Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-28


were opposed to Convention altogether, they cons;i
tuted amajori,y. ~ 80 I
Mr. IA contcndcd, thatthc only power which the '
Legislature possessed, derived from the present
constitution, and related wholly subjects of ordna
ry legislation; and fthcy noted all on the bill, they
must ito It m thtir Legislative character, and in con-
iorniy with TIC constitution. No respected tho
VIII of the people more thrn he did, but that will
il had been osccrtancd on this particular sub
lccs, could not be obligatory upon the leysturc and
compel them tn whit WAS IN conflict with the CON
stiution lie said that lac hal yet To learn That if
The whole people of the Western counties were 10
instruct him to do particular thing in his Legislative
character that he was bouud TO obey them IN oppo.
sition to instructions from his own particular con-
st'tuents. Although he threw out these remarks
upon the general principle yet when tho House should
settle the principle in controversy, in relation to the
convention, he would be found willing TO give cfci-
ency to the will of the majority. But, in acting upon
subject OF such grave Importance as tho present
! he contended that there should be no pretcxt of
rs To the wish will of the people in voting for
convention. And, III proof ofthe correctness ofthis
position he quoted the very able report presented
at the session of 1876 by Mr. Doddridge where this
principle MAS laid down. He referred to the vote a
ken IN the spring, to show that there were not only
uoub's, but that great division Of opinion exist
ed. In fact, the coatrarety of views entertained
even by the friends OF convention. had been such
as ID their opinion, 10 render il necessary that they
should meet III conycn;ion and endeavor to reconcile
them. Hence the .Staunton convention. lie had
heard what had been the course pursued in that
meeting, from gentleman. whose discriminate Of
judgment and powers of mind. were in every respect
not interior To those conceded by consent, to
the VERY abcg gentleman from Brooke, (Mr. d. From
that account he was convinced that Mr.. ID. was not
only cucd to the reputation he enjoyed for talents
but that he possessed grea, dcxtcrty in the art of ma
nagemcnt. lie begged him to believe, tliut in call
ing HIM great manager, he did not speak in ON invi-
dious sense for ne meant dsrcspcct 10 him. That
gentleman had been the friend of convention upon
rho single principle Of equazing the representation
Ill the Legislature But, when ne met the rcpresen-
trt,.rn
every section of the State, even from tho extreme
Eastern shore, and found, that they had other obiec
tons to the present constitution which they wished
to remedy. and without the hope of remcdyinr they
were not disposed to 90 into convention; when the
gentleman from Brooke, und others found this to be
the they surrendered their former partialites to
some of the features Of the present constitutions and
were disposed to acr them. Hence il vas that the
right Of suffrage proposed to be extended (i,ow
far, no one could tet) hCnce the proposition for re-
modelling the Executive, and making other changes
IN the constitution. The extension Of the right Of
suffrage had been source OF anxiety Ill portions
of the country; hut, the Eastern shore. there was
one of dissatisfaction which induced so many
of the people TO vote for convention. He meant the
extraordinary power possessed by the Magistrates and
the County Courts, and the alleged abuses of that
power by them. He had the honor of once represen-
ting the county Of Accomac that floor, aud was
charged by his constituents with petition for con-
vention, bottomcd upon these abuses. 1t was voted
out ~ the House. Mr.. Parker sail, that he had great
respect Tor the Mag:sracy OF the counry but with all
that respect he thought that some changes in relation
10 them would be beneficial. If no other change in
c present constitution lad been expected but that
in relation to the equalization OF the he
! did not think that the vote, any thing near it,
would have been given IN the county Of Northampton
lie had called upon his own constituents the late
election, to express their opinions the amendments
necessary to tho constitution, and hc bad heard 10
complaint of the principle OF representations rs at
present established. He did not think that there
was majority of the constituents OF that LEGISLATURE
hat t'p Ill
scd exclusively, upon white population. If suck had
been the expectation of the voters OF Northaniptou
there would have been few, single vote in favor
of convention. lie contended, TINT ther, yyos not
majority ofthe free white population Of the State in
favor OF representation by white populations with
out regard TO taxation, county limits and PROPERTY
The free white population embraced very many more
than the voters-mo!e even than the y-rles. The
majority OF all these however, claimed rs il,
favor Of convention, and The principles too now
cOntendci for.
twas somewhat strange, ho thought, that gentle
mon who had only the doubtful naiority of one par.
tlcular class ofthc community, should insist with such
airs OF triumphant certainty that they had the major
y on their side and that it in favor too of all
ttsIr notions of cXpcdicucy and Tipi. He was omen
to conviction; but he lad not get seen any evidence.
that there was majority Of the people in favor of
convention, for hc only purpose even for the prin-
cpa purpose Of equazing the representation in the
IIccIsature.-So far rs he could form opinion on
That subject, there only majority in favor of
such proposition. Ifths opinion were tested nv the
representation i'll Uic Stanton Convention, what
would be the result? Were the members in that body
sent there for any such purpose exclusively or even
mainly! The people, acting in their primary charac-
ter had gotten up that conventon.--In doing this
had they not acted by counties? The representation
in that body c0unfy representation to MI intcnts
and purposes-and if counties were to be disregard
cd ia the plan Of organizing convention, would il
not he in conflict with the spontaneous example set US
by the PeoPie in the Of that celebrated Staunton
Convention Pic people ask for n Convention, or
rather that we should give them the facilities of
forming onc-the question occurs, how sha we,
whom called on in the extra Legislative character
which We occupy, comply with their request? Shonld
we give them Che facilities in The forms and subdiys-
IONS Of power known 70 thcfn always and established
by the constitution To wit, county representation,
Or, should We introduce new mode in Which
the people bad not beer accustomed to act locally and
politically lie Insisted that the mode Of procedure
IN the spontaneous movements Of the people, in the
formation Of tic Staunton Convention was poyycr-
I'll nrenlrnct i1. c..r g IN.