Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-05-08
THE CONVENTION.
INTERESTING PROPOSITIONS.

INTERESTING PROPOSITIONS.
The session of the Convention, yesterday, was
one of unusual interest, as two Of the five Eastern
gentlemen, who assisted in voting down the mix
ed basis, developed their peculiar views.
Mr. Randolph, of Albemarle brcugnt forward
his plan of a mixed basis, which consists in adding
all the ,cie people in the State to all the dollars
paid in the shape of taxes of every kind, Gnclud-
ING the taxes on lcenses) and alloting senator
or delegate to the quotient found by dividing the
incoapruous aggregate by the number of the Sc
nate or House respectively. He sustained this
curious proposition III political arithmetic by Sc
res of the most remarkable inconsistencies it was
ever our fortune to hear. The regular mixed ba-
sis was, he said, the most rigorous measure ne
ever knew majority to insist on, yet he pro-
claims that he is bound to 60 for the federal basis
whenever it is proposed, which would give lar
ger majority to the East by four or five, than the
mixed basis would. But his idea of rigour was
still more strongly illustrated, by the further de-
claraton that his basis of dollars and people added,
instead of combined, would soon ensure larger
majority to the East than it would get by the true
basis, because of the large taxation necessary to
nav the interest on the public debt. After this with
consistent inconsistency, he appealed to East and
West to adopt his plan as measure OF concllla-
ton.
A most important disclosure was made by Mr.
Chiffon of Fauquier, whose course has excited
more surprise thanthat of any of the five imprac-
ticables of the Fast After an explanation to
show thatever since his canvass he has been
free to approve Compromise, he said he would
hereafter propose one to this effect that the mix
ed basis be adoped now, to be supplanted by the
suffrage basis some ten twelve years hereafter;
but as condition of this surrenderin future, on
the part of the East, he would exact constitution
al provisions for the completion of the great
works of improvement, and restrictions against
approximations for local schemes. He does not
propose, however, to offer this proposition, unless
he is assured that it will be accepted by the West,
and will be sustained by considerable number
of Eastern votes
Mr. Carter of Loudoun, and Mr.. Wise declar-
ed their willingness to assent to Mr.. Chilton's
scheme; and Mr. Anderson, of Botetourt, attempt.
ed to get the floor with the apparent purpose oil
signifying his adhesion. Mr. Taylor, of Norfolk
however, gained the floor, and intimated that the
submission of this proposition had presented the
occasion upon which be had for some time been
expecting to take his definite position. 1t is pre-
sumed that Mr. Taylor will, to-day, declare him
self for Compromise on the terms suggested by
Mr.. Chiffon; whether any other Eastern gentleman
will come into it is not ascertained; but it is appa-
rent that has at taken precedence of all other
plans of Compromise yet introduced. No Wes-
tern gentleman announced his readiness to &C
cept the overture of Mr.. Chiffon, but we canno
imagine that there will be the slightest hesitation
on that side of the House.