Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-03-26

Mr. Leigh, one of our most active candid and able
opponents rose in his place, and informed the whole
Conv that he had that morning received Informal
ton from gentleman in whose yeracity and means of
knowledge he placed the implicit reliance, that il
this a,ncn!mcnt (,he one offered by me) should be
jectcd, the P0iiey generally, and probably Of The
members jPtst Of e HieghGRy would vote for GOfdos
plan This gave every friend and foe residing East
If the Ridge, certain information that if he preferred to
have no rule OF future superintendent, he would hazard
nothing by deserving and joining the East in support
in, Gordon's plan. The statement OF Mr.. Leigh pro-
duced universal astonishment; perceving which, he
rens we'd his assurance, that he relied implicitly the
Information he had received and added that he believed
10 sircn 10 him tor the goo r1,ent IF his otc,
conduct Mr.. Powell aud Mr.. Mason of Frederick the
the colleagues OF Mr. Cooke, penetrated with astonish
ment at Mr.. Legh's statement, declared 10 the Con-
venon their disbelief that any from the West could
possibly vote for Mr. Gorons scheme; and the latter
expressed his opinion that whoever had made this
muncat on 10 MIR. Leigh must have mistaken the true
import of some member's conversation. MIR. Neale
then stated 10 the House that he had given MIR Leigh
the Information in question. DO YOU inquire who au-
thorizcd Mr. Neale 10 make this statement? Or, i'm
other words, from whom he learned the truth of what
he thus communicated! II ii otherwise known
what followed Immediately after would furnish the
swcr. The vote was ta.cn my amendment, and lost
by an equal division OF ~ OF each side This can
be seen in pages l25 ana l26 OF the Journal. BY cx-
aiming the ayes and it will appear that the rain
assurance that all the P0liey would desert us, only
operated 10 take from rs OF friends East of the
Ridge. This constncy and honorable dealing of our
friends East of the Allegheny ought TO be remembered
and should inspire with confidence in their support in
that future trial which long be avcrted. Let any
ono take the tables 1920 and calcula the ovcrw
ing majority oil recmen represented by The ~ who voted
wi and rcpress il he cam his wonder that one of
oar members should Immediately surrender himself to
the 10 who represented the minority. Our misfortune
is, that although Western followed the course
OF Messrs Henderson and Cooke. their were
enough 10 turn tho scale and blast hopes. The
question thon recurring Gordons plan, both these
gentlemen out in animated speeches in favor of it,
aud in indication of their course. In the speech
Of Mr. Cooke he disclosed all that had passed at our
ip.Ne f,pv. IL ,1I
speeches produced most of joy among opponents,
or OF grief and dismay among friends. The battle
was lost We were divided and defeated. Cordons
plan was adopted by vote Of 55 10 fl. On this vote
Mr.. c. divided from all the West See Jour- p. I27.
TWAS misfortune that in most of the Eastern dis
tricts in which found friends, there were consdcra-
bic minortes opposed to us. There in Conven-
ton opposed TO us the heads Of the Richmond Ba two
EXPIRES idents, and the Chief Justice of tho United
States, the Governor of the State with the District At
orney, two Judges of the Court OF Appeals and one
Judge of the General Court. These were all at home
The votes of the two late Presidents and Of the Chief
Justice, on important questions, specially noted in
those Journals which contained the speeches of members
These Journals and the speeches opposed 10 were
packed and distributed in districts where the people wero
divided, to produce effects injurious 10 our cause.
Perhaps it might BE- truly sail, that Mr.. Cooke wrote
and eHcr'el hm-elf more than any other man in favsr
OF Convention. He published a pamphlet. which
was circulated at Richmond, during the Session Of
1928, signed "An uncompromsing Friend of Reform"
Ills principles correspondcd with the assumed
H. went so fs- az TO point ont feasible mode by
which majority Of the people could introduce gov.
eminent of their own adoption, without the aid CT the
General Assembly, in which | perfectly agreed
with him. He hal then horrible icrebod-
ings Of civil war. There never tormonted him. un.
