Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-03-26

Madison was Chairman of this Committee and he
requested me to modify so as make il relate to
the House of Delegates only, and then present the
| same question separately TO the Senate. At this
request / varied the proposition thus: "Resolved,
That IN the apportionmcnt of representation in the
House of Delegates, regard should be had to white
population exclusively" 1lus modified, Air. Madi-
son voted for the resolution, and he und Mr.. Monroe
did the same afterwards IN full Convention but both
voted against the same ru!e of apportionment in re-
ation to the Senate The request of Mr.. Madison
to separate the question: gave reason to fear that he
would vote for the federal some other mixed basis
IN the Senate. This became known i'm a few DAVIS
afterwards, and that Col Monroe would take the
same course, which he did as long as he remained
member. although it was believed he RECEIVED in
structions from home to do otherwise.
When the Vote in Cow enton was taken on esta
ollshng the white basis in the House of Delegates,
We succeeded, 40 10 ~. This majority was small
numerically but the 40 who voted it'll ms REPRESENT
ed upwards of dog 900 white people, while our oppo-
nents represented only between 262 and s63 600
~ was known. however that or more of the ma
orty would not adhere to this vote unless the federal
basis something equivalent to it. should he adont
cd as to the Senate
-, Another vote soon after gave us further hspes
Inns related to the election of Governor. st first
the West were not united pa this important item of
Reform When proposed:to elect the Governor by
thn people, the proposition lost. 1t was after
wards removed by Col. Mercer and carried, as was
also another to abolish the Executive Council
These votes were, indeed very flateripr but every
attempt to provide for periodical enumerations Of
white population for the purpose of new apportion-
mcn's of representation failed. The Journals show
several attempts to obtain this rule made by myself
| and many by other members
Mr. Madison twice voted for the election of povernor
by the people. The unity of an executive head has
been with him favorte doctruc, and the depen-
dcnce OF that head directly the people. This is
manifest not only from his votes in the Convention
but from his able writings in the Federalist Yet
Mr. Madison finally voted against the election of
governor by the people, and for ied bases of rep
resentaIion IN the house of Assembly. Many DAYS
before the 10th OF Dec. it had become evident that
the west and east must each conccde something or
break up without doing any thing Such an event
know, was deeply feared by the east; and as il WAS
by many of our friends particularly those
residing below the Ridge, it was determined thut
the members from the vest should and consult
together as to forms of compromise. This meeting
took place, and was generally attended Il was a.
greed to appoint two western memberst to meet and
advise with our friends east Of the Ridg. to ascer-
tain whether we could all agree on some scheme of
compromise Mr.. Henderson, from Loulonp. cas-;
OF the Ridge, nominated Mr.. Cooke of Frederick and
hlr. duncan OF Harrison, to meet Eastern
friends. Tho members met again, when the plan of
representation proposed by Gen Gordon was sinh
mitted That plan is the same with the one finally
adopted except that it proposed House of Delegates
of l27, instead OF 10 members as finally AGREED tn
and engrafted on Judge UpsIner's scheme. Neither
OF these schemes provided for future enumerations
of apportionnents and neither, therefore was no.
ceptable At this last meeting some of our eastern
fo thcn
that Mr.. Cooke Of Frederick, and Mr. Henderson Of
Loudon, preferred Gen Gordons plan to that in
sisted on by the west but that, although such
their preference, they agreed with the members of
the west, and thus tho w hole west united in dc,o,n
ing the white basis in the House of Delegates viii
rule of future enumeraions and appointments in
that House, and that basis but concedino 70
the east the federal basis in the Senate or basis
founded on the whole white population, and adding
thereto three-ffths Of all other persons.
Several days before the 10th Of Dec TO NV osfo,
ishment, discovered from the conversation Of Mr..
Cooke that fthe western p!sn of compromise should
not be adopted he and Mr. Henderson of London,
would vote for Gordon's. Neither of these gentle
men concealed this fact from me. JUDGE fJ,5shur
and Mr. Reale, member from Richmond ebnntv.
boarded at the same house with Mr. Cooke Mr.
Hendeis on and myself aud to my knowledge. Judge
Upshur, and believe Mr.. Neale, knew the nltimai
determination of Cooke and Henderson rs well 40 T
did. After the whole west had agreed to the Man
of compromise which have before mentioned, and
which mad been first suggested by Governor PIea-
SAINTS. Mr.. Cooke in behalf Of all of u.s. and of the
friends of reform generally, submitted it in Conven
ton After having taken this stand, you may iudpe
OF our surprise and dismay on learning that he had
determined ifthat should be lost, to support Cor
dons plan, and that adversaries we're not left In
infer the probability Of their doing SO from their
known preference of it at meeting, but were IN
flct Informed of this determinations so that thev
might shape their own course accordingly. After
this we could have veil founded hopes of succpss
We knew that of OR eastern friends preferred
Gordons plan to while they would prefer ours
to separating without doing any thing. phere vet
remained one hope which was, once more TO press
as an amendment of Csordon's plan of pre, Ont our
own rule OF future aPportionment. Accordingly, ON
the 10th Dec, the question was propounded on Up
shurs resolution amended by Gordon's and which
as amended, was really Gordon's plan | will here
reter you to the l2Oth page of the Journal as wish
to be particular in my narrative of this and some of
the following and consequent transactions Fhe re
solution OF Upshur, as amended by Gordon as fol-
lows:--
Resolved, That the representation in the Senate
and House of Delegates of Virginia shall be ap-
portioued follows There shall be thirteen Sen
ators West of the Blue Ridge Mountains; and
nineteen East Of those Mountains
"rhere shall be in the House of Delegates one
hundred and twentysseven members, of whom twenty
nine shall be elected from the district West Of
the Allegheny Mountains; twenty four from the
Valley between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge.
and forty from the Blue Ridge to the Head of
tide-water, and thirty foar thence below"
When the question was about to be pnt on