Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-23

/ In accordance with the earnest and eloquent
Recommendation contained in the Address.
from which copious extracts were given in the
( last Gazette. Convention of the Friends of
/ Reform assembled in STAuNToN on the 18th
of August, 1916. Among the distinguished
I men who were present on that occasion were
[ Chapman Johnson, VIM. G. Rives, VIM. +.
Gordon, VIM II. Fitzhugh, Henry St Geo.
Tucker, james Mcdowell, sc. Thirty-fve
Counties Were represented in that Body.
The Delegates present from the County Of
BERKELEY, were ELISHA BoYD and JOEL
! WARD, Esq'rs
Vigorous and animated resolutions were
adopted by this Convention, and Memorial
/ addressed 10 the General Assembly of the
State, from which, the following is an extract:
Passing over many lesser evils connected
with and nseperable from the existing Consti-
tuition, they are satisfied on the present occas-
ion to confine their alteration exclusively TO
one not doubling that the same remedy which
will be applied TO it, will at the same time, be
extended to erery principle in the Constitution,
inimical to The rights and Happiness Of The People.
No doctrine has received a more universal as
sent, than that in a republican government the
riH d the majority shall be the ia,c Of tis land.
And yet in State, Boosting of the pure repub-
lican char ter of its institutions, this first and
fundamental principle of republicanism does
not erist. for the government of the Common
wealth. is actually IN the hands Of The minority /;
and what is still more pernicious to the general
interest, in the hands OF minority, i,habitaag
a particp'tnr section Of the State"
1.-THE General Assembly then are respect.
fully requested TO recommend TO the People OF
the Commonwealth the election of CoNvEN-
TIoN to alter and emend the defects of the Con
stitution. And in doing this, it is confidently
hoped that such principles Of representation
will be adopted and such modes of election
prescribed, as viii ensure 10 every part Of the
the State, weight in the Convention to be
assembled, proporiioncd to lis ,chitepopuldtion.
Numerous petitions were at the same time
presented from various quarters of the State,
on the same subject and uniting IN the same
prayer. All who felt deeply aggrieved by the
unjust rule Of apportionment. looked forward
to such law and TO a Convention, as the on
" means Of redress. All demanded that basis
which we now demand The Bill in the
House of Delegates which grew out of these
memorials and petitions, provided for taking
the sense of the People on the expediency OF
calling a Convention with power to consider
the proprety of adopting certain amendments.
The friends Of Reform did not then suppose
the People prepared for one with full po,eers,
The amendments proposed were, first, 10
ecsaliSe representation aDc1g the free tclife peo-
pie according 10 numbers; second, 10 equallse
the land tax. To these was added third on
the motion Of a member from Fairfax, TO ca
tad he rights Of suffrage to all free white male
, citizens twenty one Years OF age "who have
| evidence of permanent common interest with
4 4. L.
words of the Bill of Rights
The Bill passed the House of Delegates in
that form. 1t provided for taking the sense of
the People on SO amending the Constitution,
as 70 extend the right of suffrage; to equase
representation on the basis OF the white popu-
latGn and to cqualise the land tax. After in
eficctual struggles 10 strike out the first and Sc
cond clauses. Il passed tie House cf Delegates
and was sent 10 the Senate. The majority in
! tie House in this vote represented more than
! three-G!ihS of the white inhabitants OF Wig mia.
/ Mr.. TaZewell, from Norfolk borough, opposed
/ the bill with all his zeal In its progress, he
moved an amendment to introduce represen-
tation Of slaves. Whether he intended a rep
rcscntation OF all, or three iilths only, does not
appear. as no proposition was made TO fill the
| blank in the amendment This proposition
was maintained by that able and acute debater
with the most eloquent and cogent exertions
! of his matches powers, but notwithstanding
| his unrvaled exertions, there were but t,ceIs
! iy-sir roies for his amendment in the whole
House Of Delegates
! When this bill was sent to the Senate, il
was for time laid on the table and not acted
/ on The reason was this The belief was
suggested, and had gained ground, that some
Eastern Constitutional lawyers had changed
! their opinions touching the power TO legislate
over the Districts, and hopes were entertained
| that in order 10 tranquiliSe the public mind for
while like throwing Ia tub TO the Whale, "they
would bring in bill to eq',alise The SenGfoqial
/ Districts and apportlon representation IN the
+ Senate on the basis of the free white popula-
! ton, which would relieve the Senate from the
responsibility OF accepting or rejecting the
/ Convention Bill, These hopes Were not dis
appointed; for the opposerS Of Convention
/ brought in a bill TO equalse the districts and to
I apportion representation accordingly, and pas
sed H. This bill continued the law up to the
adoption Of the present amended Constitution
of the State, and it established the Senate as
/ the representative Of the free white POPULATION,
in equal numbers
Had the Bill which received the sanction of
I the House of Delegates, passed the Senate, the
| Convention then 10 be called, would have rep
l It>tittu INC liSN Winnie Bpphiuhch aNN'ihAtiS
10 numbers--as the Bill which in fact did pass
both branches of the legislature, equalised the
Senatorial districts upon that basis. Thus in
one and the same session there Were found
politicians who opposed and supported that
very basis which is denounced as SO new, un-
heard of, cruel and oppressive. That pure ell
ement was thus sustained and is supported
by the precedent then made. Nevertheless
+ there was even then cause 10 complain in re-
gard to the Constitution of the Senate The
only tabular statement of population before
them was the Census of 1910, and from this,
the state of population had materially changed.
From this suecnt statement of facts, it appears
that the principle of the iclite basis has been
soleinnly settled in Virginia-and this moi
? rashly-bui after meeting opposition from the
, FIST talents in the lands
After the proceedings above detailed in ref.
, erence to the equalization Of the Senatorial
Districts, the public mind rested from IFS ex.
element and took breathing spell until the
autumn of 1924, and spring and summer o.
1926. During thisperod the representation in
the House of Delegates, and a proposition &c
2 eauallse II on the white basis became the sub
iect of Newspaper controversy. Writer'S on
one side endeavored. by exposing the mis-
rule OF the minority, and the evil tendency Of