Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-30


Virginia hs. been greatly diminished by the formation
OF the State and by the csssisn to the u
oil that nmense territory cut Of which three other
states have been formed, YETI The Rnmber Of eoune.
has been considerably increased, and one city, erich
mond) and one town. Petsrsburg) have been allow ed
particular representation by the Legislature. At thi.
time the io5 counties. and four boroughs send 2l4
hers to the House Of Deogstes.y this 2d section Tia.
House oil Delegates Is to consist OF 1874 members on
and parcels out the State into four grand Districts
the hrst oil W hich is composed OF twenty-,ix counes
lying West OF the Allegheny Mountains. the serond oil
fourteen counties lying In the Valley between the Al
ieghany and Blue Ridge; the third Of tw~nty.nine
counties lying Ea. Of the Blue Ridge and above tide
water and the fourth Of thirty counties, aud iou'
oofoughs lying upon Underwater. The section then
proceeds to distribute amongst the several counties
boroughs by name, the number of delegates to which
each shall elect. In the hrst Trans ghany dis
ie hve counties authorized to elect two
each, and twenty counties enc Delegate each in
the second, Valley District two counties are to
three Dsleg"e' each, seven counties two dele gate,
each, and five counties one delegate each in IN. Ibr,
middis District, East of the Blue Ride one count,
Is to elect three delegates eleven countie
EACH seventeen counties one delegate eacb and i'm the
foarh or tide or eastern district two counties are
70 eject Two delegates each, twenyfour counties and
three borougs are TO cleo delegate each and ten
Other counties and one city TO elect iv- delegates
ne third ssciion OF the third article directs
position o the S-Date and Is hkei.e complete d. via.
ton iom and reverb Of the provisions contained i'm
me sixth section OF the old Constitution. That section
BAD directed that the Senate should consist Of twenty.
four members. for which purpose provided that the
different counties should be divided into tvs enty-fou-
Ohuer mat serton the Convention OF l776
proceeded by an ordinance 10 lay of the counties into
districts, aud arranged it in such that only four
Senators wer- assigned TO the counties West Of the
Blue Ridge. and twenty TO the counties East Of III.
N'cge. That arrangement continued TIL February,
1911, when new arrangement was made, by which
nine Senators were assigned to the West. and fifteen
20 the East by the third section Of the third src,r
1.-THE new Coz situon, 1t is directed that the Senate
shalt consist Of thirty 1.-TWO member.-of whom thrtc
ere to lie elected the western. aud nineteen by the
eastern counties.
Thee two sections the most important of IN.
whole Consiu tion aud the discussion Of the principle,
involved IN them produced greater difficulty and sm
narament to the Convention than all the res, Of tho
constitution put together Their object 10 Ia di.tri
o"ts an equitable proportion Of legislative, or political
Po"e', amongsi the different sections of the Com.
noswesith. Great inequality had existed in III. for
in-r distribution, aud il emine My desirable
that inequality should he diminished. Il |. nv purpo,c
MOI 10 canvas, the principles which the prese nj ,,i
tibufifn made but TO ascertain the gain or los which
zach OF the grand division. OF TIVE Cornmc slth
sustain ny the adoption If the proposed Con s,i,utior
hnd hrsf as TO the gain loss OF the several large
n:tic. IN the H"u'c OF Delegates. Th, may be a.cer.
tanned ny the single rue Of three, rule OF simple
proportion th9'; Az the whole number of dele gates
n"'o -iected, IL 70 the number em each great district
n'D elected, SO is the whole number 10 be
elected under the new Constitution. to the number
which each grea, district would elect If the same pc l.
teal power retained under the n. w. az now b.s
under the old Constitution Having obtain. The cor.
ret quoten', then s0b.,ract il the number. actu
ally allotted to the two great middl districts and Won
ASCERTAIN their gale: then substract the nn bers alo
TED 10 the extreme eastern and great districts
and yon a-cert.n their So.
