Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-03-01

made the order Of the day for Tomorrow IL o'clock
bill concerning the swrit Of habeas corpus tesfcandum
| was passed.
Various motions made to adjourn and rejected
Bills their second reading taken up and number
were ordered 10 be enerossed.
The House finally motion of Mr.. Ct.Al BORNE, ad-
| iourned-ayes ST. noes "a.
Substance Of The remarks Of Mr.. LEWIS Of Harrison, in
the House Of Delegates The bill pr2ridmg for the call
| Of a Contention
Mr. Speaker have desire unnecessarily prolong
this discussions and were to consult my feelings,
influenced by duty to those whom huye honor
represent this floor and who know feel and with
deep socitude in the deliberations of this day.
should trouble this House trespass upon its in
planned vote against the passage Of this bill And let it not
be supposed that my object in taking the floor at this tmo
and submitting my views on this question: is to EXPLAIN e
her here elsewhere offer up apology for the vote
about give. This House, impatient il is for the
sacrifice, would doubtless willingly from the
task and would not do my constituents such gross inus
tce, 10 entertain the thought intimate that such
vote such BILL called for explanation. No. sir;
have higher duty TO perform | know this question
is virtually decided-the decree has gone orlh-his
BILL odious unjust and oppressive the West is TO this
House is 10 pass the other branch of this Legislature
and become the law of the and is the fiat OF arbra
y majority, struggling retain in its ruthless and unyeld
ing grasp unauthorized political power; and i. wero
less and vain task for me- or one far more gifted with the
power of reasoning and persuasion essay by argument
or appeal ts onward march, till il shall have reach
ed its destined goal This bill will pass and before does
and become law Of the land wish q solemn pro-
against its passage in the behalf and name OF upwards
of twelve thousand citizens of this Commonwealth who
are welded the land Of their fathers would have their
native State unit but with whom republican government
recognizing the unchangng and universal political equality
of man. is the chief idol OF their worship and alone
thy Of their homage The present constitution is obnoxious
themthey are in favor Of reform in more ihan one par
cuar but above all are they anxious and resolved pos
sble TO obtain equal voice in the direction of the affairs
of State and longer submit TO the political lnierory
which the patched up Constitution of 1929 has forced
upon theln and which the bill under consideration
la m Under the fictitious dlYI
sons, and the arbitrary apporonment OF representation
adopted BY the Convention that framed our present Const
ton the Eastern DIVISION including the city OF Alexandria,
retains majority of 30 members in the Legislative councils
of the State whilst the Western division contains MAORI
of S. 459 of the white population This bill does not
claim for the East the majority which now has, but 1t Is
designed perpetuate this inequality OF representation Ia
make the will and wishes Of the majority subject the ca
price and dicta of minority and establish principle
which ii acted upon and applied individuals would make
purse Of each citizen the measure OF ms polca nu
ence 1t ia designed TO- and does do than this II at
tempis assign prctext for this Inequality OF
representation; assign reason for that which IN s orr
gin was acknowledged to be without and TO establish
and permanently engaft upon the civil policy OF The state
prime pie usiyng and perpeluang wha, was proiessed
arbitrary in its inception and only intended al the time of
It's adoption as temporary distribution Of political power
Though deicatey mixed by the accomplished gentlemen
from Halifax it is bitter and unpaatable draughtil may
be forced upon me- but unlike of my Western friends
will willingly swallow the mixture, nor WI" KISS the
But, sir this bill recommends itself the favorable
sdeaion of the gentleman from Logan and other Western
because III recognizes vi
presentation And it urged upon US 10 support the bill
acknowledge this principle act upon i now, and although
il gives TO minority OF the citizens Of the commonwealth
maority of II in the proposed Convention this prnc
pie being recognized and acted the basis of reresen
alon the growing West Will soon outstrp the East In
wealth. she has in population be entitled TO an equal
yoics In coming years. and eventually gain an ascendancy
in the councils Of the State. Sir as God is my Judge
know myself would subscribe 10 the doctrines contain
ed in this bill gave The West d baHe e nas ens inns
in common sympathy with those who think that man,
