The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-08
THE DAILY UNION.

position than that Of opposition 10 IT, The accom-
plshment OF this great measure, the extension OF the
right Of suffrage, which was raised at the present
time in Virginia, would be defeated or retarded for
more than ten years by the passage ofths bill. He
trusted that the Congress Of the United States would
not give II its sanction at least until Il had received
a more complete investigation.
= Mr.. BAYLY said he had not designed to take
any part in this discussion nor should no now have
risen To do so, were il not for the very exlraordlDa-
~ speech which they had just heard from tho mem
Der from Alabama. This was now the third session
in which he had been member Of this House.
During that time, he had heard many speeches at
which ne was amazed, but among them all, he had
never heard one at which he was 80 profoundly
astonlshed al that which they had Just heard deliy'
cred from the gentleman from Alabama. IL there
was a member on this floor who had uniformly
shown greater degree Of indlgnation-who had
uniformly more constantly lashed himself into ex-
element when members from other States had un-
dertaken to interfere with the domestic concerns OF
the State which he has the honor In part TO repre-
sent-if there were one who had slgnalized himself
on such occasions, it was the gentleman from Ala
bams. And yet he undertook to come before the
House Of Representatives to drag before il the do
nestle policy the politics Of our State and, Mr. b.
took leave TO say, utterly TO misrepresent the feel
ings and opinions Of that section IN which he re-
sided.
Mr.. PAYNE lin his seat) do not doubt that,
sir. do not doubt that
Mr.. BAYLY (contnuing) Who gave the gen.
ileman from Alabama a commission u come here
and invoke the Congress Of the United States to
take part in the local politics Of Virginia. Where
did the gentleman find his commission to come and
invoke Congress 10 take part with the western
portion Of Virginia las he is pleased TO say
against the EASTERN | deny that he has any
such authority. Without meaning any personal
offence To the geatsman, for whom ! have no
other than kind feelings, | say il is most
impairment inteHereBce--an interference for which
we do not thank him-an interference which my
distinguished friend Mr.. JoHNsoSl from the west
ern portion Of Virginia, with his statesmanke de-
votion to that section with ability which under
take TO say that gentleman can never equal does
not thank him That gentleman, here speaking for
the western portion Of Virginia has repudiated the
kindness of the gentleman from Alabama as en-
phatically as | repadiate his description Of the
feelings that actuste the eastern portion.
That gentleman says contest is going on in Vir-
ginis between those in favor Of the extension Of the
right Of suffrage and those opposed to il, and has
undertaken TO say that these sets of opinions are
geographically divided. deny that fact. In east
Virginia there are Jealous, and beg leave TO
say able advocates Of the extension of the right OF
suffrage as are TO be found in the Commonwealth.
Whence does the gentleman get his information |
do not come here TO speak Of my own opinions.
This House has nothing to Go with them. II is not
the proper occasion for to undertake to express
these opinions, and still less to sustain them. | I'M
dertake to say, however, that there may be no mis-
take about II, that there is no jealous advocate
Of the right Of suffrage than am.
But not one of the least astonishing portions Of the
genteman's speech was, that, whereas he was so
anxious to extend the right Of suffrage all the pes-
Pile Of Virginia, he is taking the course and the
ly course, that can prevent the extension of that
right to the 1000 and more voters Of the city and
county Of Alexandria Ii the gentleman would dis
ola 49, IL,
extend it TO the citizens Of Alexandria to whom,
under this BILL as wide an extension Of the right OF
suffrage was made as anybody ask for That
bill refers the question to all the male white nhabit-
ants without any exception, but paupers, lunatics,
and felons And | undertake to say, without fear
Of contradiction, that II this retrocesson take place
every voter in the portion coded Of this District will
be the ally Of those who go for the extension Of the
right Of suffrage.
But the gentleman undertook further to say, that,
on the call Of a convention, there a geographi-
cal division. Mr.. B. denied that fact There was
no such division. The county (Accomac) in which
he lived voted at the last session Of the legislature
Virginia for call for convention From time imme-
mortal almost for he supposed twenty thirty years
had that old and venerated county uniformly voted
in the same way. And yet the gentleman from Ala.
bama, with these facts staring him in the face, I'M
dertook to tell this House that eastern Virginia is
against call for convention to correct the errors in
fore he came here to talk about our local politics
he had better learn something Of them; and if well
informed on the subject, he utterly denied the right
Of the gentleman to enter into it all.
He had not risen TO enter into the merits of the
discussion. He had heard no, answer yet to the
argument of his colleague, the chairman Of the Com
mittee for the District Of Columbia, Mr. HuNrERl
Till that argument was answered, it seemed to him
that they were not called upon to argue the question
further.
But Mr.. B. begged leave to state fact about
which, in the heat fdebate there seemed to have been
some misunderstanding. My friend Mr.. JOHNSON
denied the assertion of my friend from Richmond
Mr.. SEDDoN,] that the legislature Of Virginia was
unanimous on the subject Of retrocesson. My COL
league did not mean to deny that fact, as am in
informed.
Mr.. JOHNSON (Mr. B. yieldng) said it was prop.
to state that, owing to the difficulty of hearing in
the hall, he understood his colleague Mr. Seldom,
when he said Virginia unanimous on the SUBJ
ect, to alude to the subject of a convention. He
learned, however, that in his remarks, he (Mr. s.
had reference to the vote on the retrocession of
Alexandria On that | was not informed, and when
| said the vote had not been unanimous, my re-
mark alluded to the question of convention.
Mr.. BAYLY (resuming) said he would not go
into the discussion with his colleague in reference
Virginia politics; but for the information of the
gentleman from Alabama, who seems to take 30
much interest in the affairs of Virginia, it was
very singular lact that IN the late convention Oh
Virginia, which formed our present constitution,
there was but one solitary delegation which pre-
scented throughout an undivided front in favor of the
west, and that delegation was from this very dis
trict--ths very Loudoun and Fairfax district.
Mr.. B. argued that this small accession of popu-
lation-the population of Alexandria town and
county, all told, being but ten thousand and of them
only six hundred voters, (Which was a large
proportion for a southern population would be
of no account in contest of eastern and west
ern Virginia. even if they all cast their votes in that
way, which was not at all probable. The addition
of these votes to those of State numbering one and
half millions Of inhabitants would be a mere bag
aelle, the merest trife in the world in political
point of view.
In concluding, Mr.. B. begged the House, land
he thought in asking this he was not asking what
was not rcasonable,) in deciding this question to
decide it on its own merits, with reference solely
to national considerations, and without any sort OF
reference to the local influences interests of Vir.
gnia.
Mr.. McCLERNAND obtained the floor.
Mr.. PAYNE appealed to him to yield, to allow
an explanation.