Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-21
THE BASIS DISCUSSION,

It is commonly said that some thirty or forty
members of the Convention have vet to deliver
themselves on the basis question We can we'll
imagine that the public will be appalled, by the
announcement. Little did the people imagine
when they were voting last summer for delegates
10 "Reform Convention" that they were Great
ing the most extraordinary debating society, to
which Republicanism has ever yet given BIRTH
There is not the slightest reason to suppose that
honorable gentlemen expect to convince any of
their fellow members on the question now under
discussion. Their object in protractng the de-
bate must be construed to he the desire of each
one to figure in the general contest for superor-
ty. The speeches are all reported with remarka-
bic funess and accuracy, and it is not surprising
that almost every member should hope to be par
doned by his own constituents, for endeavouring
to show their discrimination and judgment in
selecting him to make constitution for them
Gentlemen seem to conceive that they called
upon, and all, like the graduates of college,
10 prove their title to diploma by declaiming
orations in the English language "a restriction, by
the way, which is not always very rigidly CON-
piled with.) The "unmited freedom of discus
sion'' is, however,a privilege which may be grey-
ously abused, and we have no doubt if the voice
of the people could be taken to-day whether the
precious question should be applied to the present
debate, it would not last twenty-four hours longer.
in truth, there is abundant evidence that the
try is growing heartily sick of this eternal fux Of
words, words, words. Yet we can see no earthly
IF Mr. hoe I'd
that, notwithstanding his frequent appearances, he
has not yet given the real blast, which he is gath
ering up in his Borean cheeks; he promises to
blow US. some time or other, a 'scod blue nose nor
wester," which is going to Danish entirely from
the tdeWater region all such fever-and-agush dis
eases of the human reason as the mixed basis
Until that gale is weahered, we need not expect
the Convention to steer into any BORT.
Verify we think the people may soon raise a
point of order against their constitutional
They were elected 10 amend or reform the pre-
sent constitution; but, by dint of ntermnable de-
bate, they are actually, against the will of the
people, keeping that constitution in existence
We begin 10 fear that, like some of the French
Assemblies, the Convention will declare itself en-
permanence, and hold on discussing the basis of
representation forever. Certainly some ground
has been given for this apprehension by the ex-
traordnary declaration of the member from Ac-
comac that the question between the two parties
would become one of physical endurance;" and
experience has gone far to impress us with con-
viction that session with only that limitation
would never expire until the members had, one
by one, dropped into the grave. 1t is comforting,
however, to reflect that there is an old republican
way of abating or at least rendering harmless such
serious grievance-the method, adopted in by
by-gone times by English patriots, of stopping the
supplies The Legislature, though often denomi-
mated an inferior power to the Convention, has
exclusive control Appropriations from the Trea-
sury; and it is not probable that eleemosynary
speechifying would be as amusing to the perfor-
mers as innocuous to the public interests