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

The gentleman from Halifax informs us that
| Convention based on the principles OF The presen!
| House OF Delegates, will be more favorable 10
| The Yves; than The mixed or Federal basis, or on
The ratio Of the Convention OF 1929 and 81. This
NAV be So; but il you adopt The ratio OF lhe
House of Delegates from The date OF Inc Con
yen,ion in 1880, and give representation N Inc
Convention now proposed by The Eastern OH ac-
coriine Ia The increase Of population ana Weai'h
in the Wesl from 1850 10 1916, you Will md Tue
E,st entitled 10 70. and the West to 62 Delegates,
in \ Convention o l34, instead Of 10 for The EAST,
and st; for the West, as proposed by Inc eastern
bill advocated by the gentleman from daiiiaS.
Should the white basis he adopted in organizing
the Convention, according 10 The census oil loiU,
The East would be entitled 10 81, and the Westto "
10 Convention of l34 members; not taxing mo
ibis estimate the increase oil population 10 favor
| OF the West from 1910 TO 1916. II will be seen
BY the census Of 1880, compared WIN ,na' Vi
! 1910, that the white population increased IN Inc
West 60 600 and 700 in slaves making an IN.
crease OF whites and slaves during period ol III
wears of 63, TOO in favor Of the West; during
The same 10 years the East decreased 7,O00 in
whites and 81 900 in slaves. making decrease
of slaves and whites of 2S000; shelving clear
Gain in favor OF The West, over that OF the East
| in whites and slaves, # 81 700 in len wears
In looking back 10 the census oi 1870, ii will
be sen that The white population East oil me
| Blue RIDGE was 3l4 523 and West oil the Blue
RIDGE humans 1854; in the year 1900,
East of The Blue Ridge 336, $3.50, West OF the
Ridge III 476; in 1910, Eas, OF The Blue Ridge
1888 S37 Yves, oil the Ridge 2l2, 1876; in 1871, Easl
q, The Rdoe 3Is S73, West 25i,30S; in 1880,
Eas, OF tho Ridge 1901 Yves, 30S.6I5; IN
1910 East OF the Ridge 3h9, 39S, west 5 ~ '3o9
in 1876, in The same ratio OF increase, Inc East
now contains 10000, and the West upwards oil
| 100000. Since 1890, lhe Fast has increased IN
white population only $4,000 while The West has
| increased $50 000 bur the greatest increase IS ID
IA vor of the District West Of the Alie.hany; IN
l-q0 ,his disiric, contained only $4,000, and in
1910 i, contained 23i, ia; in 1890 the slave po-
puIarion in the whole Stale was 292 627; IN lslO
il amounted 10 447 $3.50 this slave population,
in 1870 there were 1874 2o7 East, and 3,l37
Yves. The Blue Ridge; in 1890 there were ~
S56 free negroes in the Stale, and in 1917 Inc
tree negroes had increased to 1851. BY The
last census, 1910 the entire population OF VlrSi
MIA. including whites, slaves and free negroes,
amounted 10 ,237 ,6S5 The East contains OF
this population SOC, 942, and The West 1921 55 by
the estimate Of 1876 The East will contain less than
500 600, and the West will 60 up TO nearly 50o,-
GOO more than haf,he Eastern population beng
negroes, and more than loul.hilhs oil The western
population being whites.
free white population, the West will be entitled
10 an equal number oil Delegates with The East,
in the formation OF new Constitution; but 10 or
qani2e The Convention according 10 representa-
| lion i'm the present House Of Delegates. II is most
| likely that the same inequality OF representation
! which now exists will be continued, IL not per.
pe,ualed The West has now majority OF
qualified voters in the State, and majority OF al
least so 900 free white population over The East
q, l.tt nc tb..
poses 10 organize Convention on The arbitrary
principle, thai The West is TO have only So mem.
ners ia The Convention, and the East IS MEM
bers; while The substitute Of the gentleman from
Wyihe proposes 10 lake The sense VI The voters al
| The next spring elections "whelhcr they desire a
| Convention Ia amend the Constitution Of the Stale
| organized on the basis of the tree white popuia-
ton" then say 10 all our Eastern friends on
| this floor vino ate in favor OF Convention, 10
unite with the West, and give all The vo!ers OF the
State an opportunity 81 deciding The question how
this Convention (it called) Shall Dc organized; lei
US place the political power N The energies oil The
State where il most properly belongs, and Then
YOU will see the Old Dominion rapidly multiply
ing in population, increasing in wealth, advanc-
ing in learning, growing in manufactures, thriving
in commerce and agriculture, and soon comrei-
ing, and once more surprising The keystone and
Empire STATES 10 political power.
