Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-06-18

The Constitution of Virginia adopted ON the
14th January, 1880, and unchanged, if not un-
impaired, from that time to this provides in the
Sd Article aThat the House of Delegates shall
consist OF one hundred and ti1irty-four members"
apportlons them among the four great divisions
OF the State, and provides that by vote OF two
thirds OF both branches of the Legislature, there
may be re-apportionment of the representation
OF the whole State, and in certain contingencies
the General Assembly may re-apportion any one
OF the four great Districts
1t IS known and conceded on all hands that
the people have not changed this constitution,
nor has the General Assembly made any reap
portlonment so that the constitution declares
now as emphatically as it did on the 14th jan
uary, 1890 the House OF Delegates shall consist
OF one hundred and thirty -four members Upon
the integrity OF this sacred instrument depends
all our ciVil rights 1t was the last work of the
reyered fathers OF the republic, and the natural
and proper sentiment OF generation for the Or
ganlc law OF the land is enhanced by associatinp
the sainted forms that hover over for its protec
ton.
On the 18th March, 1847. an act was PASSED
by the General Assembly, Ito extend the iuris-
dlction of, the Commonwealth of Virginia over
the county of Alexandria" The third section
OF that law provided--"The said county of Alex
andria and the county of Fairfax shall together
elect one delegate TO the House of Delegates of
this commonwealth" On the opening Of the
next session OF the Legislature, December, 1s47,
two delegates, Edgar Snowden and Henry w
Thomas, presented themselves from the said
county of Alexandria and county of Fairfax. On
the 18th December, 1917, the House of Delegates
decided by a vote of II ayes to 40 noes, athat
Edgar Snowden and Henry w. Thomas are not
both entitled to seats as members of this House,
Two days alter this vote the House decided that
Henry w Thomas is entitled to take his seat
as member of this House." by vote of 101 ayes
to 70 noes. On the next dav the House passed
the following resolution "Resolred, That Edgar
snowden, ESQ, is entitled to seat in the pres
ent House OF Delegates" by vote of 60 ayes
to SO noes.
As soon as H. W. Thomas, BY the overwhelu-
ing vote of 1o1 to %, had taken his seat, the
provisions quoted from the act of March 18th
was filled. The law was satisfed-that law
under which Alexandria became an integral part
OF Virginia The constitutional number of the
House OF Delegates was complete. But Alexan-
drla, Like young lover hot in pursuit was no.
thing daunted, and like all lovers who are soueez-
ed INTO families by close vote, there is often no
comfortable position for the extra member There
was no chair IN the House Of Delegates for the
| lS2lh member There is no chair in the House
OF Delegates now for the 135th member.
So, then on the 18th December, 1s47, the Lee
| gislature had two delegates from the county OF
Alexandria and the county of Fairfax on the floor
wlththe act OF the 18th March, 1S47, staring them
In the face, unrepealed, which act declared. as ]
have quoted it, there should be but one such dele.
gate from those two counties. An angel with a
flaming sword guarded the Gates of Paradise, but
the guardian genius of the Commonwealth with
the double-eegea sword of the Constitution and
the law Waspowerless to protect the doors of the
House OF Delegates. 1t is impossible at this day
to divine the impulse which produced this state
of things. Whether it arose from abstract rea-
sonlng upon equal rights, Or from that renowned
hospitality which ever keeps Virginia in the ad-
vance OF one crop. Be that as it may, the House
soon found itselfm an awkward position and
sought at once and most sedulousy to remedy
the matter, upon the n,ac pro tune principles of
the court OF chancery-in other words, to cushion
the chair OF the 135th member by doing that after
ne was on the floor, which ought to have been
done before.
After the failure ,of two distinct resolutions,
one offered by Mr. Shelley and the other by Mr.
Haywood to re-apportion the representation
MIR. Scott on the 9th of FEBRUARY, l848 moved a
resolution Chat Select Committe be appointed
with instructions to bring in bill increasing the
number of Delegates to 1872" $50 as to assign
one Delegate to the county of Alexandria, SC.
&c, which bill was reported, and on the 18th 'o
March, was rejected by vote of 81 ayes to s.
nays. So that the House decided that the repre-.
senation should not be re-apportioned so as te
increase the number of the House of DELEGATES
to 142.
This bill was reconsdered on the goth of March
and amended by the following substitute, on mo
ton of Mr.. Floyd:
BE 1t enacted, "T,hat the House of Delecatet
ssaA be increased to one hnndred and thirty five
members. The representation of the four grand
districts shall remain as now established except
that the county of Alexandra shall elect one
| Delegate" &c, sc.
| This bill, on motion of Mr.. Scott, was laid on
the table, where it lies to this day So that the
House decided it would not re-apportion the re.
presentation, so as to give the county of Alexan-
dria one Delegate, nor increase the number Of
| Delegates to 1886.
The session was now drawing to its close, and
all constitutional means having failed to reap
portion the representation, SO as to increase the
number in the House .ot Delegates and the act Of
the 18th of March, 1847, providing that but one
Delegate should represent the counties of Fairfax
and Alexandria, still staring the House in the
lace that section was on the 29th of March, by
main strength repealed, and law fds aut netas
was passed that hereafter the said county of AL.
eXandria shall elect one Delegate to saidH. Del
by lean vote OF SIS ayes to "a nays, there being
from the thinness of the House But even in thi.
vote the phenomenon presents itself that the de-
Iegate from Alexandria votes to repeal the very
law, which then on the statute book was in the
way not only of this vote, but of all the votes Civ
en- by him during the session--the contest in some
cases being close that his vote decided the mat.
ter: mean nothing unkind towards that est.
mable gentleman. He isaa ornament to the town
in which he lives, and in my opinion to human
nature-ior know him we'll l am speak ING
only ola civil wrong, of the invasion as well o.
my civil rights, as Of every other citizen of The
& Commonwealth
The actual result, however is, that although
Constitution declares there shall be only 1874
members in the House OF Delegates until a re-
apportlonment be made; and although all efforts
at reaPportionment utterly failed, and although
the 9th Section OF the Sd Article of the Constiiu-
ton deelares-sno increase shall be made in the
Senate and House of Delegates, unless by con-
currence of the vote of two thirds of both branch
q c n Il. II