Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-02-12
7pI-pIIc MEETING IN PowHATAN.

a ~ ,h Chair to take into consideration the subject
Convention and prepare business lot .e
- h eno which motion being carried In the aiirna-
& rho Chair appointed the following gentlemen on SAID
nir,,e viz Chastan Cooke, VIM C. Scott VIM Old Jr,
Richard j. Gillian and John D. Hooson NJ e1...ee
retired short me returned and made the following
nnn which al the request Of Chasaln Cooke the chair
man. was read by VIM. G. Scott .o.,,..,,;,, H.,
subject OF Convention " '''e' ~
leave to report: =,
ui,, AMONGST the many advantages possessed by the
States OF the American Unon over nosi "lncf nations VI
rho world for none they cause ior CONCENTRATION
h,n that their forms of government are contained III written
constitutions In other countries ihdeed tnelr lois
m prescribed by written yet these laws
- he ch,nue, by the same legislative authority which re-
la,es the intercourse OF citizen with citizen But Cons
tuons according the modern accepiaiIoh ol lhe eri
nrc REGARDED something more stable. lhey are organic
laws made by the people in their sovereign capacity Inc
n,;nary legislatures cannot amend alter or abolish lhem
that can only be- done by the people themselves ny means Oh
n Convention called for thai purpose
(, wouI seem tu follow necessary corolary irom
these principles that proposition Tor le can o such Io
venon should enanae from The people themselves anu ho
from the legislature The present constitution oil Virginia
was formed BY body OF men, mol eNceia III virtue anu
WISDOM nv any that assembled IN the world In pro-
tectnr The rights persons and the rights OF property
great objects Of all governments WIN compare iayo
rably with the constitution OF any State IN me mon IN
der has justice been more impar'lav administered vi
less ncured with the ebulton OF party spirit onner
none have the people hen less oppressed by taxation For
nearly twenty years the people have lived under H. content
ed and happy. No voice OF dissatisfaction Tor some years
change; from Western Virginia, at first So much
opposed TO lis adoption.
In this state quieude and cpose of the public mind on
this subject your have bchcd with surprise and
Alarm disposition the part Of the present Legislature OF
Virginia. take preliminary steps for the call Of Cohrrh
ton We protest against this unseemy prccpltancy Inc
members the present Legislature were elected Tor no such
purpose In part of the State SO far as We are inform
cd did the Convention question enter into the canvass last
Spring In our county II WAS not even mcnone nor
il made the subject OF discussion or comment IN the
public prints. =, ,.u,
The coplc are taken BY surprise Should the bill before
the present Legislature become a law, too little time VIII
capse between the adjournment OF the Legislature and the
day OF election and the public mind Will be too much aea
ted bv other political subjects o the most exciting character
10 enable the people give To this question that caln deli
beralc and undivided attention. which its great, its para
mount importance, mporiously demands.
In the Convention OF S2930 which formed present
Constitution parties arrayed against each other
The memoirs Western Virginia representing consn-
ency which, il supposed would in short time outnum-
the whites in the East but owning few slaves and pay
ng but nconsiderabe portion Of the public revenue con-
for the white basisin other words they contended
that the right OF suffrage should be extended ID every man
over the age twenty Years and that the number OF repre-
scntaves from district country should he in proportion
10 the number whites resident therein without regard to
the amount of taxable properly contained The members
from Eastern Virginia. representing constituency owninsa
large number Of slaves. and paying BY far the greatest
ton OF the OF the Commonwealth contcndcd that
great object OF the protection OF
property ii not right that portion OF country should
pay the and that another portion according 10 lis
price interest, should lay hcma the Nayers should
be- the ayerstha slaves represented in The
Federal Government They should likewise bc represented IN
shape in the State Govcrnncnttal il would not BE-
right them under the control and AT the mercy Of those
who owned but few, nonettat only those should eXcr-
else the right ri suffrage who evidence OF permanent
attachment the Con,monweath-ha gave such evil
dencc except those who owned land Or had families therein
and that taxation property should III degree, en-
int" the right Of suffrage and The ratio OF representation
With the aid such counscs those Marshall Madison
Monroe Giles Randolph Barbour Leigh host Of other
distinguished men, the East prevailed, but only by the mea
majority of four votes They allowed by the pre-
| pe IN.
gates and six in the Senate Is joint ballot which, it was
thought would BE- sufficient for the protection OF their pro-
perry Nor can that majority be changed, without the con-
currencc OF twotrls Of both Houses Of the General As
semby.
