Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-03-06
seealef Ny. y. c. .C.4REEL "a ne ssaa,., on Tic
Toso' 90 graduate ne Representative an CSmres-
ion, tg Senatorial Diss,jIs - 49,

~ (coNcLUDrp.)
Mr. Z. said, he thought it unta, and inadmissiblc
IA guinent toquote precedent in legislation, and to
aNest OF all the concom;tant circumstances calcu
lated to impair It's force and to show its want of app
Se'ioh' lie was member of the Senate and bore
re par. II 'he important measures which agtated the
rs, AZ the memorable session of i8I6-l7.-
en-" puwetlui parties pressed with united action at
I ~ sa,e moment upon the General Assembly. Tho
aoNocetes oil convention demanded equal representa-
no" III ooth Houses of Assembly; the advocates of
NV oanNs demanded eight millions of additional cap
Ha with the privileged power to circulate aI million.
oil paper, through the instrumentalitv of numerous
sseParu'e ana independent country banks. The bill
ior limited convention, and the mammoth bank hin
oS'e up ana lay together the table of the Senate
~ ne meeting Mt Winchester In the sprinr had h. N
IoiioweG oy the convention at Stanton in tn. sum-
ineri ana an extraordinary excitement an nritat;op
disturbed epubc mind Party STOOD Yraved ,ga;nst
party and shook the government =, its very fonno-
omnai -, ~ great proportion of nc community uau-
eneed ny honest convic.,on, stood opposed to Il
convention IN any s. -nc whether limited or unshack
.Su some Ia tSas for freehold suiii age; some for
w. i 'e-,o OF the senate; for the iudepen-
"'"oe oi the judiciary. .iyerse TO sacrifice the
"stance OF liberty to the torlns OF the constitutions
powerful party sought TO retain the government
upon Its ancient bus;. The established Banks Ind
out recently resumed specie payments and the
currency was emerging from state of alarming
depreciation and embarrassing exchanges and
returning once more to sound and heathfu state
Inc Legislature Justly regarding the discountinp
operations of banking institutions an of minor intercs;
TO the relation which they bore to the circulutinr
medium, had set its face against the system Of
Independent country Banks, and sought to place the
currency on the more stable foundation of larpe
capitals IN mother Banks and connected branches
reaching over extensive tracts OF commercial country
Then a now, the country made TO rcsound with
the charges OF eastern monopoly, orarchy, and
arstocracv; aud one section of the commonwealth
stuoi IN hostile array against another. 1'emperate
men on Ooth sides sought to allay the public excite
mchI ny mutual concessions, and by a course OF
measures oil Immediate adoption tending to rcmov
the real causes of complaint, without embarkino tho
sta on voyage of perlous excitement or pllno
II INTO vortex OF ru:0us speculation. This said
Mr Z. Wa the awful state OF this commonwealth at
the memorable session OF 1867. The pnblic
tranquility, perhaps he might say, the peace of the
state, wos { that time preserved by the iudicious
councils of few able and temperate men Members
tror, the east, who doubted the fitness and capacity
OF the interior parts of the state for banking opera
tons, yielded something of their opinions and aided
III framing the Bank of the Valley and the North
w oetern Bank. on the system of organization which
lad already been applied in the eastern parts of the
state. And members from the west came forward
and proposed in leu Of convention To oou,Iiza Tho
representation in both Houses of Assembly; n law
Tor equaizng the representation in the Senate and
the land tax = compromise of interests and op;n
ions was hastily made up between the ooutending
parties, which restored the public harmony, and cave
great and extensive satsiaction the west hayinr
gained representation in the senate on the basis of
White population: the east retaining preponderance
IN the House or Delegates, and gaining an equaiza-
tion OF the land tax: and the state rescued from
anoLuer Mississippi scheme, threatening the most
portentous evils to the whole community
In referring to the history of the present scnator
III distrcts nothing could he found to warrant the
assertion that the General Assembly of 1861
actually h.d express intended to express. anv
opinion as TO the proper basis of representation for
TIE entire government of the state The question
was, at that time mixed up with circumstances of
mig tI,,t,
baiticd all inference tie future organization of
the government Mr.. G.. protested aoains. tho
justice or policy, of bringing the acts OF former
Assembly to bear upon the decision of the present
question: or OF shaping the acts Of the present
Legislature so as to influence the deliberations of
the convention. "
But If gentlemen would still insist in defiance of
all ne could urge, to bring to their aid the precedent
OF iGio-iT' lie would beg leave to remind them
tndt 10 the arrangement then made Of the counties
OF the state, whilst material regard vas lad to local
convenience, no attention paid TO the fractions of
population at are thc inseparable attendants upon
every possible scheme of distribution. Suppose tho
principles then pursued to govern the new division
ana graduation now sought to be made; and what
men would be the ground Of complaint against these
osricts On any possible plan of equalization that
conin be proposed II districts out of 81 would be
lound TO have equal number Of Representativos
Bat II the white population of the state be divided
oy 90 and the standard representative number thereby
obtained be applied as dyisor the white popua-
uon OF each oil the senatorial districts it would be
discovered that if fractions of population should b
dlSregarded, but of the districts in the state
exceeded and only two, fell short of its proper com
plemcnt; and the excess or deficiency in no case
exceeded n single member.
But even if the results were far other than thew
really were, what ground of apprehension or alarm
would this afford TO his brethren of the west, Had
tho Legislation of the state in times past borne heavily
on them: IlSd VIC not parcelled out our western
oiiian. tl they themselves began to complain Of
lad we not parttioned ont the court of chancerv
and sent chanceEors to reside among them holdin1
courts as numerous those held in the eastern
quarter Of the state! Had we not, with main view
to tier local accommodation, broken down the old
9Ttrict courts system particularly calculated for
Tie el"tern country, and sent the Judges % ride
through all their countless Had we not provided
school fund Of $4,000, and divided it with them in
the ratio Of white population, Had we not provid-
gu noble fund of internal Improvement to improve
nelr mountain roads and rivers, and bind us too ether
as Drethrcn OF ono common family, feeling bat ono
common interest? Did we not give them representa-
ton IN the senate upon their own favorte basis of