Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-19

n 1
Convention to amend the Constitution OF the State
rom various causes the subject was POSTPONE,
rom Tune to time, until II has become too late In ,h
10 expect II TO receive that Deliberate,
~mSh us great importance demands-and as tim,
wiz not admit OF a full discussion of the measure
ns Inends prefer that no action shall be had Al IN,
present session. " WV
In order that your Representatives IN the nex
III may know your wishes in relation TO IN,
| eau OF Convention, l would urge upon YOU m,
Ptopuety and expedency Of adopting at the comins
eiecuons some mode of maniicstins vour on;n;or,
| on this subject '0u' 0i''"""'
must be conceded. that our Constitution Is de.
,eeuve IN many essential particulars and r,Sht mi
justice, as also the best interests of The peooIr dc
hanu, that u shall be so modified as TO answer tbr
great end OF all just government to wit: the great,
| e', good TO the greatest number.
IL IS said by the opponents of the call of -, Cor,
venton, that the movement is premature one. ,La,
VIC ume since the adoption OF our present Constitu-
uon has been so short, that fair trial has moi Rec,
s"en 10 It's principles; that tho principal objection
49,, ' present constitution, to wit: the apportion.
"e"' ot representation amongst the several diyi-
SONS OF the State may be removed by the ec;sI,
ture after iSl2 And II is, moreover, said that /,
fundamental law is so sacred, that il should rarely
IL ever I've amended. '
am willing to admit that chances in IN. r,,a
mental Law, ought not TO be made upon sI;,b, ..
frivolous pretexts; but when that law is ndn,,,.d
10 be defectlve-when its provisions are repuyn,n,
TO truth and justice, and in opposition TO the fSnd,.
slOulH
sess no sancti'y whatever, and it is as much the du
~ and right OF the people to alter or abolish /, o
II Is their right and duty TO alter or abolish an ora
nary law OF the Legislature.
IL Is useless, and worse than useless, to wait any
longer Tor the development OF the princinles ne o
cared by the late Convention; those princ;nIss -
as clearly seen and understood, and so announccd
IN 1880, as they at this time or as thew will H.
IN century TO come: that which is defective in II,
sen, can never DC made night by time 1t is a mis-
SuDpOSlng he I
one oil the main objections TO the present CopS,;
Non, oy -apportonment of representation in III.
senate and House of Delegates No apportion- |
meht can oe made by the Legislature, but in con- |
iormty with the rule prescribed by The Consti,n.
tlon-the complaint is against the rule bv ,yL;eL
the representation in the Senate and House of n
legates is regulated, and not that re-anno,,;on-
ment may not he made by the Legislature in con. |
IoIl''y win inc rule. The rule being founded in
error 1t follows that the exercise of all power unds
H. must necessarily be erroneous and unjust.
IL Is not my purpose in this address to poi., On,
al inc objections TO the Constitution Of the State or
20 60 INTO an extended argument against any one
OF Its obnoxious features, but simply To call 80
attention TO some of the evils imposed upon the nso
pie OF the West by that Constitution.
you VIII remember that one OF the princinal OH |
Jectons TO The old Constitution was the inepu,i,
VI representation IN the Senate and House OF Dele
gates. To remedy this inequality the Convention
OF 1899 was called. You will Likewise Ien,.,,Sor
that the question OF the basis of representation ,yn
the controlling one in the Convention nndtb,t ,L
excitement growing out OF this question had well
hlsh uIssolVed that body before it had performed
the dulles assigned to it by the people The camso
Mhlch led TO the sacrifice OF the interests Of liz
esti are too well remembered to REQUIRE their re-
Peon here's suffice 1t to say, that the Conyen,;on
50 lar from correcting tie inequality of represena
As existed under the old Constitution atlopt
the one complained Of ''
III oruer 10 preserve the political power of IN.
state east OF the Mountains the Federal r.. Ia,
ADOPTED 10y which five negroes are estimated ne
equa' 70 Three white men in the selection Of -.
