Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-23

the Staie-He vas, therefore, Tor pospoains The
on the subject
Mr.. IsvIse said. he was delighted a, last to
md that the eandour Of the gentleman from ise Of
wight and Of the gentleman from Page, had laid
bare the views and intentions of che party who were
dsposedto defeat the election Of Senator TO rep
resent this State in the Congress OF the United
States These gentlemen I'm support OF the mot'on
Cor the indefinite postpOnemsnt OF the whole subject,
had taken the bold ground that in the late cleo
ton Of President Of the United States, the numer-
cal majority Of the people Of Virginia wss cast IN
favour OF the present Dynasty that there would be
Misrepresentation of The opinions OF that numeri-
cal msorty, should this House, MS at present con-
s'tuted, proceed TO the election Of the Senator.
Now, he would beg leave TO examine this PROPOSE
gentlemen, and TO expose some of the consequences
which would flow from the ecognition OF any such
principles. When the Constitution Of this State
was formed, il would be readily admitted by any
one at all acquainted with the history OF this State
that the great subject of controversy between the
Eastern and Western sections Of the State, was as
to the basis Of representation in the Legislature.
On the side ofthe West it was contended that the
,ohife population, and only the white population, was
the true basis Of representation. On the side of
Eastern Virginia, il was contended that the true
basis OF representation was one of persons and OF
property. This great controversy, which shook the
State to its foundation, was finally settled by geo.
graphical compromise which compromise was based
resentanon In other words the representation that
awarded TO Eastern Virginia was much larger
than she would have been entitled to upon the ba-
sis Of the numerical strength of her white popua-
ton, and was gwen with a view OF protecting her
peculiar property from the unjust legislation Of the
portion OF the State not interested in such property.
Now he would ask il the principle contended Tor by
gentlemen be recognised by eastern Virginia, whelh-
or it would not be virtual abandonment and sur
render of all that was coniendcd for and obtained
for her in that formation OF the Constitution. at
least so lar the selection OF her representation IN
the Senate of the United States was concernedl In
the late Presidential election there vote Of the
white population OF the State; IN an election OF hat
sort the majority OF the white population must con-
troll the woe ofthe State. But the famers OF our
Con titut on had secuted 20 sern Virginia con-
trout IN the selection OF this House, greater than she
was entt ed 10 by virtue Of her whi population.
| Now he could conceive no subject upon which this
influence given 10 Eastern Virginia in consequence
OF her possession Of this peculiar property could be
more properly exercised than In the important tunc-
ton of the selection Of Senators frcm this State IN
! the Congress OF the United States. The PROPOSE
ton simply this-that the majority of the
qualified voters OF the State had supported the cleo
ton Of Mr. Van Buren,, therefore this General As
sembiy, representing, as II did, the counties and
districts Of the State, was not properly constituted
for the purpose of electns Senator Of the United
States from this State. He would call the atten-
| ton Of the gentleman from Isle OF Wight and the
! gentleman from Page 10 some other of the conse-
Qucnces mat would result from the principles tney
maintain. He would suppose one OF those gentle
men TO be n candidate for election 10 this House.
He makes full and complete disclosure of his po-
litical opinions and OF his political preferences he
was elected upon the promise and the pledge that
he would vote, that he trould not vote for par
tcular candidate. Now, was he 10 understand that
| If Presidential election should, in the meantime,
take place, IN which the political party 10y which
he elected should be defeated in the State, that
! that gentleman was deseriing the party that elect
led h.fr tha de hn ted him
and giving the vote of the ma ory of the State,
and not of his own immediate constituents 2
i He knew that he would not He knew that
that gentleman would be found retaining the
pledges that he gave, and fulfilling the promises he
made to his constituents. What becomes of the
right OF instruction, II this principle be established
Did n gentlemen who made so many professions
about the right OF instruction perceive that If the
principle be admitted, there was md 10 all obi
cations OF the preventative 10 the constituent; body
Did not gentlemen perceive this principle that the
jority of the qualified voters Of the State, having
the right to control the State Legislature, and tina,
the Legislature was bonnd 10 reflect their will,
would bind Eastern Virginia, hand and foot, TO the
sway OF Western Virginia He not surprised
that Western gentlemen should contend for such a
proposition; but he confessed his surprise that any
man in Eastern Virginia, of any party, should sub
scribe to proposition utterly at war with one Of
the main principles OF their State Constitution, and
as surrenderirg Of the main guarantees for the
preservation and protection of the property OF this
! section Of the State. He was aware that the prin
ciple was boldly avowed in n celebrated State
paper, "hat the representative in Congress not
a representative OF his own constituents only, but a
| representative of the whole Union" Since the re-
cent coalition between certain distinguished gen.
tleman OF the South and the party in power, he
had supposed that that principle, together with other
very important doctrines OF that celebrated paper,
had been abandoned, at least for the present. He
sorry TO find the same doctrine, which then re-
ceved so little favor, brought into requlstlon on this
occasion. The dec rne noto was, that the members
of that House were TO look net to thsir immediate
constituents, but TO the vote OF the State. The gen.
tleman from Isle of Wight takes the ground, how
ever, that The majority of the eouni<s and districts
entitled 10 representation IN the General Assembly
have expressed opinions IN the Presidential election
different from what would be the opinions Of this
Legislature. lie denied the fact. On the contrary,
the ma oTity Of the counties and districts according
to accurate calculation he he'd seen made, had
gwen a majority for the President elect. But, he
would ask, If The gentleman hit in his pre-
misses, what weight was II entitled TOT Was there
any Who would say that the same issue was tried
in the Presidential and IN the STATE eectonsl Did
gentlemen pretend tina; the charges made ganst Gen.
Harrison, whether false true, would apply to any
candidate the Wing party were likely to take upl
he contended, them that the people Of The counties
and districts, IN the spring elections tried the issue,
TO the Senator, IN their separate counties and dis
tTies and that The people Of the State. in the fall
tried totally different issue IN the Presidential cleo
/ uOn-DOth tile FtOunai and The issue uted were dt-
| ferent! He contended that this duty Of electing q
Senator 10 represent this Commonwealth in the Sc
nate of the United States, a constlut Onal duty
which they could, under no such preiGnce refuse TO
| perform. What, he would ask, kept this Union to-
gether, but the performance of this constitutional
obligation by the Legislatures OF the Statesl lie
had heard II contended that the union Of the States
might be dissolved by the refusal OF the States 10
perform this duty-But what was the answer to
that argument1 Why, that the trainers of the Fe.
dora Constitution To guard against such an occur
renee, had required That the members Of the State
! Legislature should take oath 10 support the
Constitution OF the United States. That same Con-
stituton prscrlbes that each State should elect two
Senators. Now, he would ask, how they could
discharge this sworn duty to support the Ccnstitu-
ton, If they refused 10 perform ihe duty thus re-
! qured under The Con sfiiuiion7 We swear 10 sup
port the Con,tilutlon not that 1H not rioIaie it
and with his view OF the matter, he should regard
his Tefus Al TO discharge this obligation in the same
light he would regard dutei violation of the Con.
stItution. lie would test the proprety Of POSITION.
ing the matter, by supposng The Legislatures Of all
/ the States were TO uct IN a similar manner-what,
he asked would 0e The state Of things produced by
such course Of proceedings
! lie should like to know how gentlemen arrived
nj the conclusion, that the opinions Of Virginia
would not be properly represented, should the cleo
ton take place IN the present state OF the repre-
sentstion "a the hOusei IL was true the election
might result IN the defeat of the present Senator.
(Mr. Roane,) but he was unwilling 10 believe that
the opinions Of the Majority of the peone had hoe