When this Constitution was submitted the people Of
Western Virginia. they voted aanst lis adoption by large
majority In the county of Brooke, 37 voted against il;
in its favor But in Eastern Virginia, the people
with great unanimiiy voted tor lis adoption Only 10 in
Powhatan, III in Cumberland Is in Chesterfield in Amc
ia in toochand and not in Madison voted against
| II.
Your committee would impure ii change has occurred
in the relative condition of Eastern and Western Virginia
which should induce the people of the East change their
opinions this subject Have the people in the West
slaves compared with the number in the East than
they had in lS3! IL is believed they have not and from
their proximity 10 The lec State of Ohio that they
have In the valley between the Blue Ridge and Al
leghany mountains, which contains of the slaves in
Western Virginia, 1880 1910 when the last
TAKEN the slaves had decreased thousand and eighty
five while tc whites, in the period had increased
U1 Nor do the people al the West yet pay into the treas
Try 81 the State the of with the pco
pie Of the East IL appears from document No. . OF the
session The Legislature Tor Si5 46 the latest which
your committee has had that the amount Of taxes
paid 10y the people oi Western Virginia i'll 1885, all sub
Jcc- Sl524li II, while Eastern Virginia paid in the
year. Si26o93 81; in other words Of every four dol
lars raised BY xation Eastern Virginia pays nearly three;
Western virginia but little more than The East has
not only more slaves than the West bnwhat is not gene
rally known-she has more hogs and neat cattle.
The present constitution has had in great measure the
effect designed by lis trainers. The numerical majority
has given has hitherto protected our property from OPP
! fh1t mn fho
the advocate of Internal improvements would long since
have plunged into abyss of debt from which could
only be rNtrcaied by bnrdensome taXaon disgracciu
reputation As II is, with the aid o few members from
The East she has up public debt upwards Of
Sle"uooo pncpay II not entirely for works al Internal
Improvement OF this sum, il believed that nearly
hall moi has been appropriated for the benefit Of the
West; certain Is thai she has received, and is to receive
much than her proportion compared with the
OF revenue paid by her into the public treasury.
Under these circumstanccs-wh our finances crippled
be lower in the New York market than the bonds OF Penn
syivana who has failed pay punctnaly tho interest
her debt is the West satisfied! No: 'kc the horscccc
she still cries give give, give. On Wednesday, The third
day Of the present session of the Legislature Of Virginia
twenty-five different schemes of Internal Improvement
presented for the consideration Of the House of Delegates,
every one Tor the exclusive benefit of Western Nirgnia
And within the last few days, Your committee understand,
that bill Tor The construction OF railroad from Siaunton
il becomes law, will add several millions more the in
dcbteiness of the State
Your committee opposed works Of Internal I'M
dcenly in debt for their construction.
The bill before the House Of Delegates in relation
Convention proposes 10 take the Of the people
lst whether Convention shall be- called not; and ID
whether il called il shall be instituted on the white Or
mixed basis. According 10 the BILL the white basis the
West would have in Convention majority of Is; the
mixed basis The majority Of the East would DO reduced from
: To Ia But Your committee apprchcnds that should
Convention he called il will be constituted on the white ba-
sis; the West being unanimous should the East be divided
is probablc majority will be found in It's favor Should
however 'hc Convention be called the mixed basis in all
probability the white basis would be cngracd on the Consti
tuition they would make; for it would only require
from the East To carry that measure and from being los;
by only four in 1880 when the East apparently less di
vded than al prcsnt il apprhended that those nine could
easily be obtained
Behold then Legislature assemble or ,hc white basis
the West having majority in both branches What schemes
OF internal improvements would they enact! Is i;
naturnl that they should, since bur little more than one.
fourth o! the money they would cost would come on, o.
their pockets while nearly reefourths would come out Of
oursl Would they not force State into reputation or
what is probable drive citizens propitous
ands And would our slaves be sael Do all recol-
ect the scenes OF the session OF the Legislature for 1882 49,
when the members OF the West with the aid of few in the
East aooshing slavery the STATED And arc
the people OF The East prepared only put their other
property but their slaves under the control and mercy
OF those who own few none and many of whom op