Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-04-02

after be created or any city, town or borough, now
entitled to separate representation in the House Of Del
ogacs shall have increased in population 10 be en~
titled, in the opinion Of the Gem raj Assembly, 10 such
representation it shall be the duty Of the General AS
semby to make provision by law Tor securing to he peo
pie oil such county such city, town or boroug
an adequate representation Aud II the object caunot
otherwise be Effected it shall be coDpeen, 10 the Gem
eral Assembly apporton the whole representation
OF the great district con aiung such county, such
city, town or borough, wi hin its limits; which reap
poronment shall continue in force ill the next
decennial reappofiionment"
Judge Summers moved to amend II by substituting
the following
For the purpose Of future appor,ionhents OF sena.
tors and delegates, the general assembly shall cause
registers from time to time TO be formed, OF the freehold
votes in the several countless cities. towns and bo.
rouehs, in which shall be ascerained the number Of
qualified freehold voters in EACH residing on the landin
virtue Of which such right il founded; and also, the
number of qualified freehold voters not residing on the
land in right of which they vote, but who're freehold
estate therein shall be Of the ssed value Of twenty
five dollars aud upwards. That in the year 1885 and
every tenth year hereafter, IL shall be the daiy OF the
general assembly TO reapporion the senators and dele
gates among the several counties, cities, towns and
election districts nearly may be- in proportion 10
the registered freehold in each, without dividing
counties in the formation OF election dis riots; hut no
Of shall so into operation but
succeeding elections shall take place "
rose in my place. and expressed my hearty approba
ton OF the amendment, and NY determination TO vote
for IL; stating that would myself have proposed such
clause, it, aer the total failure OF the PROPOSE
ton, lin Ubtlnce,) when made by Mr.. Nealc on the
26 h ID cember, could have entertained the fantest
hope of success. explained, that the clause propos
ell by myself, was founded on the apparently mmovaI
bic determination Of the House. mani ested by repeat
ed votes not to approach one step nearer to the truo
principle, the equal apportfonmpnt Il representation
among the free white people OF the Commonwealth
That the clause proposed by myself Was intended TO
effect two. desirable objects lst, just and equal APP
portionmen,, after every federal census long tho
Constitution should remain unaltered of the represen
tiiion pifhn each OF The g'cd 81 sct," ard "divi-
sions, the Constitution itself having mmutably fixed
the number which each district should sen and II, sn
adequate representation in the Hoc.e OF Delegates,
for such new counties might be created. Tbatit
manifest that new counties must, from time to time,
be created, more espec ialy in the country West of the
Allegheny, for tic accommodation OF the people, ard
tina, the clause 10 question designed to provide
representation for such new counties. concluded by
saying that IL this attempt OF m ne TO improve scheme
OF representation, Gen Gordon's which had accept
ed merely because could MT get b. tier could
be superseded by The scheme of represent alton, now
proposed by Judge Summers. which considersd(ar
better would rejoice more heartily 'han myself,
at the failure OF my motion IN such a tcdy.
| The question taken on Judge Summer's motion,
and il was lost, "a knew il would he and he knew
| /, would be- voted for his amendment superscding
my own motion; and OF course, against the whole
Eastern Party, under whore standard the writer OF
The ci cuar has enrolled me.
have been the more particular in explaining this
ion, aud especially the true meaning and real
Object OF the clause proposed by myself AID after wards
made part of the Consi uiion, eciuse the writer CT
the circular, with the invetera'e malignly aud habu~
al dsre gard TO TRUTH which pervade his whole produc
ton, has totally misrepr esented it's character lilo
endeavors TO persuade the trans ALE ghany people, that
it is by the operation and effect OF my clause and not
| by the essential character Of Gen. Gord0n's plan,
that they are tied down forever or as long as the Con-
sution shall last, 10 the number of representatives
now assigned to them " BY Mr.. Cookies rule of re-
appoyiionment." says he, number is never to be
increased not EVENT. our population 'houd ou-number
all the rest of the State
| After the rejection Of Judge Summers amendment
Of or substitute fo my proposed clause, my friend MIR.
Powell, moved 10 nd by substituting the follow
| ing:
q In the year 1912, and every years thereafter,
the general assembly shall have power apporon ts
representation OF both branches among the several
counties, cities and boroughs OF the commonwealth,
according 10 some just and equitable ratio"
SO anxious was TO obtain rule OF future apporon-
ment which even might provide Tor the unequal ratios
of the increase Of population in different parts Of the
commonwealth, that voted for this amendment also.
superseding my own proposition And here again l
voted against all the east. voted wrong, admit; but
il was orthodox ,Uestern vote for e Of the
Hon Philip Doddridge appears alongside OF mine in the
minority Of 80 by whom the amendment was sustiin-
ed The rc-apporionment Of the whole representation
Of the state. without any restraint whatever is certain
y too great power to bestow bare ma jory OF the
legislative bodies. So at least thought when four
days AFTER Mr.. adson's rule for future apporonment
being under consideration, I voted against an amend
ment propos.g to strike out twothirds Of each house
concurring as To leave the pow in the hands OF
bare majority And so, too, thought the writer Of tho
| circular the 18th Of December For having, no
the day before, laid the table, at the request OF
trans Ale ghany member. but without having determn-
ed 10 support H. resolution precisely similar that of
Mr. Powell the writer OF the circular expressed in the
most uneqnvoca language, his disapprobaon OF the
principles as the following extract. from his speech II
show
trust have proved, satisfactorily, that the plan
OF the gentleman from Albemals is to create house
Of delegates OF i27 members, and in which the east is
10 have majority of 2t-being Ia the very leas
l3, than the east entitled by sny fair princ
pie: house OF delegates in which The east possess
uncomfortable in the FIRST instance. To such
house OF delegates is that the gentleman from Fred
erick proposes 10 eive power 10 appor0n
,ation after 1910 or S4i, without conn cling them to
observe any particular ratio principle basis.
"Wll such house OF delegates part with their pow
er! D,es my friend hope, much ess believe il! Before
we can believe these people will impair their au-
thoriiy willingly must absolutely forget what hap /.
behold here every day, with eyss This would
unequal and oppressive potoer, and would only differ
in degree from that just proposed by the gentle
man from Chesterfield, whose plan of power, present
and future, has just been rejected"
Thus you perceive that the 10Th of Decs mber the
writer OF the circular my imprudsnce in pro-
posing TO entrust formidable power to bare ina
iori'y OF the Legislature Yet in his circular he
surcs me for pm suing the 2h Of Jan, the opposite
course-tor 70 ing against the conerrng OF great
power bare majority. emf Cooke" says he "vot-
ed against ChapmaD's ndmenf, in which vote he
was joined by two three other members in the west
and by about the number the adoption OF Mr..
Madison's resolution" And again he says "By MIR.
Madisous provision there will he new appor-
donment throughout the stale" Trhat is because il
requires two-ilrds, an unattainable majority 'For
this provision" (reqprng more than bare fnsjoriiy)
there Is neither grouse precedent And again