Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-12-10
TIE LYNCHBUaG ViaGiNIAN.
LyNCsusuKG. DECEMBER 10. 1870
TIL, LEGISLATURE.


The Legislature is organized and fully under
weigh. II will be seen that The majority has al
ready given an earnest OF the proscfiptive policy
which is 10 mark their career, by turning out
erv Wig officer of either House The Sergeant
alarms OF the House of Delegates, who has been
long in office. and is personally popular, was
the first victim. His opponent was Col Street
who was chosen by majority oil nine, -Messrs
Barbour. Wood, Pendeon, Pahnil, West, Jacobs
and Cook, Democrats, voting for Ward; and
/ Nessrs Bnrwcll, Forbes, Clark of Campbell, and
Guerant Wings, voting for Street. Twenty
three were absent OF whom thirteen were Wigs
In the Senate, John Webb Tyler ofthe Prince
William and Fauqnier District, was elected Speak
err, and Joel Peunybacker once member ofthe
body from the Tenth Legion, and recently re-
moved from a clerkship at Washington, was che
sen Clerk.
IL will he seen that the House is disposed to
carve out business al once. The proposition for
Committee In report upon tue propriety ol.ta-
king the sense Of the people, to the call of
Convention coming from the source it did ex-
cited surprise and distrust among the Western
members. We think they manifested an unneces-
sary susceptibility. We regard the call Of Con-
venton no longer debaable matter, and are
firmly convinced the East will best consult its
own in'erest,by offering no opposition The APP
proachinp census viii unqueStionably be the
guide for the appononment Of representation,
whether the white or the mixed basis be adopted
Common sense and justice demand that it should
be and We cannot suppose that Nj. Finney enter
tanned the hope OF inducing action which should
have reference to tho census of 1910. We have
no objection to see the question submitted next
Spring to the present qualified voters ofthe Com
monWcalth. We believe two-thirds, perhaps
three toulths, Of them would be found in favor of
a Convention. Ipo mot bn
next ycar-nor the neXt--but come it will in
very hrlefperlod. The spirit of the age and ex-
lstlng grievances require that form should be
effected. An incompetent and inefficient iudcia-
ry was one OF the main causes of the call Of the
Convention in 1929 Who can DENY that sim
liar state OF things is, at this moment causing
thousands 10 favor a Convention, who might be
else induced TO tolerate Other defects complained
of in the present Constitution. The right of sul-
trace must be extended. We believed twenty
years aeo-and still helieve-that there is no in
ternediate qualifcation--tha the alternative of
freehold vote is universal suffrage That a
worse system than our pre- sent franchise could be
devised, we do not believe possible. More power
must be given to the people. Virginia has long
boosted, vocierousIy, of her Democracy, when
there was the least possible infusion of it in her
INSTRUMENTATION, in fact, distrust of the people
was written on every page of her Constitution
4 This inconsistency between theory and practice
cannot longer be tolerated. The direct action of
the people will be insisted upon. 1t was consid-
cred the height of wisdom in the Convention of
1929 30 to resist innovation. Men acquired re-
nown, in that memorable body for the ability and
success with which they baflled the popular will.
Instead OF lending their fine talents TO the work
of undermining the Constitution, and 50 sung it
to the wants and lights of the day that no further
change could reasonably be demanded for many
years, in spirit of mistaken conservatism they
patched up, in ridiculous and unseemly manner,
the old ediice, without reference 10 convenience
or taste, and the consequence is, that, at the end
OF twenty years, dissatisfaction with the work of
their hands is greater than it was with the time
honorcd and mosS-grown fabric which they
attempted to repair. 1t was predicted when the
present Constitution went into operation, that it
would not last quarter Of century-that proph-
ecy will be fulfilled. We do not now speak of
the basis of representation. Its Importance is
every day diminishing before the progress of In
tcrnaI Improvement. Had Virginia been true TO
herself IN this great cause, for twenty years past,
we should now hear but little of the supposed di-
versity ofintercst which prevails in the different
regions OF the State Our own Rail Road the
extension of the Canal and the Blue Ridge Tun-
mel, will 90 far 10 make us one people, and to rem
der the basis Of representation really oflitc prac-
teal import.