Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-25

4 quCstIUH the Senate.
request varied the proposition thus Resolved,
| That III tho superintendent Of representation in the
House OF Delegates, regard should be had to white
| population exclusively" Thus modified. MIR. Madi-
son voted tor the resolution and he and Mr.. Monroe
did tho afterwards i'm full Conventions but both
voted against the same rule Of apportionmen i'm re-
iation to the Senate. The request of Mr.. Madison
to separate the question, gave fear that Inc
would vote for the federal, other mixed basis
n IN the Senate. This became known in few days
afterwards, and that Col Monroe would take the
same course, which he did as long he remained
member. although it believed he received in
structions from home to do otherwise.
When the vote in Convention taken.pn esta-
oiishing the white basis in the House of Delegates
we succeeded, 40 to AZ This majority was small,
numerically. but the 80 who voted With US represent
ed upwards of 402 600 white people, while our oppo-
nents represented only between 262 and % 8 O0O-
IL was known, however, that one moro of the ma
orlty would not adhere to this unless the federal
basis or something equivalent to it, should be adopt
| cd as to the Senate.
Another vote soon after gave us further hepes
This related to the election of Governor. At first
the West were not united this important item of
Reform. When proposed to elect the Governor by
the people, the proposition was lost Ii was after
wards removed by Col. Mercer and carried ms was
also another, to abolish the Executive Council
Ihesc votes were, indeed, very faterng; but every
attempt to provide for periodical enumerations OF
white population for the purpose of new apportion-
mcnts of representation failed. The Journals show
several attempts to obtain this rule made by myself
and many by other members.
Mr. Madison twice voted for the election ex-governor
by the people. The unity of an executive head has
been with him fivorite doctriue, and the dcpcn-
dcncc OF that head directly on the pcoplc This is
manifest not only from his votes in th, Convention
but from his able writings i'll the Fcderalist. Yet
Mr. Madison finally voted against the election of
governor by the people, and for mired bases of rep
resentation IN the house of Assembly. MANY DAYS
before the 10th or Dec. it had become evident ,ha,
| the west and east must each concede sometime mr.
break up without dong any thing Such an event,
know, was deeply feared by the east; and as i, was
deprecatedby many of our friends particularly those
! residing below the Ridge, it was determined that
the members from the west should meet and consult
together as to terms of compromise. This meeting
took place, and was generally attended. IL was n
greed to appoint two western members to meet and
advise with our friends east of the Ridn to asccr
tain whether could all agree on suins schcme Of
compromlsc. Dir. Henderson, from Loudoun, cas-;
oil The Ridge, nominated Mr. Cooke of Frederick and
| DIR. Duncan of Harrison, TO meet our E.x,ern
friends. The membersJmct again. when the plan of
representation proposed by Gen. Gordon was sub
pitted That plan is the same with the one finaIv
adopted except that proposed House of Dclrgates
OF lei, instead of 81 members as finally arreed IN
and engraited on Judge Upsher's scheme Nei,bcr
"t these schemes provided for future enumerations
| OF appointments. aud neither, therefore was ar
ceptahe. At this last meeting some of our eastern
ficnds were present, and it became known 10 tbcr,
that Mr. Cooke of Frederick. and Mr. Henderson of
Loudon preferred Gen Gordun's plan TO that in
sisted ON by the west but that, although such were
their preference, tsry agreed with the members oC
the west, and thus the whole west united in demand
ing the white basis IN the House of DcieGaics win
RUE OF future enumeratons and appor,ionments in
! that House, and that basis, but cencelinr, N.
the east the federal basis in the Senate or basis
loonded on the whole white populations, and adding
thereto thrce-fiths of all other persons.
| Several days before the 9th of Dec In INV ,s,o,
islment discovered from the cenycIsu,ion of5 NJ
Cooke, that II the western plan of compromise sboud
not be adopted, he and Mr.. Henderson of london
would vots for Gordon's. Neither Of these gentle
1lpd hI4r fact frn,Y,
and Nr. Neaie, member from Richmond couptv
boarded at the same house with Mr. Cooke Mr.
Henderson and myself and to my knowledge JUDGE
Upshur and believe Mr.. Nenle knew the nI,;maTo
determination of Cooke and Henderson rs well as
did. After the whole west had agreed to tho Man
of compromise which have before mentioned nnd
which had boon first suggested by Governor Plea
SAINTS. MIR. Cooke III behalf of all of us and of ,ho
friends Of reform generally, submitted il in Copynn
ton. After having taken this stand you may iudre
Of our surprise and dismay learning that he Ind
determined ifthat should be lost, TO support Cor
don5 plan, and that adversaries were not loft N
infer tn probability of their dong SO from fbeir
known preference of II at meeting but were in
JIct informed Of this determinations SO TINT tboy
might shape their own course accordingly. AIter
this we could have well founded hopes OF ecrrss
We knew that some of eastern friends prefefrndf
Gordon's plan TO ours while they wo,IlJ prefer ou,4
to separating without doing any thing. There vet
remained one hope; which was, once more TO press
as an amendment OF GordoB's plan of present our
own rule of future apportioument Accordingly. on
the 10Th Dec, the question propounded on In
shnrs resolution as amended by Gordons and which
as anended, was really Gordon's plan. will here
refer you to the 120th page Of the Journal as wish
TO be particular in my narrative of this and Some of
the following and consequent transactions. The re-
solution OF Upshur, as amended by Gordon is as fol-
lows:-
Resolved, That the representation in the Senate
and House Of Delegates Of Virginia shall be an
portIoned as follows: There shall be thirteen Sen .
ators West Of the Blue Ridge Mountains; and
nineteen East Of those Mountains
"Ihere shall he in the Housa of DELEGATES ono
hundred andtwenty seven members, of whom twenty
nine shall be elected from the district West Of
me Ailfghany Mountains twenty four from the
Valley between the Allegheny and Blue Ride
and forty from the Blue Ridge to tho Head oil
Underwater, aud tbirty-fou thence below"
When the question was about 20 be mt on
this proposition, waited TO SEQ if Mr. Cooke yyonIJ
rise to move the plan OF future apportionmcnt which
we had agreed on, and which no had himself pro-
senled to the Convention ForseciBp he would mo,