The whole number OF delegate. /. 2l1-of that n,,,
b.r the western, or Trans Allegheny district end. So
The whole number to he elected under the new Con.
s'iti,ion /. 1874 As 81 So is 1874 10 30 and IN.
fraction Of 10 2lihs But that great western ;,rc,
j. only allowed 81 members. II, iogs the efore /.
and the frsctian of l2o2i4hs. rather more than
and half The Valley District now sends 2s mem.
hers by the rule OF proportion il would he entitled 10
only u members, and fraction Of ia; that district ia
ny ire new Constitution allowed 25 member. II.
gam 'hsre'ore, and the fraction OF 100 4th. or
nearly z and half The middle district now sends
On members by the rule Of proportion would send 81
members and fraction of 6S: that district /. ao,y6
ny the new Con'titution ~ members. It, ain there.
Ilre, !. and thu fraction .2I4h. or ne arly s3A
The Eastern or Tide water district now send. rs mem
b.r'; by the rule OF proporion il would he entitled 70
Al members and racon Of I26: il 4. s..--d i,y ,r
new Constitution only SO members Its loss therefore,
j. u and fraction OF 1875 2l4h,, than II and
half
BY sub.,ractiug the Ios, Of III. Tran A.cghanv dis
ict from the gain of The Valley, ascertain that the
ain OF The whole country OF III. Blue Ridge 4,
and the fraction Of 1914 ga h< very nearly g. and
y subsracng the gain Of the eiddlr country from the
los Of the Tile-wa,er District, is sscera;ned tn
the loss OF whale country OF the Blue Ridge il g.
aud the fraction OF 1921 his. or very nearly 6.
Upon the same principles /, j. cay TO ascerain how
much each county or borough in the commonwealth
has gained ct lost by the proposed change Let take
an example the 4h or Tide water Dsi'ic', and
certain the gain or loss in its several Counties and
towns.
To Acronack and No, folk countis, the new Consi
tu'ion allows two Delegates each. Each of those
counties has, therefore, gained accession Of SIT H.
"a
out Of 2l4 whereas they will have under the
der Of thing.,2 votes of 1884, So the city OF CHI
nIond, borough OF Norfolk, AID iowa of Petersburg
have each Of them accession Of strength, because
they have vote each out OF 2I4 but they
will have I on, of 1874 There are 2i counties in
tbis district which allowed only one dsIeg ate
each They lose, therefore, because each f them has
two votes out Of 2li, aud in future they will
ly have out OF 49, There are 9 counties
which allowed only delegate to two coun'i-.
their loss 10 s greater; and the loss York and James
city, which, together with the city of Williamsburg
aniy allowed one delegate, IL the gr-aes OF all.
The following table will sh'w the los. and gain of the
several paris AMI the io's of IN. whole di4 rir,.
Twenty four cuuni-s lo4e the fraction OF 81 2l4 hs
EACH eqsai in all to and he fraction Of IL 2IIh,.
Eight counes lose tue fraction Of I6l- 2I4ths each
equal TO 6 aud the traction Of I-2I4tis.
York aad Jsmes Ci'y lose the fraction Of lS2-2I4ths
each equal TO l and The fraction OF $50 2iiths.
Williamsburg losps the fraction OF 90 I'll lths.
The whole loses OF the above 81 counties AID one
ci y is IA and the fraction Of 80 2l4;hs.
The two counties OF Accsmack ard Norfolk gain esch
tn fraction Of 60-2liths, equal 10 both 10 and the
fraction ~ 106-2l4ths.
The three gain the fraction Of so-2Il hs each
equal in all 10 and the traction oil rs 2lI la.
towns IL two and the fraction OF 1872 2i4,h.; which,
deducted from the above loss, leave. IL and the frac
ton Of 126 2i4hs the loss OF the whole Tide water
di<nict.
The gain. and losses Of the several counties OF the
other three great divisions may be asrerained in the
way, and tabular statement Of the whole would
shew at glance the gains and losses of the several
parts, and Of the several grand divisions.
As 10 tbs distbu'ion OF power in the Senate. The
Constitution divides the State for this purpose into two
grand divisions The western division has mem
bara nf y ADD n, If -.