Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-02-13

lp.
Ifor let ire tell you, that whatever some of you may
'nink oil This compromise, il was garded, by some oil
me most sagacious OF the eastern and southern delega
on' as one emneny unfavorabe TO their sections OF
me STATE at not few OF them who voted for it, oil
he i9'n OF December, when The question between
anu the tcestern plan were, that time, fully de.
altering that determination. which they did slowly
WIN many misgivngs, ard bitter relnctance, they
were mainly sctuaed by generous and pa ro'ic de-
sire TO restore peace and harmony to distract
monw ealth-and, that they were equally balanced
between accepting and rejecting the plan of represen-
ton proposed, that feather would have turned the
| scale, al caused them to reject il.
But to return have sad that the plan of represen
a'on, or distribution OF power, con,sned in the nd
ed constitution, is so approximation to the
white basis il is famiiiarly called IA 10 be equi
valiant TO H. at present in practical RESULT Yeu will per
c'ive, In the very terms of this proposition tac adj
mission that it may not be equally oable at some
lJufUe period. And in this =" may not" is involved
the vexed question of The probable future relative in
crease OF population in the east and the On that
question shall, by aud bye something. Suffice
10 say, at present, that, conceding hvpoth cay
the corrcctross OF the most sangune calculations as TO
me comparatively rapid increase OF western populs-
uon IN iuture, and admitting the importance OF engraf
ing on the constitution plan for future
which this contribution wants, il found, after ma
trials, utterly impossible carry in the convention
any plan OF future apportionmen which would have
been worse III an none al ALL The alternative was
course, presented, Of taking constitution destitute of
this valuable feature, or none could not state in
my choice between these alternatives. And do not
know that can better express my OF the subject
than by adopting familiar illustration sus re s,ed by
shrewd and sagacous ffienl Suppose that, being We
y hungry, you asked 10 parake Of an excellent
dinner. You reply to this inviting proposition, " Sir
VII cheeriuy dine with you to-day, provided yon
will agree TO give me good dinner, whenever
call on you about dinner-tim-, hereafter Your host
replies, You are exceedingly welcome, sir, TO par
take OF the dinner before you but really cannot
dertake % bind myself you propose Would il be
OF future good cheer withheld! |, for one, am
clear for partaking Of good cheer to-day. II will in
vgora my s,sten, aud enable me, the better 10 pro-
cure good dinner tomorrow.
But s the rera,t you 'loto invited 10 partske Of
relli'v good one l. the proposed constitution, in it,
actual and present distribution OF political power such
you ought 10 accept is it, in practical re.
suite, nearly quite as goSd, at present the basis
OF white popuation Is it not, at present, to the peo
pie Of The Uniiey, white population in disguae. These
are the questions propose consider.
You will perceive, at once that these questions can
not be answered without first raining what is the
actual white population oil the different sectious OF tho
state in 1880 IL the OF 1920 were adopted as
he standard by which to measuse the fairness OF the
distribution OF power made by the amended eonaitu-
ton, lift could be Justly inferred that the rate of
increase has been UNIFORM in the last ten years,
ihroug ont The stale, The representation allotted by
the new constitution, TO the country of the Blue
ridge, would I've sbIndanty satisfactory. For accord
ing To The relative numbers OF the white people east
and west of the ridge In 1920, the west is en- tiled to
SO menb,rs only, out o: 1874 the )" white basis"
and the new constitution allows IL precisely that
number But i, il admitted, all hands, that the
white pulauon OF The country west of the Blue ridge
mas increased faster, lS2O than ths
ton oil reputation cast ot the ridge. The difficulty il
TO ascertain hOto much faster. And this is really
question OF great difficulty. But il possible [,
arrive at correct opinion of the merits of the new
c0nsitu ion without forming opinion this pre-
vous question, will enieavour TO throw on the sub.
ject all the ght which have myself been able TO OBJ
tain.
Its subject 50 which have been compelled by a
sense OF duty 70 devote, during the last lew weeks
ny hours of anxious Considerations the result of which
will state for what it may BE worth viii
I'm. hat liz pir,ion Laa
led as suppose, by the AUDITORS report m ade by or
der Of the Convention in October last
ACCORDING TO that report the estimated viii
population OF the country OF the ridge
i'm 1929 is AGO 7i5
The tma,ed white population of the country
west Of the ridge, is 3I95I6
jority east Of he ridge, only AZ 22e
The io owing statement will enable you to udee how
lar his estimate is entitled 70 your cont ence BY
re 'oIuiion adopted October HI the Auditor was re-
quesed To 'prcpare AMI lay before the Conv ention
statement of The free white population of each county
in 1929 FAR he could ieduce IN. same bv com.
pari-on OF the white til ales, and the entire white po-
nuaiiOn in the years 1900 1910, and 1920" In other
worhe the Auditor having, or being sunpo.ed 10 have
in his Office, correct return t OF the white ,itha
ME IN the respeciVe counties in each Of the wears
Above mentioned, and ha"ing correct return OF the
total white population Of the counties in the same
wears, made by the United States officers who took the
census, was requested 10 ascertain the proporon
wi ch the White habes bore 10 the whole white 20.
pUaiinn in each OF those years And having or hci,g
supposed o nave, also correct return list
white tithabes in each c0un'yn 1929 he request
ed 10 state the white population OF each county in
1929, by assuming that il hore the same proportion to
tue white thAbss in 1929 which IL did in IN. We
when the proportion actually ascertained by the
census II il obvious that the correctness Of any est
mate formed in this way, must depend on the accuracy
OF the returns lists Of habes annually IN ide 10 the
Auditor. That they were not accurate might have beer
Inferred prtoT from the notorious careIessnes or
incpmpetencY OF m1nv of the officers on whom this du-
" imposed But on this subject we are MOI left 4,
conjecture. For The Auditor himself states i'm his re-
port that 'he white and slave tithables have been in
some instances supplied by conf the returns be-
ing imperfect altogether wan ingand 'that Ihars
are manv probable errors in tn data upon which
the population Of 1929 is estimated that he entertains
considerable doubts of its CORE II these doub
repaired corTobotatio il woufl be found i'm the
ct that Loudoun, OF he most countss
in the State ascettained nv Tho census of 1920 To have
th'n contained white population OF 1914 il esiaf-
ed in 1929 20 contain ~ 900 only; and in the further
increase from 1900 70 1900 SO "a per cent, from
1900 10 1910 ~ per cent, from 1910 1920 27 oet
cent and whOse Incense, in the same diminishing "a
ito, from 1920 10 1890 would be 16 1-I6th per cent
only estimated by the report 10 have actually ncreas
ed 36 18th per cent in The last nine years, which is
equivalent to ab5ut 40 per cent. in ton.
will not weary you with further details going TO
show what the Auditor himself, in Ell Ct, admits, and
what believe given no on all hlnds, before the
session OF the Convention closed, that the "Audiors
innate" s not in the least bo depended as show
ing tho actual white population OF the several great
visions Of the commonwealth in 1929.
presume that that inielgent and accomplished Of
cer, ii he had been left TO choose Tor himse the prD.
cipe which The estimate should be formed would
tTata majority Of the House could no favor