Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-04

win come into power under tho new system " :r nv
held its gular benial session before ioS, a.u
should be called session the new s'ae VI '!Isa E.o'
possibly come into operation before 1869 Well then,
You pet all the protection you could possibly get unaeF
the mixed basis for By that time you would not nave
majority in either house. or upon loi. oaio' -
trme Won have not majority Joint ballot, as you
would now have under the Ioixod tasis But under
stand you do not want majority IN both houses lot po
ic prposes for the mere sake OF power but, lot pur
noses the cast you 40 NOT "an'
FIR tho nurpose Of controlling the election Of the o!
of The Government or for the apportionment Of OIL
cns which are to be filled by the Legislature, because,
ALI concede that these elections ought to be in the ratio
If the nopular vote throughout the whole State That
think will be the just and proper moae OF eiee'nS ane
ought to be elected in proportion to the whole mum
her Of voters in the State Well then, If II IS not Tor
political power it is not necessary TO have analoFlty IN
both houses of the Legislature for protection, because
= urotection Of ten majority in the Senate, is better
than the meagre majority the mixed basis would give you
in each house According to the mixed basis you will
have ,nsority Of five in the Senate and some twelve IN
the House of Delegates. This would last for ten years
and then the maoriies in both houses Will be nourazcd
or overcome.
This is the idea ! wish 10 impress upon the Conven
ton that this is good proposition for the east a tic
mixed basis in both Houses of the General Assembly
that is good proposition for the east now, and
better proposition for the State large. Suppose for
the sake OF argument, you could in despite of the west
carry the mixed basis and fix it Oh them in both Houses
could you get this constitution ratified Would it have
been agreed too Would the vote Of the east, who
are opposed to all reform, and opposed to all change III
the constitution with the vote Of the west have rejected
i'll Every must agree that ii must have been re-
ected But suppose still further it not cced
it could not last longer than twenty years Itcou not
last longer than till 1870 probab not longer than StO
for according to the calculations Of eastern them
selves the upon any basis, have the majority
in both Houses i'll 1870. and If they were not sati:ica
with the mixed b.ssif they wanted any other basis
they would have the power if not nlS6O certainly III
1870 in both Houses of the General Assembly. and
would establish the basis upon what principle they
pleased Now, what does the proposition give YOU
IL gives YOU the actual operation of the mixed basis up
20 the time when YOU yourselves admit The hands Vi the
west would BIZ uuticd and they would be ut liberty 10
adopt what basis they pleased without any guarantees.
They would then have the whole thing in their power
AS il now you will have the continuation OF the mixed
asis for twenty years and you now have the pow
er to Incorporate into the constitution just what ua.an
lies YOU please for the west have given us the eui7s
blanche that we NAV put in own guarantees; they
will give YOU every guarantee necessary for The rotec
ton and safety of the east Upon every view Of the
question think it is better for the counry-!t Is
better for this Convention adopt this proposititn than
If they could have adopted the mixed basis out and out
because it restores quiet peace and harmony IN
ses the safety and integrity OF the State and prevents
the call of another Convention twenty years hence So
much for that proposition.
now beg leave to say a few words to the gentleman
IFoW ks1I oCOII buoSt HIehuS WIN
with him. and whom. lie SAYS, would be willing TO adopt
his plan of compromise. call upon him to say, if he
und his friends willing to agree the plan pro-
rosed by him, why it is that they cannot up
m Iagree this plan How is it that that gent lruan
and his friends can justify themselves before the Con
y.,tj, and the country. in saying that they willing
RI 90 his plan Of compromise but they cannot 60 for
that rep rted by the commtee-that they have nsup-
cradle OBJ ections toitl Now the question OF time
!, In, berf clearly shown that this proposition Of the
mag viii hin rtf thnt oil Ia.
