Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-10-09
convention Hill.

:" ,oae IN nror of Mr. Lsftnrichs substitute, 10 or
a Conrsntio,s on the b2sls az tree 7calf
popniatl"a- ::
~ SNEAKER: feel somewha, embarrassed in
rising 10 address the House on the impoflah
oneslion under consideration; and my emoarfass
ment is not a little increased, when rensct ma
this House has been edited with the remarks .
The able gentleman from Wyihe IN favor oil 'n'
substitute, and the ingenious argument Oh 'n~ gen
,ls,n,n from Halifax. Mr. Edmunds, against lht
snhs,;,ule and ia support Of the bill OF The maIo
r,v of the committee. therefore throw mysel
an The indulgence of The members on this floor
while | offer a few remarks in support OF tht
substitute
The people have the honor TO represent. have
been for wears past in favor OF calling ConVen
ton 10 amend the numerous defects 10 me Pleseh
Constitution of our Stale, and should DC ooiog
Injustice 10 them, and TO the sentiments ~n'cn
entertain. were TO remain silent wnen 'ii's i,l''
portant question of Convention IS before Inc
House. The presen, Constitution OF our o'ale
has no fixed principle Of representation 10
rest upon; il is neilher based upon persons
or properly nor mixture OF persons and
property: il was an arbitrary compromise OF
the Convention OF 1929; arbitrary 10 It's orr
gin. unequal in its distribution OF representation
and has proved oppressive IN It's operatoh Inc
people are therefore, disconlenlrd Win Inc pre-
sent Constitution, and they require at our nahus'
$50 far as we can afford them add Convention
organized on Just principles TO remedy the evi'S
complained OF; and lappea 10 the reason ana JUS
,ice OF the East, who hold The power on ms Moor,
10 listen 10 the petitions OF the people and AFFORD
them reef-withoui some aid from our Eastern
friends Legislative Convention is beyond hope;
The West should mol threaten the East nor The
East threaten The West; our language should BE-
resoeclful 10 each other, ca I'm reason should enlde
our decisions, and mol threats which 10 arouse
our angry passions, and drive reason nom the
seat OF acIion-reason, our best iriehd-passion
our worst enemv;-We call upon YOU as orolbers,
as friends as Virginians, 10 meet us IN Conven-
lion in spirit OF compromise, with generous Sen
timents, and on terms oil equality.
The substitute under consideration proposes 10
take the sense OF the people al The next spring
elections, "wheiher they desire Convention 10
amend the Constitution OF the State, organized
upon the basis OF free white population" MI.
Speaker, | contend, and | suppose il will be se-
Morally admitted, that where lbe political power
OF the State is placed by The Constitution, ma
jorly Of such as possess that power have an uh'
doubted right TO decide the question OF Convention
or no Convention, and the basis on which such
Convention shall be organized. Where is that
political power placed in ViTginia2 answer,
in The qualified vo,ers Of The State; aud they have
the power and right 10 alter aud abolish, or cle-
ate a new Constitution, modelled on Republican
principles; for il will be remembered that The
u States shall guaranty 10 every State in This
Union republican farm Of gorsrnnienr and by
the Bill OF Rights appended 10 our own Slate
Constitution ia majority oi The community have
a right 10 REFORM alter or abolish the ConstIlu
,ion" An organization OF Convention Is The
first great step 10 reform our Slate Constitution,
and for the present we must substitute The qnah
fed roters for the community. as representing such
commuoity, and every such quaihed voter IN
Virginia is surely entitled 10 an equal voice on
this great question of Convention, and The basis
on which such Convention shall be organized,
whether such voies shall reside in Brooke or hc-
comack, in Page or Halifax; and when such
Convention shall meet and agree upon Consul
tuition, il will be then Submitted back TO The voters
embraced in such Constitution for their adoption
or rejection. Ii a majority OF such voters adopt
the new Constitution, then il becomes the organic
law OF our State.
have stated 10 the House, that when The pre-
sent Constitution was ratified, representation was
UNEQUAL; and time has more fully disclosed This
sad Inequality and without Convention, the
West must labor under this growing evil in the
present Constitution, to The end OF the time.
