Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-27
From the Compiler. Jan q.
RE-APPORTioN AiENT.
REPORT or ruE SELECT COMMITTEE


Ga re SaseAa Memorial regard 10 tAs RsaProrfeH
.ssaf Of Representation.
The Special Committee TO whom ives referred
by an order Of the House. the memorial OF the Ct
"zens OF kanawha county in general meeting n,
sem6lsd. on the subject OF areapportionmen, Of re
Presentation in both branches oC the Legislature
also the resolutions the same subject adopted a
general meeting OF the citizens Uf GreenbIier CO
beg leave respectfully to
REPORT.
: That they have given to the subject thus refer
red to them the consideration due To its sreat in,
porance and deep interest, In doing this, their at
, tenton was of course IN the first y ace directed {
the nature anu extent Of the powers in relation
the superintendent OF representation conferred upo
the Legislature by the constitution. These will b
found IN the third article OF the amended constitu
ton. which provides that "the Legislature shall b.
, formed oftwo distinct branches which together shnl
We complete Legislature and shall he called tn
/, General Assembly OF Virginia; that one OF then
shall be called the House Of Delegates, and consis
, OF iSi members, TO be chosen annually for and b,
tne severa' counties, cities, towns and boroushs o
the Commonwealth. whereof ~ delegates shall h
chosen Tor and by the 90 counties lying vest of IA,
Allegheny mountains, p for and by the 10 countie,
lying between Allegheny and Il NC RIDGE of Noun
ta'rs 4s for and Nv the % counties lying Eas, O
the blue Ridge oi Mountains and above tide water
and 80 for and by the counties. cities, towns anc
coroushS lying upon tide water" The article then
COMPONENT
OF these great districts the number Vt delegates nllt
ted To each respectively. | next provides in the
third section, that 'thc other House OF the Gener,
Assembly shall be called the Senate and shalt C. n.
SYST o. 30 members. of whom ; shall Toe chosen for
and by the Counties lying West Of the Blue Ridsr
OF Mountains and ~ for and 10y the counties cie,
and horoushs lying East thereof; and for the cleo
ton of whom the counties, cities townsard boroushs
shall be divided INFO - districts" IL then proceeds
IN tile same section, by alloiments Of the component
parts, To form the Senatorial Districts in each al
tneSc Two great divisions. Provision is in the next
place MADE Tor reapportionments 10y the 18th and 5th
secVohS' Inc 4ih section pTescriteS in rea ton to
the Tour great dsirctS that sit shall be the duty OF
the Legislature To Tenpporticn once in ten vr,rs IN
wit, IN the year 1851, and every ten years thereaf
Ter me representation OF the counties cries tow IS
eho ooicVshs o. thus Commonwealth. in both lesis.
1tve bodies; provided. however, that the number
OF delegates tom the aforesaid great districts and
the number OF Senators from the aforesaid two sreat
DIVISIONS rcsnccivcy sh, neither lee incre ,sej nor
diminished by such respnosuonmeut The 5,,
section presctb@s, m re alton 10 IN, two great ,v
SONS that the General Assembly infer tbs w.,
ISL, aud at intervals thereafter OF not less th,n ten
years, shall have authority, two thirds Of each bon.c
eoneutuns to mike reapporuonmenis of Delegates
aud Senator'S Throughout the Commonve,lt liz %
that the number OF Delegates shall no, at any ,io,
/ exceed $50, nor of Senators So
The period AZ which the General Assemble, -
thus author d Ivy the Constitution 10 make ,bc
hrst re-HnpOrtiOnmcnt of representation IN b,,h ~
branches, without restriction o. Limitation ey-rn,
as 10 the number ol the delegates and senators ~
specuvelyi having now arrived, the obi CT of ,he
memorial al tie citizens OF kanlwha and of the
reso uons OF the CT zens OF Gfeenbiior owe man
TONED Is 10 invoke the exercise OF that mower bv
the Legislature NJ It's present session n. ,.soi,
lions state hrCHv the fact, that 10 appears from the
census OF 1870 there Is majority OF white inbaL,,
ants west Of The Blue Ridge Of mountains VII =,
the country east OF The Blue Ridge hasa I,oi,,;,,
OF SIX representatives. in the Senate AMI of twcn,vz
t"o m the House Of Delegates making mn ac,y,l
majority upon The llInt vote OF both H,uses -.
tweniy-e'sat They assume the true basis of re.
presentation 10 be White population, and they seek
re-apporionment upon that basis. The n,euo,;.
a. goes al large into the whole subiect. con,,nins
an elaborate and ace exposition both of facts and
principles, representing the existing state of renrc
Sen'aiion as unequal and Unjust condemning any
substantial intqua'Ty amongst the qualified ,o,c.s
ofthe Commonwealth, and asking redress NJ tbs
hands Of the Legislature. Ia addition 70 tbese
eNde ces OF public sentiment, coming from sources
enred To respect, Il Is well know n that the citizens
OF other portions Of Western virginia witbou, -
ins add'essed themselves directly to the Legislature
entertain similar views of the subject. for the er
pfesson OF which they look to their repscs,n,atiyes
IN both Houses
Il thus appears tina; the subject referred to vour
Commute IS one OF unwOuled magnitude. and in.
