Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-22

COnyeNtlOn-EriSlay.


The Convention indicated to-day, by IL
final action, that it had at last agreed t.
some adjustment olthe Basis question. Al
ter resolving itself into Committee of tn
Whole, Mr.. Finney moved substitute 70
theplan offered by Mr.. Wise on Thursday
1t proposed to give the East 81 in Hous
of 159 and q in Senate of so, with tn
provision that in 1861 it should be submit
ted to the voters olthe State to determine
what principle of representation they pre-
fcrred
Mr.. Bolts suggested that inasmuch as
was generally believed that various gen
tlemen had plans of their own to submit t,
the Convention, it would be most prope
for them all to do so at once, SO that ever,
proposition might be laid upon the tabl'
and ordered to be printed. lie had
plan of his own which he might one
hereafter. 1t proposed that the represen
tation in both Houses Of the General As
sembly. should be based upon the combin
ed ratib of Federal numbers and whit,
population. He should vote against al
plans until the course he suggested wa
adopted by the Convention
The question then being upon striking
out Mr.. WIse's plan, 1t was carried in The
affirmative. Ayes So, noes SO.
A vote was then had upon Mr. Finney,,
substitute, and it was rejected by a most
decided vote--ayes 2, noes I0i. Mcssrs
Finney and Tazewell Taylor voted in the
affirmative.
Mr.. Chiffon then offered the Report OF
the Compromise Committee, so amended
as to provide that the white suffrage, mix
ed and pure taxation basis, should all be
submitted to the people in 1865.
Mr. X. T.. Scott expressed his surprise
and regret that Mr.. Chiffon should havo
made the motion after having declared on
Thursday, that he would sustain no com
promise which did not receive, the sup
port Of a considerable portion of the East.
There are severalfeatures IN the plan re-
ported by the committee which could not
meet with his approval. One was that it
perpetuatcd that division ofscctions which
he wished abolished, and another which
called for the Intervention Of the Exccu-
tivcin re-apportiouing representation. He
contended that this power belonged prop
crly to the Legislative Department, and
that the refusal to bestow it implied dis
trust of the Senate. He could sustain no
proposition which contained an imputation
upon the trustworthiness of that branch Of
the Legislature. lie thought tina: if this
proposition, obnoxious as it was TO large
g el.l
through by a bare majority il would be but
the beginning of trouble. He then offer
ed plan ofCompromise, Of which the fol-
lowing are the prominent features The
West to have majority IN the lower
House and the East in the Senatc-thc for
mer upon the suffrage basis, the latter up
on the mixed. After 10 years there should
be respporlionment in both branches upon
the respective principles Of their organiza-
ton. Butaiter the lapse Of 20 years it
should be the duty Of the Legislature to a.
dept some other plan Of and
in case it could not agree, the competing
plans should be submitted to the people.
Mr.. s., at some length, argued the merits
Of his own scheme Of Compromise. He
said he was authorized to state that a CON
number of Eastern men would
go for ii. and it would thus become really
a Compromise.
Mr.. Wise replied. He deprecated the
Of any system which gave a
different basis Of representation in the two
House, The Legislature would then be-
come insrt fer good ard rotcn, for mis-