The gentleman from Halifax has informed
this House, that the decrease in slave property in
Virginia has been owing 10 the unsettled condi-
ton Of the basis of representations and The Con-
vention Of 1929 vas the origin OF disrus IN The
holders OF slave property, which made many part
with it, This conceive TO he a great error IN The
senleman's Judgment, $50 often regarded as cor
rect and useful upon all other qnes'ions) For il
will be remembered, that in 1899 the country
wa greatly embarrassed, The Ranss had stopped
specie paymenls. the Legislature was called la
afford relief; general confidence, which before
that time existed between man and man, was
greatly impaired our courts were crowded with
suits; executions followed, property saerhced,
and numbers OF slaves we're sold 10 pay Old debs,
and carrie on, Of the Stale, and many others
| were taken 10 The Soulh in whole families hy
| gentlemen moving there, where slave labor is
more profitable. This has been The true cause
why slave property has decreased IN Eastern
Virginia. No case can be shown where any
person has disposed of his slave property under
fear that i, was unsafe under the existing Con-
sti,ulion, or any oone nplated change in il; and,
strange 10 tell that while slave property decreased
By thousands in The East there was al The same
time gradual increase in The West, where we
are told il is mol quite safe, and decreased where
| i, is considered more secure. So much Tor the
genlleman's argument upon this point.
| |, is, Mr.. Speaker, strange, though sometimes
true that the atmosphere has an extraordinary in
| huence on the human mind and 10 some extent
| controls The actions and decisions Of man. have
| observed some Two or three gentlemen who resid-
| ed ia the West, and while there advocated the
| white basis, and owing 10 some attraction found
| in romance settled in he East, where they became
| attached 10 The mixed basis On The other hand.
| [ can enumerae more than fifty gentlemen who
we're in favor Of the mixed basis while residing in
| the East, and who now nhae the invigoraling al
| mnsphsre Of The West and have become warm
| advocates Of the white basis. ! vii! not venture
10 aeronnl Tor such results il is enough Tor me,
| Mr.. Speaker To say 10 this House, that such is
| The influence OF climate. That wonderful, inter-
| es'ing and brilliant genus, John Randolph. while
among US, truly said, that "ihe scepirc was about
TO depart from The East and would soon move "a
pidly 10 the We>i" These words act like charm
in the West The white basis has been held up
in the Eas; az a scarce uw IN riehlen The Ii'nid,
hut il has not stopped emigration from Eastern
Virginia 10 Western Virginia; thousands OF our
Eastern friends are Il csing there, and daily swell
| ling the numbers who possess The noble sentiments
founded on republican doctrines, that MAJ ority OF
| ireemen shall rule.
| It is admitted that the East has more wealth
| than The Nesi; and this wealth consists mostly IN
| slaves. On his peculiar wealth our Eastern
friends contend for special representation in The
! Legislatures the Wes' contend tha; representation
should be based on white population and that a
majority OF the qualified voters OF the Stale shall
| decide how this Convention shall be organized,
| which is 10 form the new Constitution; and the
substitute OF the gentleman from Wythe proposes
that We shall pass a law 10 submit This question
10 the voters, WHISTLER they will have Conven-
ton organized on the white basis; while the bill
before the House, which call the Eastern bill,
| will be in effect Convention on The mixed basis.
| These are the Two conflicting propositions now
before The House. Ii is said that wealth gives
power, or that wealth is Of itself power; and il
you give wealth representation ill The Legislature,
the minority OF The qualified voters of The State
will have more power than The majority of such
volers--ior instance, the practical effect Of the
Eastern bill would give one white voter owning
500 slaves in Halifax as much political power
as 300 white voters in Brooke who have no
slaves. Here is an alarming inequality, but this
inequality OF representation not only operates in
The West, hu, operates against thousands OF the