Tha, feature in the present Constitution which
requires the Legislature, Qwo.thrds concurrlne)
10 re-apporton representation al certain periods
throughout the commonwealth, is mere nudity
How can lwolhirds be obtained which may
give equal representation TO the West, when ,he
East, from whom the West hopes to obtain rSdres>
through this constitutional provision, have now
majority OF % members on this floor, and in
the Senate, which leaves the West al The mercy OF
the East2
This question ofthe basis misrepresentation seems
L. ~, nhi ~ 1,ir ait.
ern friends have against Convention. The con-
stiru,ional provision which have alluded 10, does
no, hold out TO the West the slightest hope OF re
Dress as past experience has proven. II will be
that an effort was made III lS42 ior
reapportionment OF present alton throughout ms
Common wealth, but il found no favor from the
Eastern members in The House OF Delegates, who
decided that the existing representation was 50
nearly equal (according 10 their nouons) mat
they refused to disturb il; upon which The West
ern members mel in body, and signed paper
containing their most solemn protest. Having
failed in This mode OF redress, the people now de-
mand OF This Legislature, through their Delegates,
and by petitions, The call OF a Convention 10
amend the Constitution; they appeal to their
Eastern friends for redress OF their grievances.
Let US then give the people lair opportunity OF
deciding this vexed and exciting question pass
the substitute now under consideration, which
proposes to lake the sense Of the people OF Viz
GINA "whether they desire Convention on Inc
basis of free while population" or no Convention.
The people have for several years in succession,
pelitioned the Legislature to pass law 10 lake
the sense Of the vo.ers 10 the propriey oil call
ing Convention, and this House has refused 10
submit the question TO the people. Are we afraid
10 trust the people 10 decide the question? hope
not Why then should we refuse 10 give them
an opportunity OF expressing their wishes on this
subject Is there one on this door who will deny
that the people are capab ofself-sovernment} II
any such can be found, he has abandoned The Re-
publican doctrine.
The Bill! OF Rights has declared tha, all power
is vested in, and, consequently, derived from The
people; that Magistrates are their trustees ana
Servants, and a, all times amcnable 10 them
tina, government is, or ought To be, instituted fof
the common benefit, protection and security oil
The people, nation or community: oil all The va
rious modes and forms Of government, that is best
which is capable of Producing The greatest degree
OF happiness and safety and is most effeclually
secured agaios, The danger OF NAL adnnistrailon;
and hat when any government shall be found IN
adequate or contrary 10 these purposes majority
of the community hath an indubiiaole, unaiiens-
BILE, and indeieasible right 10 reform, alter. OF
abolish it," The sovereign power of Virginia i
in the people, as declared by The Bill of Rights;
and The people, IN political point view, shall
here assume, means the qualified voters OF the
State, and these qualified voters have an I'M
doubled right to decide the question OF Conven-
ton, and the basis on which II shall be organized
''wilhout regard 10 the disparity of fortune" II
we are disposed 10 carry on, the republican
doctrines which We profess, we should no
longer refuse to submit this question OF Conven.
lion TO the decision of the people, but al once pass
into law The substitute Of the gentleman from
Wythe, which will give to The voters OF The Stale
a fair opportunity of deciding the question ac-
cording TO The will Of the majority.
The bill brought in by majority OF The com
mittee, and advocated BY the gentleman from Ha-
lifax, proposes to organize Convention on The
unequal and arbitrary basis of the present House
of Delegates, which gives % members in The
Convention 10 The counties aud towns East oil The
Blue Ridge, and only Sc members 10 the towns
and counties West OF the Blue Ridge. Such a
plan Of organizing Convention is no better for
the West than the Convention which took place
in 1923. now IL years ago. and that Convention
framed the present imperfect Constitution which
,ho naooIo nj viroinia NOW r0mDlaIn much