Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-01
VIRGINIA
REFORM CONVENTION
u GMLAnhR P"b'ishef 10 tic
ffo";Asd to k0 Wn G. B,sHor, o5ie% Ec"orter]
NO. I'll
!. ,,J.rUly'. March lh--t I "n,'""r"!

- ~ y
Mr. JOHN So. .,r the hour when we are IN the
,hc week. ana w.. understand the gentleman IRON
habit oil "nr,r>,O Is prepared 10 sosh ~ a"u
Wood All Monday lptcs'imc .''
com'",', h,m ,hc coure>, WIZ ,,,t tI,r committee
extend n, !. and therefore '"''>
r,,s ;,.l AID the committee accord
msy rose. ,:,. ,,y. ,djoarncd an'il Monday morn
The ConNc"'I
,., at 10, o'clock --
~, ,rEs or NIX EIEn' q, f''"''''N' =
rrp Of, Frederick At the rt' ;' :, =. an'o,nc,
MI ron, k.nawha. llf. ',M' M r,,i, him ON Thu
that the S'a,o ~ h;s remarks commenced ." 2:'".'
day to coh''' with the wishes or con-
1t II sh' nsrc from the eastern >''''' ~ =, a,,I.
amy melo. rrny .hc floor in the pIatr - ,hn,Hh I'M
no" ~ III chcerly yield H. "''''' h;c, nr IN my.
an' 10 do justice either - ' INV, IN regard to il
self, VIII ''to'! n,,,cd bat n" enc ha;inE mann
Here mr. %" =, axe the iluor he proceeded III SUP
tested desire - IN
.,c,- ,fiullow> ; ;,,. ,l,, bricr snceche,
-, IN The habit OF promising ''ir !" -, ,
w. ordinarily mace ns ''' 49,, 'nI inJn,,
when IL. occasion hope the committee III '''"S,
Bul upon w one for the imperfect manner III which
me III oiler'u' nv prc,cut task. Lahnrn!g u, nave
shall aisc's doyi past. under painful lnd',p@>i''oh
been '''ci as nv mind now =, oS c'i.> VI = Nv"
anu Mar,,,ns nature, am >chsi"I ~, ,nu,,
har! "cd a, prc>ent. the ralh Oh P'"''.'" "'''''
am concern ours, of silence. Yet III 'itw oil ,te pc
he tonnA " ,bli, scntimcn: II the dslficl "ii.ch ~
cni'a, ,hc honor to represent On '' No. 80
Par y constituents are cilil'c'' " 'eeV''' II v''
te' " ;, the faith that ! II! me- III ~ Wv
me- 4 &c" -, and a'sorhn. interest no" under COZ"
question: ~ whatever risk OF mor'!i"a'oli u my
sidcri''o"' ,,,;vr aud that alone, have assumed
sell from '"' .,i,udc. Bu, under the circumstances
III; ou. attend me, must earnestly W.
"ni, of my friends who compose li'i' c",'',''''
;;hout it. the small share y. SIT 10 d;un.l 10,
~ ,riu not avail 10 carry W. '''07
t ;h am ahou, TO ennarh. ,.; ,
IN "h'n - rr;yc with certainty al inc ic'!se ,tcs
baCorc The committee, ana 10 iiaAe 'l,' = ''''oe'
w" ~ ;a,v. in regard thereto aiu'o"-, ''"
u. nrono,it,on> connected tnctc"i" ,'''
IT, in the progrcs, OF 'h'' osna'I, fn, n,ys.i
", ,d ~, oher, thai: they can he ny me- "' ny
compelled again 10
tiops are three III mlmhcr' ;d :, ,l. ;, .,,r, .
III sr, !. proposition y. c"i'tai:eo III '... y ',t
80 oomm,tec upon the basis oil representation an"
.'e s>r,t the iavoritc plan upon thal iihp'rtai
supPoscu " r. &c il, members from the eastern sec
commonwealth ltpropo>es 10 oa>e rcpre>c'
-: :; ho,t house, Of the general '.'>e"''', ct"u.
n rho two clements al white !lhao',a''s an" al 20 \
81 exclusive Of those derived from '':'' ~
nroce. In other words. TO oa>s i'P'''' 80,
both houses OF the Tehel "'
lions Of said clcnenls 90 -. ~: ,,,,. for
.ooomn,,yinr this paper 4, are provisions ior
nj ann,rtoumcnt oil represent anon III S"' o",e'
:, accordance witt, the prlnclpic OIL INC "'''
bv il. For future rc-apportlonmeh'H Il, M
with the same For biennial SESSIONS ~ wy 80"
ture, and prescribing the numoe i, Of The scnat
=, fffvope and that OF the house o aeicS''eH 'i' va
bndrad and tifty This is the original OF inc Peh'!in
nron,stious in reference to the p'.Si" y. -.
