisfaction with his Eastern bret,r.n =, .,
charge them with usurpation and Oppression doll;
berate and premeditated-and what rendered ~;
crying injustice still more outrageous was that il
was attempted 10 De hXed upon the venerated men
VINO achieved our liberties and founded the free i'm .
shtutions under which we had lived so Iong and
naPpiy. Whilst this charge was laid at their doors
| IL Was attempted 10 be shown that the neonia ~
the lower country had steadily adhered, from that
DAY TO the present, TO the same system of talents,
anu hisfuie' ana mat our acts OF legislation had
peeh boltomed upon the same predeterminaion IN
retain power and TO exercise il for selfish ends Mr.
acknowledged he had listened 10 this CHARGE ,.,;,h
etihSs,& could not but consider il as he had
oelore SAID as most cruel a nd uniounded fit had
Oeen he object OF our ancestors 10 retain the now
CT OIL the State IN the hands OF the few in the man
neF described by the gentleman from Brooke INIr
i'oddridge,) all that he had to say was. that ;bpv
iiau zone their work most Intellectually They
ought 10 have Topped Off the whole terriorv w.,
OF The Allegheny Mountains And if thew had
done 1.-The people OH this side would have s,yston
Ell no material loss regarding them as contributions
towards The support OF government The terrific
| ry was already cut up into so many small conn
'es, 'hat many oil them did not pay the expenses
oil thelr Delegates to the General Assemble :
ne aid mol make this remark with a spirit of dis
satisfaction, or diSrcspect towards the small coup
'ies IN the west; but only in an argumentative non,
oil view lie recoliccted that on former occosion n
pet'ioh was presented from Harrison for division of
lnat county& that there was also counter
sSheu Oy numerous persons. Now if he was
aispoed togo into an ilberal ascrpton of motives
i,he Ine gentleman from Brooke, might he not saw
'hat me counter petitioners feared that if foo
| small counties were created in tba W., -
would unite with the small counties in tbr Fast On
any future struggle for power! This would M,
De honorable-lie knew that no such considera
ton Influenced them.
Mr.. L. regretted chat Mr. DolJri,Iqe h al ,h
out the dehances he did Allho' the plove hal
oeeh iairiy thrown down, lac was not disposed IN
take II up-he preferred to act in the mild sniri Of
IN. .he biii oil Rights. But he would tell gentlemen
.hat threats or dehances were ridicuious-tbov
knew nothing of OLD Virginia if they supposed we
would regard them with any other fe cling but thai
oil pity or OF scorn-He could be led he could ho
Suaued' on' ne never could be intimidated and
We ui'en. ne would advise gentlemen at once
10 stop with all such vain efforts If thew xvera ~
ACT upon the principle of physical force Lot thorn
Uiihg INTO subJection the refractory counties in Tho
west, and then turn their attention to,varIs H.
H"st ihat WORK would surely claim their first at.
tentlon. But take heed-so soon As vou b.;n -,
act upon this principle, and cofnrnenc. ,h go, "
quest oil the refractory at home the East wonId Hv
10 'nelr rehel-the blood of brother would no emil,
by the hand OF brother. Mr. r. drew here nic.
tufe Vi 'iVii con'notion, which be acknowledged
oush' never 10 hnd place in The conempIafio6 of
'Hginlans; but gentlemen must excuse him. for
some Iceling when in addition to the odious cIaraa
ofcieITed against our ancestors an their descend
anus, me Rowland arlstocracy-we had also been
'ou that physical force was the basis of all govern
nent, since II was the instrument bv which H.
Will OF majority was TO be carried in,o It.,
ne WOught the time not distant when the Yes,
"Ou'u nhd IL necessary TO conciliate the East and
particularly nrelation TO the appropriations from
ule una ~, LOT internal improvement. The middle
SS'S'h Di9tiiCts were alone int estel i'm that
subject and when the struggle should arrive he
tween them IN relation 10 it, the East would have
70 uecIue, ny throwing its weight into the scaIe
Oh ,na' party that seemed TO them 10 be right.
MI L. sara he had seen no spirit of conciirtion
Oh 'he part OIL some gentlemen, in relation In fbc
Dill under consideration. What had they ofTarod
10 the fiends OF any other mode but their o.n
that displayed temper to conciliate? Their ron
duct Tesembied that of the spoilt child; after cry
ing iobg une Tor Convention, they were at
~ btf
they could get II precisely as they wanted IT, Tbe
CAKE must be cooked III their own way He coulJ
tell gentlemen that if they dit,not take Conven.
| ,ion IN The way in which it offered TO them
| they could not get IT in any other way. They
might resort 10 what other course thew nleased
they might if they thought proper SET no for Their
selves; but IN that event, he hepcd tiov you'll
send among us that portion Of tho Western pcc,Is
who thought with the Fast and who ,vonId ibo
rebels, IN tic West, aud we would endcs,or
10 provide Tor them. VI
Putting the representation on fhe l,a.is of whit,
population, OF Oh tie basis Of Congressional lie
uicts, he commended, that the Eastern ro,,ntics
would sun have the preponderance. rhi, was
susceptible OF proof. but prelefiiug, as he did,
county representation as preferable in every re-.
spect II was proper that he should also show that
upon the ba Is OF white population. the counties
opposed to Convention would be entitled 10
majority oil representatives., or what was the same
thing, the delegates from these counties wourl
represent plurality OF the white population n
hesc positions could he proved, lie trusted that the
elamor OF gentlemen would cease. as UnGound.d
There were three parties on thst floor Struggling
Tor representation upon three distinct principles
one claimed representation compounded Of
persons and property, or OF persons and tax,,ion.
smother ,tIat II should be based upon white popuIa
ton alone; aud the third, that the reprcsentsfiop
should be by counties, ia conformity 10 the auGpnt
usages Of the Commonwealth, and the pioyisions
OF the present Constitution. Let US see, said he
lasv h.. al. a.