the intellectual the moral the spiritual the POLITICAL the So
cia man. placed in the balance OF civil and political power
should not outweigh the vile and patry something's no
things called dollar. Property is the offspring and not
original element OF civil government and such oeing s
character can under circumstances claim the right 10
forward and form part of assembly, called tOgeher
the purpose Of organizing human society into civil go
vernment Il is by special enactment OF orgasea govern
ment enaciments tOo founded alone the fitness of
things that the rights of property and the right 10 transmit
the his posterity secured to the cltzen ms
bill only proposes give it voice IN ths convention
but il gives il voice vote for vote with the free white
population of the State Yes sir according to the provls
ions Of this extraordinary BILL 67 delegates will represent
property and SIX will represent citizens cannot VIII
support and unnatural propositions ana
cannot but be surprised that it should meet with tavnr from
any part of the State Actuated BY spirit OF concaon
might be willing in order quiet the too easily awakened
apprehensons Of those whom fortune has best with an un
due proportion of this worlds gear oinsert clause prorio
ing against unequal taxation upon any species OF property
that might only found in division OF the State ont
never WILL by my otherwise admit or sanction he
principle contained in this BILL Had unacqrain:ed with
yernmen been present and listened 10 this dscusson ne
would have supposed that government took no control o
md Intended TO protect the repuiaon he e or
personal liberty Of the citizen; and should some gentleman
more communicative than the friends Of This measure haye
been this branch Of the subject approached him as ne
left this hall meditatng upon what he had heard ana reVoy
ing in his mind the paramount importance attached 10 ms
political dollar and told him that civil government had pow
or over the fe liberty, and reputation of the czenhat It
mad power scourge the offender against laws to ncarce
ate the feon and take from the traitor that life which the
God OF Nature had given him. he would have regarded II
IS an idle tale attempted to be imposed upon his nnsons
Gated creduy and resented il as an insult wanony offered
to stranger. :,
In order that we may The better understand and tha! The
country may and know the true character OF this b es
US see how the gentleman from Halifax arrived at his results
Phe revenue of the for the year s49 he finds to be
SIG He divides this amount by iso the number OF
delegates be sent the Convention which gives s3oUo
and fraction as the of revenue entitled to repre-
sentative He finds the Of the revenue of the de-waler
and Piedmont districts be which, divided by
500 gives 81 for the number OF delegates the Eastern
sion would be entitled to upon revenue alone The revenue
of the Western division for the slme year, was s5SoIo
which divided BY the number Of dollars entitled to delegate
gives 10 the West A delegates
The population of the State according TO the estimate Of
the Auditor which will presently show does The Wes. In
Justice is e9O7 III; of which 4063O is East Of the Blue
Ridge, and 4ssos7 West of it. And by pfoeese similar
the white population the Eastern division would be entitled
to g. and the Western "a delegates And BY combining
the Rasern revenue delegates WIN lae d white poPaae
Which his bill caius for the East ln the proposed Conyen
ton; and BY like ejaculation the West is found TO be emit
lion and calculation, and such the data upon which il is
founded by which the ingenious poca! aoassts OF r. ne
East claim for their division Of the aale malosy OF y
while free white of the s
taye republican, government the West wond be entitled 10
like majority And this sir the system hs has toad
sooth it establishes princple" the basis Of representa-
ton Sir this bill establishes no fixed principle Of action
i. erec,s 70 Fixed and gnydryns sandstd by which she
future appotohents Of Representation throughout the State
sha be- made II was moi designed TO- nor does i, make
any proyison by which the great and growing West will
ever have upon this floor IN equal with the
East 1t suits the purposes OF an Eastern majory IN
ted s as Gentlemen seem to expect and hopo It will BY
the convention basis of Iepresfn!aoh IN ne IT,
equally y the oSs5 %s' ss gnds s'fs
adoyed in future shall pay into the Treasury much more
Of State her white population s,hye
wealth Of the West consists of oe eees Of property and
that Of the East Of different kind And therefore the reia
live amount of revenue derived from either the Eastern oi
Western division Of the State be increased or diminished