The second consists of the motion OF ,i.
IN
nrnnos;ton by striking out the wh"t" o. II =.
P'PI I,st sections and in lieu OF that tiu" F'"
J ., bo stricken out to insert the m'tttc' Vi P''i
r,,n r also contained in the report Vi '''e ''.".''
,.a upon the basis OF Representatives, s"i anber.
an, III favorite scheme on that subject: vi -
trom m. western section OF tue o'"'e. :; = ,l
,,,..n+.,;,o suggested b. this ptopoS'l"l' III ,''
a. af ,bs General assembly, is that OF q'''iifsa V"
,rs II also provides for present ana iu'uie aPPyt
;,,,,s consonant to its own principe as " '' -"
.,-for biennial sessions and pfe~ci'pss ','e =
rsnactiyely of the two houses OF the etny'"i
viz. that of the senate i'll one aspect az t''''
- an,I.r ~ f;itytwn and that oil the mouse 81 ''e.T
Id ah''e' a. aud tf,v.Six This is the anand
nlent proposed To the "ti7''''' tl
paper a. ,,;,,,.. nj tl,, .enl,cnri
from Fauouier (Mr Scorr) offered as a', ~
,ba amendment of the gentleman rom iiau"I' N'i'
suMMGns to proposition ~ lh's ~ ,a ',.n.r,,
q ~
I'll, rnon ,nasc.rtaued proportions 81 thc Two Gle
ut, oT white inhabitants and all taxes cAc!"'''r
,hos derived from liccuses and law Pr"eeS'' "
words the respective PORTIONS OF 'l'>e :,
WHICH it PROPOSES to construct the OASIS Vi -. w.
ton are left in blank. 1t also cont'.i.'S nns;,n,
identical with those IN pr"posioi
g. hn no scheme of present apportlonne'V''o t'e',i
ve specification in reference to the nuoei
of rho two houses of the general assembly Ill
also being in blank, and no provision :
annial sessions Then so far AS inc sum- y. -
concerned irrespective OF details, IL VIII We ' ,
the only difference between the mrs, AM Wv o.,
these three propositions, even rs the last now o.
nlv ho deemed one of degree and not OF prnciPie o
the gentleman from Fauouer with his li'.
n,s has announced his intention ultimately 10 move
fill the appropriate blanks in his proposltion WIZ!
proportions of the two elements reterreo 10 IL "
practically, it cannot he viewed rs even le
ference in degree with the original prop'ltlon. +,e
cnrd;ny,v 40 far as every material conslde! ION IS ~
v,ved these two propositions-the frst aha t!'e la'
srs in fact identical shall, therefore, III eXamn':
tb subject treat them - thu; Identical and also 81
FAR a. may be necessary for the purposes "l
an. that each prescribes the same number, aspect
;.lv for the two houses of the youcral assembly
From this detail it is apparent that oil the thrs" VI
tw, immediately competing propositions oc'ore 'he C
nittee consist of the amendment OF the II"
kanawha (Mr. SUMMERS to the oriSn''i lnopoa';or
and the amendment of the gentleman from Y,
S,nrr) 10 that amendment iAH'' 't'' ' i:
ZION. in strictness now under consideration ton "
adoption or rejection Of the latter M IT,
neilme that for the purposes OF discussion a'i t'
II the pending propositions are open TO co'i''ncnI ca
% sppposiue shall, 90 far as may DC necessary :,
the purposes of my argument, bring them all villain !.
range oft But recurring particularly i"r ~ "
wodirecty competing propositions, have to say III r
card to the amendment Of the gentleman RON hana",'
that Idono design to attc.npt to develop te piosopI
oiths principle which it contains preterrin5 a' 20
leay, ,ha, task to ADLER hands yet irrespective OF a
detailed analysis of its merits, that there are ietule
impressed upon its very 'front.' which commend IL mo:
strongly to my favor first, the bass Suggested ny i
simple Certain and stable; secondly 1t recognizes an
gives effect to the great principle OF equality III resS'
to The distribution of political power as between III
members Of the body polite entrusted with us eIercls'
amncipe which conceive to be an eS:entia elciac'
all pure republican governments priaclpe, any os
partuse from which, in proportion to us cXtent' III
wolves 49, ,rt,re from the true line OF republican gov
srnae and the same proportion approS,mates 70 4
aFSocracy. wish to be understood here ITO not So
that TIL, i, the only fundamental principle OF repuol
can go"enusa or vet, that it is the fundamental prime
PIE oirepubcan government but that 1t Is one OF 'os
fundamental principles The elective franchise locate
upon popular basis, properly extended III reference
herecpen,s of the rights of suffrage, Is another IN
perhaps some others might be referred TO-
Then as to the proposition OF the gentleman lr"I
faaquer The precise converse OF the reasons VINO
Commend To NV favorable consideration, the proposition