oers OF the Senate and House of Delessre,
By the Constitution, So members of Inc Hon.. -
peesales out oil l5l are assigned TO that mar, nj
me State that lies West of the Blue Ride and y:
are allotted TO the same section al country
OUT OF % members, OF which the Senate IS con,pooJ
Adopting the white basis as the onIv Is;,;o.e,
one lhen there should have been assigned Inv tbs
constitution 10 the West, according TO tho c.nSs
IooT, traction over 81 members instead of az in
."e iiouse oil Delegates In the Senate ACCORDING
20 Ie same census, there should have been nssigncS
20 the west fraction over 10 members in,,SsJ 81
10, making difference of over ten voie. 80 60
house, and over ive in the other against The W.,
and IN favor OF the East, "'''
mus y appears that ibr the last ten years, tina,
mat portion OF the State which lies E,s, ~ ,bn |
mountains has had, on all Occasions more tb,n ne
votes man II was justly entitled TO- in favor N - -
lunar P1i'ey-a policy in the MAN, pernicious i,
hsn degree, TO the best interests, prosperity and
happiness oil tho people ofthe West
But II the representation assigned Inv the Co,.,;
luton 10 the country Yves, of the Blue Ridoe ,".
unjust according TO the census of $780,, Is ,,L
more SO according 10 the census of $780, itaane1,.
~ inc late census that the white population Of the
o,aIe IL '4O, Saol OF which there IS East of ,be |
Mountains, 369,2Ss souls, and West of Tie ~, sno |
81 800 souls. Upon the white basis the co,,n,'
w est ofth Blue Ridge should have frac,;on 90.
81 out OF the "a members Of the Honse of DeIs
sues, ms ead oil Do, berga difference of 22 votes.
and IN the Senate, the same section or ,Lo g.,
would be entitled to frac ion over I6 ont 80 az
instead OF l3 making difference of over G vo,c. :;
! oody oil 81, and difference in bolh br,ncbss &c |
Inc Legislature of over 90. "
i, T. rom me foregoing statements, it will appear
'ha' eaeh delegate from the West represents an |
aggregate white population of abon, & e95 At,
each senator fom the same section of countpy az
aggregate white population of p, 5s2. ,ybiis tho
lelegdtes from the other part of the STATE 80.
oenl an aggregate OF Aus souls and each Senator
rom the same part of the State an aoC,cg,'e ~
i9,4Si, being difference of near one.ib,rd ~
Two great divisions of the State ~ ~ '''
ny reference 70 table prepared by distinpuisb |
ed gentleman OF Western Virginia. ard n,h7isLaI
'ie l'cnihohu Enquirer OF the Goth of February
u appears from the vote given at the late P,esiJs
ila Election, that the delegates from the c
DIVISIONS OF the state represent each the folI9wi,s
average constituency Western district s4I. V,II.11
district 64S; Piedmont district 5T3; Tide-Watc |
I''lI' '1' 'oteS' anu mat the Senators from The
Eastern and Western divisions Of the State renrc.
sent the following average constituency, to wit
Eastern Z'SZl, and Western 3,25l votes
~ comparing the vo gwen at the Late Presiden !
Na bieeuon, with the census Of 1910, il will an |
pear that although the white population Of Western
virginia, IS over two thousand pr.at.r H. a..
same population in Eastern Virginia. vet that The
vote gwen IN the former, Is near two thousand lee.
than the vote given IN the latter Some eurious In
ierences might be drawn from this result.
II IS one OF the cardinal principles of our insti,,
tons, that all just governments derive their nuIboTi
ty from the consent Of the governed: hence ~ nns,
follow that every form Of government that has not
Tor It's SANCTION the consent OF the people or ma
Jorty OF them, IS usurpation; or IN other word,
despotlsm; and hence, It also follows that every
municipal regulation, emanating from such n GOV
eminent, IS obligatory, so far only, as prudence
may, for the time being, dictate
From the foregoing, il may he safely assumed
by relation 70 the history Of the Constitution ~
Virginia, that that Constitution never had the s,nc
ton Of the people Of the State or of majority ~
themi that It IS not compact made by ali for the
benefit OF all but that 1t Is an instrument deriving
is authority from minority Of the people. This
- most manifest when II is remembered that the
act OF 1873, providing for the call of Convention
referred the question 20 the lreeholders only as did
the act Of 1880, providing for taking the senso M
the people Tor and against the ratification refer the
same TO those only who were TO share in the Ie.
glslauon OF the state. The vote { r and against
the ratification Of the Constitution was littiS mn
wards oi forty thousand-Ol this number, there was
near sixteen thousand votes against the rnti6r,tn
Assuming thut If the free white males above Inc nee
Of u years, not more than one half are entitled 10
a Z raj mf4A rfA Il