Volvlng as u does question of poIitical ,u,, -
tween Two great portions Of the Commonve,I,b
H1ble 10 be disturbed by feelings and nr,iu4isos
unprop'uous to the calm, Careful and deiber,te
consideration which the interests Of the Rennbl,c
doubtless require. Your committee viii bo,,or
state oHenY The general views that have occur,ei
TO them, N the hope that more thoroush inves,;
satnn may lead 20 accordance in a lust and 6YeJ
principle OF representations such as an ENLARGED 90
.'ue'a' regard 70 the pubic welfare may render &C.
eepia5.e TO the great mass OF the community.
u will be agreed all hands that bv the ,boor,,
OF our republican system, the people are NOT onIy
c'pa0Ie Of self-gOvernmeni, but entitled in jns |
modes OF proceeding to the exercise OF political nover
IS wei 10 he ordinary legislation Of the country as
IN amendments to the organic law itself This no..
er can only he eiiectually welded through their re-
presentauves and the choice OF them ia in trn,b 80
substantial exercise. Who are the people tbus 10
effect the rulers Of the land. and cons,,utino on
principle the sovereign power of the State. Is a
narny susceptible OF any difficulty They
are POLITICALLY regardedl the free population oftb
country, amongst whom power is first to be die |
TioNted and then concentrated for the pubic wen
Nth exceptions numerous II IS true, but al perfect
" 'eginate' arising out o: incompetency OCCASION
el hY weakness Of sex, immaturity Of acc inberil
ny OF mind. Iniamy Of character, or want of sufi
cient evidence OF permanent common interest IN |
ana attachment TO the community. Nearlv ali q, /
'"esc exceptions are easily capsule Of ready ana
certain practical application. There is IN g., |
scarcely room Tor difference IT opinion in .,,,,J -,
inc '"its winch shou.d govern any orthen save The |
last only, the want Of sufficient evidence ot TO-,
manenl interest IN and attachment 10 the comrrrn |
~ In that, II must be admitted bv ALL tbcr. ~. n.
an original question, wide scope Tor co,s,i,.,,,
and discussion through oli the s,ag.s of ,,o..,,,
and personal qualification, from the epiovmsot If
Wtah, unusual or moderate, with narrovyin, iir,its
OF ieeho'd ~ other interest IN the soil or IN mere
th'"'c !. swelling however imperceprbly the pubr,r
strength or revenue down 90 the tos.esst,r ~ orI
phystaI ana moral qualities on which tie govern
meni may rely Tor srtcty and protection But tb,i
question tails not within the PRESENT cnq uiry has
been settled, as well Others IN relation To The sIsc
i've franchise, ~ the fundamental law and We ,,.
no" considering the principles which ought TO direct
ana control the legislative department Of the govern
meot IN the distribution ~ the numerical AGGREGATE
result OF the individual franchise according 10 the
pfrmissivc section of the constitution TIA, s,rL
" Inc tue nature Of the question referred to vour
Committee, they think sufficiently obviops 4, -
nothing more nor less than nm enquiry nov The ~
c1 power Of The country shall be allotted in ar,b
meticaI ir1ctons, To different masses Of the ou,,6
voters upon whom that pnitcaI power has bscn
conferred by the organic law, and the issue present,
ed Tor triai md decision, is not whether the otro,
"e"t 'haIi he IN equal OF unequal SUNS but In equal
or unequal proportions. '4'''
The issue thus presented, your committee dcoo,
one OF rather anomalous character. IL youd a.,
iot hem u follow ne a matter NJ course for, liz
equniY OF me e.' Give franchise in point of qua n
ciion lhai TIE Ike equal should I've preserved in
rs raeucal nppicnuon, und that no good reason
1ih De sreEn upon the principles cf our popul,r
government, why the vote of one pInl fed eli ron
s1p9ln nave more or less weight IN the con urt nj
punc affairs than the vote Of his neighbour or moe
1stini ieIo" citizen, whether separated bv co,sr
minon' oourdnrics, or hy mount'in, valley, w.tto
Or stream. The question has never occurred en- r,
Hs me Information Of your committee extends in
any oi the sister states Of our c1nfeder,cv and ~
.HHuH rNn y 81 0