~ the l9h c! December last. whom he ionlly urged
them as reason for supporting G1tdon's proposition
Who has FORGOTTEN the pointed address of this gentle
man to the West, when he hsed and invoked us a.
brothers and allies, join friend, in the Valy and
Eas, or tia redress ct those grevancss under which
We alike suffered? Iii, appeals then made to ev-
cry hing in tho 'ran'-alieghany country, animate
AMI inanima,e; they were heard rasOunding from tn
valleys to The tops of our Mounans until they sunk
in the 80 mournful melody of groves" Our adver-
'aries considered his writings uhammatory; hut they
were charmed with his voice the - IA of Dec.
The remaining history of the Convention i. short
With our divi.ions the fatal 10th of December end
ed the possibility Of an unanimous secession, and con
sertaneous action of the friends of Reorm and know
ing this, our advcrs,rics became bold, and com.
lpleted The work Of the Convention in TO suit
their own view'. They re-con'idered the vote tor
eccng he Governor hy the people. o. hi. occA-
sion, four Of our eud separated from and the Il &C
ton OF Governor Given Ia the General Assembly.
The I:h clause of ihs 3 article OF the Constitutions
was proposed by Mr.. Cooke. On this occasion, he
agaia voted against the whole West. By :his prov-
sion, IL Is made The duty OF the General Assembly
once in every ten year, 10 e-aproron representation
But, in doing this they TO disturb the d j.
button OF power, established by Gordon's plan. This
reapportonment is to be done within each ds AMI
division, in the il each dsfc, or div,
'ion were, for this purpo'e separate provnceI will
not say Commonwealth. Thus, the new Constitution
proposes TO give u' 81 members in the House Of Dele
| salts' by hr COnke's rule al r"-ApporliOnment
number is never TO he Increased, even if our pop
| l"on should ou'-nunber all the rest of the State.
Mr. Madison proposed the 9Th clause Of ths same ar
ticie, which Immediately follows that Of Mr. Cooke
and may b. justly termed i,s twin brother BY this ,r-
ticle the General Assembly have power once in svsry
ten years aer 1871 TO apporlion rrpresentaon, 80
That The House OF Delegates shall consist of more
han $50, the Senate OF more than IS members
Bnt ih power only be exercised bY tc0 thirds Of
thu members OF each House. Mr. Chapman moveI
to strike out two thirds" supporting that when the
East were demanding majority of twenty-five mem-
hers IN The House Of Delegates, and OF six in the SEN
ate, they asked power and security enough NJ
Cooke voted agsn't Chapman's amendment, in which
vote be was joined by two three others from the
West and by about the same number on the adoption
Of Mr.. Ma3'on'' resolution. Lastly, on tho p,.sage
OF the Constitution, all the Western members voted il
the negative, except Mr. Cooke. The result Of our
IabOrs is curious indeed. We demauded the passage
81 Jaw Tor calling Convention, and masters i'm
the East gave Of their forging. and which
all orr "cmbcrs voted agans' We demanded an
AMENDED or new COnst uion ard our matters gave US
that also; but 40 dirAseful 10 the paates OF Western
men, that but one one Of them eou swllow IT, How
Mr. Gordon's srheme Of present aproronmpni, eked
regulation, calculated 10 work toHrtn,f' r ur
purpose Of Ell. citing perpetual Western slavery will
presently sho~.
feel necessary 10 state you my rsss,ns for b.
ing thus particular to Mr. Cookies votes in Conven
on, after the fatal 10 Of Dec.
That gentleman his deemed il proper 10 puh,b no
papers to cxpsin and vndcaie his mea.uros in Con.
ven'icn, particularly his DISCRETION 20 the standard Of
opponents. These papcrs have aitentivsy petused
am informed Nj. Henderson has taken The same me
hOd Of usliiyng himself but have not en- bic pro.
I lur VHr D., al.