III. ,e,r;lenan from Fauquer, (Alr. Scorr) 1t cmhoes
he same, identical principle in its operation with that
.mb,died i:l the gentenans proposition and within one
ye,r Of the tim, and 1t has far the east is
cerued this advantage over 1t: 81 this proposition ;hc
eas; has ixeI majority in h. Senate until 1867. wi,e
the legislature will make rc-apporiionment. whic,
will not 20 into 1eration until 1869. So that you have
:, fixed majority in the Senate from now until 1869
which will cffectunl protect you against all improper
lsrsatiou while by the proposition of the gentleman
from Fauouer which proposes 81 re superintendent IL
1861 yoa will then lessen the majority Of the east III
the Senate and increase the western majority i'll ;lt
House of Delegates that i'll my Judgment gentlemen
cannot Justify themselves here or before the country in
opposing this measure upon the ground OF time
The next objection urged hY The gentleman from tIu-
ouier is that this plan proposes that the Governor i'll
case the legislature fail to make an apportlonmet IN
1865 is the person appointed to nave the vote taken '
the alternate propositions of The basis OF representation
ment;oned in the report Well think that is right
and propcr 1t an executive duty to be performed W
executive officers and the Governor M the chief
tive officer of the State is the proper person to TO
the execution of the laws. The gentleman from Fau-
quier in his proposition fixes upon the year 1870 but
proposes TO modify the time that the vote shall lie
taken before that time and enough for the new ap-
portonnent 20 into operation i'll that year, certainly
not later It. therefore cannot possibly have more Than
one years difference in its favor AZ to time while ii he
increases the orty of the west in the House Of Dele
rates and lessons the majority of the east in the Senate
Ia nd IN rs tU l{prs
also the advantage in favor OF the cast III the PROPOSE
ton of the gentleman from Fauquicr, over this PROPOSE
zion will be still less in this respect.
Now to this question being submitted to the voter:
by the Governor This proposition requires that in case
the legislature shall fail make the re-app rtonlpent
the Governor shall require the vote Of the State to be
taken The gentleman from Fauquier objects 10 this
as not being admissible at alas casting reflection
upon the Legislature which ne is not willing to submit
to- This was intended first a selfeXecutng provis
ion in the constitution TO be carried into effect BY lis
own operation, without any cxtrinsic aid this is one
of the provision and the next is proper duty
for the executive perform, and has been considered
as properly an executive duty in all time past, as is
proven by all past usage. The legislature i'll 1898
which called the convention of 1S293O, provided that
the question should be submitted to the people whether
they would have constitution, and required the COVER
the vote to be taken, and that he should
certify the result. The constitution of lS29-'30 was
BY its provision submitted to the people by the gov
enor and the legislature which called this convention
OF Wnlcn the gentleman from rauquler was ulStn-
cushed member directed the question to be submitted
to the people BY the governor Now think they were
right in ali this. Nobody objected 10 it, 1t was RICH,
then and it is right now but We do not wish to sickle
for such mere matters Of form. We are willing to ac-
cept Of the amendment the principle Of the amend
ment of the gentleman from Appomattox, (Nlr. Be-
cock that the legislature shall first attempt to make
the apportionment and in case they shall fail to NAL
such apportionmen, they shall then certify the PROPOSE
ion Of each house to the governor and the vote shall
be taken upon these two propositions but in the event
that they fail both to make the apportionmenl and to
make the certificate the governor shall cause the vote
to be taken upon tho two alternative propositions
The other objection of the gentleman from Fauouier
was that the sectional divisions of the State were re-
tanned. This has already been explained 1t was not
intended to be retained The Blue Ridge of mountains
was mentioned to show how intended to apportion
representation now, and to be stricken out after the
apportonment was made among the counties and towns:
it was understood BY the committee that it wa, to he
stricken out after the numbers distributed SO as
to make it read representation shall be apporoned
among the several counties, leaving out The Blue
Ridge entirely It was merely put in as matter Of
convenience, being the easiest manner OF showing the
Convention at glance how it was tha, we nronoed to
make the apportionnent at this time with rsyard ~
III.