Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-07


and the west with tacit sastng OF the principles on
which those pretensions were founded, and post
ponoIncnt of their discussion, Till some future period
moro suspicious TO their harmonious adjustment"
The western plan, on the contrary, though il pro- |
goods on the white basis IN the house of delegates
expressly recognises IN the apportionmcnt of repre-
senation IN the senate, the Justly obnoxious princi
pic Of the Virtual representation OF all the free no
grocs and thrcc-fifihs of the slaves. And though
am not disingenuous enough to follow the example |
OF some ofiboso who have animadvertcd on my own
conduct, aud TO say that If the western party had
carried their favorIic plan, negro represent alton
would have been fastened on us and our posterity
orerer.-yct really did apprehcnd. that If this vi
cious and obnoxious principle were once infused into
the constitution, 1t would he matter of extreme
diitcnity TO eNpel II. In other words, thought IL
would BIO more easy, at future and more ausplcous
period, when tho political darkness of The convention
OF 1929 should have been dispeled by the increas-
ing light OF the age, to supernduce lure represent
tatve democracy Oh Gen. Gordons plan of repre-
sentation than OH the western plan. or thought
l saw, in the slaychoding reio which the western
plan conferred on the east, obstacle of an almost
nsurmountabe character to the final prevalence and
practical improvement, of the great political truth
that trcemen are the only elements out of which
republic should be formed.
Having reference TO any future attempt TO obtain
the enactment Of law for assembling convention
to carry this great principle into practical OBJECT
considered that the two Legislative bodies being CO.
ordinate numerical strength in the senate was lust
as essential 10 the friends of reform as numerical
avail US nothing have the trsoie house of dele
gates, If rival section OF the commonwealth here
toiore opposed to REFORM possessed majority in the
senate. thought, therefore, that in CONDUCTING our
attack on the old unequal system of representation
1t was our true policy, not throw away our whole
strength in obtaining superfluous majority in one
body, but so to direct efforts as 20 divide our
| gain between the two houses, in such n manner as
TO obtain majority, If only bare majority in each
house. The scheme OF policy have Just sketched
Is embodied III the amended constitution Tho on.
positc policy was that of the defeated western plan
Nor were these the only objections on tho score
| OF principle, that had against the western plan
thought calculated TO pcrpeiuaio, and to embtter
the feelings of sectional rivalry not TO cav nuimos
ty already too prevalent, to engender auds and dis
scDtions between the two legislative bodies which
would be utterly destructive of the prosperity of the
| state. So much for my objections ofthc wastern
plan, on the score Of principle.
thought that the plan of representation since
cngraftcd the new constitution would bn batto-
IN It's practical results and operation than the western
pan, not only Tor the rcasop just assigned that
legislation under it would be more harmonious tbon
under IT'S rival plan, but because / believed that
u would ensure a majority thouuh n hare n,,ior;ty
in each house, to that portion OF the stare whose
views, on the subject of practical legislation tbinl,
most sound and most conducive 10 the prosneritv
OF the commonwealth. alludc chiefly to the aboi
ltion OF the captaton taxes leyiad bv the local n,
thoritles, whether in the shape of pecuniarv CON
trbutions or labor, to the Improvement of orr road
laws and to that whole class of subjects comnrebepd
edin what is famliarly called internal Improvement
nave already assigned my reasons, in nv secand
letter, for believing that there will be majority
OF votes IN the new house of Delegates in favor
OF sound and beneficial legislation on these inter
cstng SUBJECTS and that we shall stand in no need
OF four additional votes in the house of deenntes
secured TO US by the western plan.
II IS my present business to show that this COM
parativey useless gain of power in the house of dele
gates would have been purchased too dearly, under
the western plan, by the sacrifice of two votes in
T senate composed of 80 members The new consti.
taton aots to the country east of the ridge 10 MEM
oeis, the country west of the ridge 49, In order
20 ascertain what would have been strength in
the senate on the western plan, must compute as
we can, tho actual federal numbers of the two great
divisions OF the commonwealth in 1880. The prin-
clpa element OF this computation TO wit the number
OF white people, Is already disposed of according to
| the best lights have been able TO obtain To A.
VOID prox calculations of the increase of black pom
ulation between $50 and $50, am wilinr to CON
cede' and tho concession is not small one that the
olack population has remained stationary since 1920
On this liberal concession in favor of the western
plan, the federal numbers of The cast and the west
! would be as follow:
Federal numbers east of the blue ridge in 1850.
viz: '
Estimated white population, Csee the est-
mate in detail, and the reasons in which
j 1t IS founded, in my second letter,) 55o931
Free blacks by the census of 500, 32,64I
| Ihree-hfths OF the slaves by the census of
! 1920, o,oa,o
62a9I8
Federal numbers west of the Blue ridge in 1880,
| viz O'
Estimated white population eao a7a
Free blacks by the census Of 1920 4G4B
Three fifths Of the slaves by the census of
1871 25,s66
Total federal numbers, 600 3s7
Aggregate federal numbers in Virginia in
1890, 043, 3O5
The opportionment of representation in sem
ate Of 80, between the cast and the west, ON this
estimate OF federal numbers, would be ms follows:
To the country cast Of the Blue ridge would be al.
iotted 2lI4, or Members q
TO the country west Of the Blue ridge 1896, or II
The now constitution, therefore, olots TO the peo-
PIE west oil the rdgo two members more in the senate
and to the people east of the ridge two members Ies,
than tho western plan Of representation, making
difference in favor Of the west of C5u members in
thirytwo.
Viewing the gain and loss Of each plan in the two
houses automatically, the result stands thus:
Western Plan