Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-06-18

ldllOn IN lCfU was 53Jsf I"---tHs eatiic "Hit1
population ofthe State, being, as stated, 740,-
96S. They are connected. at various points,
by improvements, and are allied, by intercourse
and p7sifi0n, 10 feeling and in interest Theirs,
indeed, are the interests of the whole State
The immense amount Of taxation, moreover,
essential TO speedy Development OF the
West--to obtain which, by there-apportio
Of the Representation, is the known and
often avowed object OF the West---would be
exacted, the larger portion Of il, from them
They, therefore, should sustain each other in
strenuous resistance to the measures Of the adj
vocates Of Convention. II should be borne
in mind also, that the Tide Wafer, Piedmont
and Valley Districts pay as much as six-sev-
enths of the Revenue In 1910, they paid
1922, 669.34, out Of the whole amount Of SOFA,
CAT SO.
2. What has been the course OF public SEN
timent in this County FOR the Lsst thirty years,
upon the doctrines asserted to be retmns7
We presume, thai il is meant to be announ-
ced, that the County OF Berkeley, during that
time, has been active and conspicuous, in the
maintenance, not only, of the principles, as set
forth in that Public meeting, which assembled
ON the 18th of April, but the meeting OF the
10Th Of November last. The doctrines appro
we'd and declared at the November meeting, we
imagine, have not been forgotten by the peo-
pie of the County.
Solieltous for the reputation Of the County,
and regarding the assertion, as an imputa-
ton upon the staidness and good sense Of its
citizens, we do not hesitate to deny lis justice.
We are not apprised ofthe existence of any pre-
valent opinions of hostility to the Constitution
of 1890. or OF any discomfort, since Its
adoption, until very recent day. A brief ref
erence 10 the s'history" Of the County, from
1915 to 1879, will, also. ascertain, that the zeal
of It's citizens, during that time, was prompted
and sustained by the conviction OF the n,onstroas
inequalities of the Representation at that day
Thus ,caste reform, eagerly sought by those ,eio
care impulse to the public action of the County
This fact, we will proceed TO develope, and it
will be perceived that those who originated the
movements, and urged with energy the mea-
sures, OK that period, might well have been
content with the achievements of the Conven-
ton of 1880. We are induced to refer to
this matter, also because the opinions of one Of
the gentlemen of the County, now resident in
it, who zealously urged a reform of the Rep
resentation, have been exhibited by publica ion
and otherwise, not designedly we are sure, in a
false light--as having approved the sentiments
of the Conventlonlsts OF the County, as now
promulgated. twill be seen that the main
purpose, then contemplated, was accomplish
ed, and that having secured the .jttste mitieu--
that safe medium-and the vessel having esca-
ped the rocks on either side, sound policy re-
quired, that resistance should be made, as he
has continued TO offer, to further change, until
such day, which has not arrived, when it may,
rightfullv, be demanded.
The Constitution adopted June 90, l776,
provided, that the II. of Delegates should be
composed Of two Representatives '.to be cho-
sen for each County, and for the District OF
West Augusta" and that the Senate should
consist of twenty -four members. The middle
and Western, portions of the State were, al
that day, in a, comparatively, wild and unset
lied condition. The Representation under the
Constitution related TO the state of things, then
existing, and made no provision for the subse-
quent increase Of population in Central and
! Western Virginia. At the period, referred to,
moreover. Eastern lands We're, OF course, vast
| " more valuable than Western, having real
and assessed value as much higher then, as
they have since become lower in value than
| the Valley lands. The number of the House
| (being PA in 1870 was so great as to be ut
! terly Inefficient. Thus. when the first decided
efforts We're made in 1915 and 1916, origina-
ting in the County of Berkeley, Western
interests, because of the excessive disparity of
Representation and of the unwieldiness of the
| House, were, not only not iostered, but neg
| lected and sacrificed.
A Convention assembled in Winchester.
| in May 1916, in which there Were Delegates
from Berkeley, Frederick, Harrison, Wood,
Monongala, Fduquier FGitfar. Loudoul,
Hampshire, Jefferson and Brooke Counties
An Address was prepared, by its order, to the
I people OF the Commonwealth. The Address
had reference, solely, to the subject of Repre-
sentation. We extract portions of it., which
it has not been thought proper, in publica-
ton. made under the direction of an Execu-
tive Committee, appointed at the Convention
Meeting Of the 18th Of April, to lay before you,
| in order that you may not remain uniformed
of the facts,
"F'orty years have elapsed since the adoption
/ ''of Constitution which, though liable 10 just
"aninadversion in some important particu-
Glars, conferred on us the invaluable bles-
"sing Of a free representative form of Govern
''ment"
"There existed, then comparatively no IVES
s'tern population; and an identity OF interests
Sin the population East Of the mountains, Sc
"cured each particular portion oft from OPP
'pression."
''In proportion as population diffused itself
''over the Western part OF the State, large
"countleS We're, from time TO time, established
s'by law, which, under the provisions of the
''Conshtution, We're entitled to two representa-
'stives each. and no more, in the most numer-
sous branch otthe Legislature. Some OF these
''counties, in consequence Of their great extent
''and fertility, and the salubrity of their climate,
''haye attained a free population. fire times grea-
''ter than the average free population of all
''the counties in the State, and more than
"twenty times greater than the free population
''of the smallest county on tide water; while,
son the other hand, the population of ma
''ny of the tide-water counties, from the OPP
.'eration of various wellknown causes, has
| ''dwindled away in very remarkable degree,
"lf representation were equallzed, and War
"wick county Were taken as the standard, by
(Which the number OF representatives from all
''the other counties should be regulated, the
''counties of Loudoun and Frederick would be
''entitled 10 fofty.tire delegates each If still
''furher illustration of this monstrous ineqtal-
city OF representation be necessary, it will be
''foundin the fact, that twenty counties on tide,
"water, containing only tiity-three thousand
'sfour hundred and forty three inhabitants, and
"twenty counties in the upper country, con-
''laining two hundred and fifteen thousand
''three hundred and twenty three, have the