Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-03-25


West sud East mutt each conccde some
thing, or break up without doing aay thing
Such an event, know, was deeply feared by
The East and as il vas deprecated by many
81 Qua friends, particularly those residing be-
low lhe Blue Ridge. il was determined that
Tie members ie0ls the West should meet and
! consult together rs TO terms of compromise
ms meeting took place, and was geRcraliy
attended Ii was agreed 20 appoint two West
eIn members 10 meet and advise with our
friends East OF The Ridge, 10 ascertain whe-
therwe could al agree ON some scheme Of
compromise. MIR Henderson of Loudoun.
East oil the Ridge, nominated Mr. Cooke N
Frederick, and Mr.. Duncan of Harrison. to
meet our Eastern friends. The members
met a%aa, when the plan Of representation
proposed 10y General Gordon was submitted
That plan is tue same with the one finally
adopted, except that it proposed House OF
Delegates OF III, instead oil i3t members AZ
iinally agreed to, and ongraiied on Judge
upshors scheme Neither OF these schemes
provided for future eDumeratians and appor-
comments, and neither. therefore, was accept
able At THIS last meeting some Of our East
crn irieads were present, and il became
known to them that Mr.. Cooke Of Frederick.
and MIR. Henderson of Loudoun, preferred
Gen. Gordons plan 10 that Insisted on by
the West, but that, although such was their
preference. they agreed with the other mem
tiers from the West, aud thus the wholeNyest
united IN demanding the white basis in the
House OF Delegates with rule for future emu
merations aud appointments in that House
and on that basis, but conceding to the East
The federal basis ia The Senate, or basis
founded on the whole white population, and
adding thereto three fifshs OF all other per-
sons
Several days before The Ieth Of December,
to my astonishment. discovered, from the
conversations of Mr.. Cooke. that IL the
Western plan Of compromise should not be
adopted, he and MIR Henderson OF Ioudoun,
wonld vote for Gordon's. Neither of these
gentlemen concealed this fact from me
Judge Upsinr and Mr. Meade. member
frasu Richmond county. boarded ut the same
house with Mr.. Cooke, Mr.. Henderson. aud
myself, and, to my knowledge, Judge Up
sh;tr. and believe Mr.. Ncale, knew the ulti-
mate determination ofCookc and Henderson
as well as did. After the whole West had
agreed TO the plan of compromise which |
have before mentioned. and which had been
first suggested by Gov. Peasants, Mr.. Cooke
IN behalf of all Of US, and OF the friends of re-
form generally, submitted il in contention
After having taken this st,nd, you may Judge
Of our surpTse and dismayon learning that ne
had determined, il that should he lost, 10 sup
port Sordon's plan, and that our adversaries
were not left TO infer the probability of their
doing so from their knows preference of il at
our meeting, but were IN fact informed of
this determination. so that they might shape
their course accordingly. After this we could
have no well founded hopes Of success We
knew that some of our Eastern friends pre-
ferrpd Cordons plan 10 ours, while they
would prefer ours 10 separating without do
ing any thing There yet renamed one hope;
which was. once more to press, as an amend
ment Of Gordons plan OF present, our own
rule Of future, apportionment. Accordingly,
on the 18th of December, the question was
propounded on upshnrs resolution as amend
ed by Gordons, and which MS amended. was
really Gordoa's plan. viii here refer you
to the i2oth page Of the journal, as wish to
be particular IN nay narrative oftEis and some
ofthc following and consequent transactions.
The resolution Of Upshnr, as amended by
Gordon, is as follows
s.l;esolyed, That the representation in the
''Scnate and House ofDclegates OF Virginia
"slall he apportioned az follows. There shall
she thirteen Senators West of the Dlee Ridge
mountains, and nineteen East OF those Moua-
s.tains.
s.1herc shall be in the House of Delegates
''pne hundred ana twenty seven members, oil
'.,vhom Twenty-Five shall he elected from the
district West of The Allegheny Mountains,
sstwentg-for from the Valley between the
s.klleghany and Blue Ridge, and forty from
"Blue Ridge to the Head of tide water, and
s'thrty-four thence below"
When the question was about to be put on
fhis proposition, I waited TO see if Mr.. Cooke
would rise TO move the plan of future appor-
tionment which wehad agreed on, and which
he had himself presented to the Convention.
perceiving that he would not, proposed it
myself II is in these words:
after the next census to be taken under
''the laws of the United States. and every 10
s'years thereafter, there shall be a new appor
"tonment OF representation, and a new as
"sessment OF land taxes. Each appoTtion-
..ment shall he made in the following man
'sner and ON tie following basis, to Wit: the
ssnumber OF free white inhabitants in the
"House Of Delegates, and the federal basis IN
s'the Senate
When this amendment 20 Gorslon's sdaa
was proposed, scene Of a most unparalleled
character was presented 10 the Convention.
win briefly, but faithfully. describe it; and
for the fidelity ofmy description, appeal to
every member and bystander.
MIR. Leigh, one OF our most active, candid,
and able opponents, rose m has place and IN
formed TIE whole Convention that he bad
that morning received information from
gentleman in whose yeraeity ard means OF