Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-29

schools and colleges have sprung up for the
Of the youth of the county Aud the lands IN tnese
counties have been greatly increased in their 'aue
The advantages derived from the formation on NJ"
counties in oil parts of the State with which a az
quaned, have far outweighed any additional expense
which may have accrued to the State By reason OF .'s
creation might instance the county oil Carroll ofheo
out of my own county (Grayson) eight or nne ye:u
ago. IN that county schools and semnares OF learning
have sprung up society has greatly improved ana tne
lands of that county have increased in that time nearly
two hundred PEI cent. in their value True SIR ne olu
county of Grayson In ured somewhat By tne
ton Of Carroll The western boundary line OF Carrol,
approached within three miles Of courthouse ni
ut last caused removal of the county seat But at
tach no blame to the legislature for that act IL re,
suited not much from the neglect of the PeoPlI "
Grayson to demonstrate, in time, against the
ment Of that ue from n srepresenatlo o' inc'
by their own representative to the Committee Oh ITO
positions and Grievances which reported The DILL u WAS
stated me by my friend the may from Madison
(Slr BANKs who then chairman of that comnttce.
Mr. ANDERSON. Will the gentleman from gray
tell US how long the county of Grayson was before
Carroll county formedi
| Mr.. McCAMANT. | do not know the exact leugtii
of that county at the time but estimated to have
been somewhere about one hundred and ten miles II
was county of great length but was very Wrro" at
the extreme western point, running to accute angie
and wedged in between the North Carolina line OH the
one side and the lines of the county of Washington and
State of Tennessee on the ether.
The county oil Floyd, craeted in the yenr leso- 81
from the southern portion of Montgomery county, might
be mentioned another instance of the benefit TO he
derived from the formation Of new counties y c"'i"Se
for the education Of the youth of the surrounding cou
try has been erected in that county, and Inns been 10
successful operation for several years society hHs much
improved there and the lands have greatly Increased In
value
The same may be said of the county of Mercer lying
between Giles and Tazewel ofPulask and OF aoailoKe
In every instance the beneficial effects nave re-
suited lom the establishment of these Dew counties.
My friend from kanawha Mr.. SMIrn) says that 4
county containing OF six hundred miles square
is small enough-that in county OF thai SIZE inc
courthouse being in the centrc the people would not
have to travel than fifteen miles to the court his
would all be enough if you could always put your
courthouse in the centre of the county, ami then make
roads it, but the gentleman knows that tins cannot
be done in mountain county like ours suppose therr
was county scat Crags Creek, in the county OF
Mont omery, and point in that valley should he The
centre of some six hundred miles square, formed INTO
new county. How far, ask, would the people living
on Sinking Creek on the one side, and OH the heaa OF
the North-iurk of the Roanoke, and on frahsheAr
Creek the other have to travel to their courthouse
They would all be within fifteen miles Of their court
house but venture to say they could get there in
travelling twice fifteen miles, unless they attempted to
scale the mountains and eudanger their necks al every
step.
constitution and insert constitutional rr0Tislon say
inc the people shall have county II their con-
venience demands it, did not bargain far that Gen
emeu say that great evil results from the formation
of new counties and they tell US that large counties
ought not to be cut up and small ones formed ana
that the formation of these counties has operated IN
urous!y TO the interests of the people o the State
would ask gentlemen, who much opposed to the
formation of Counties if we hear any complaints
from the citizens Of small counties !, No gentleman
has risen in his place and presented single compliant
tboro has
have been formed within the last few wears. Genie
cannot point to single OF these counties Ind
that the people in them desire to 90 back to The
old county organization The people in all these com
tics will say with one voice that tlrr do not de-
src to go back to such county organization SAY, tten
ii is the desire Of the people Of large count y-Lna
their Interests wonld thereby be promoted-lat he
county should be divided and new formed let lot
the hands OF the legislature be tied that they cannet
grant the request Of the people
Mr. WILEY. The remarks Of the gentleman from
Meckeuburg (Nr. GoonEl make it necessary that
: should explain myself little more fully. do MT
after the Use OF my arguments made by the ger
teman from Mecklenburs feel at all disposed to retrad
or withdraw any of them.
| still believe that the dividing Of our territory into
small counties greatly and unnecessarily Increases tie
expenditure the fund of the Comnlonwe ath-that
detracts from the dignity and the influence Of the pee
pie who live within the county-that II operates init
rously in preventing the concentration of large
III the cTeCl!OH Vi DTIuReS lOTW.FullS puUllC
prov cments and that i'll thousand ways, il Is njuri
ous and is policy that ought not 10 be encouraged Thu
argument that intended use, and thought did
was this and commend it TO the consideration of tn
gentleman from Mecklenburg: 1t seems lille that h
incorporation Of such restriction as this in the coIs.i
tuition WOULD be the adoption Of clause foreign tn
purposes of such an instrument And do say, will
all due respect 70 the opinions of Others that
danger, it seems 10 me- in desire to impose whole
come and sautary restriction upon the legislation
the country restrict and embarrass our legi
alion as will ultimately very much cnbarass and DE-
tract from the welfare Of the people We NAV gel
into difficulties, which cannot inreaee bv tie
incorporation of this restriction into this constitution
| am opposed to making constitution bill OF char
Gerry, drawn ont indefinitely and incorporating into
so many principles and SO much restriction. believe
that such policy is foreign to the purposes of i cor
stution, and will, IL future time embarrass the legs
ton Of the country and will seriously iuurc he
welfare Of the people; and think is taking upon
too much to say We have not only the wisdom of the
present time but can foresec and anticipate all the utue
difficulties, and legislate this day for all posteritv
The question was then taken upon the amendment d
the gentleman from Harrison Mr. CAMpES to the amend
lnert, and it was rejected.
Mr. FERGUSON. | move to amend the amendment
of the gentleman from Mcklenbirg (Mr GoopE.) by
adding this to the end Of it. but the general assembly
sha have the power reconsruc, the se"era counties
OF the Commonwealth with view to make them As
nearly uniform in territorial extent a. NAV be-"
really nope llLlI PcuIleueH VINO are so much 0p
posed to small counties have their wishes carried
out by making them larger.
The question then taken upon the amendment 10
the amendment, and it rejecic.!-, count being
had--aycs Is noel b.
The question being then taken upon the amendment
of Mr.. GoopE it re ected.
Mr. SMITH, of kanawha. will now try nv amend
ment 1t is as follows
NO new county shall be formed with an area less
than six hundred square miles, nor shall the county
Counties from which it is formed lie reduced below tfa,
area nor shall any existing county, having a white
population less than five thousand be deprived of more
than fifth of its population shall county hav
ing larger white population be reduced below four
thousand.
Mr. GOODE. will give my friend from Kanawha
the right hand OF fellowship and support his proposition
! Mr. FERG USON. 1t strikes nlr we ought to perfect
this thing. Now it is there is no provision deter.
mining how the number OF square miles may be a<cer
taned and provision for ascertaning the number Of
inhabitants. have no idea that the general assembly
will have capacity enough determine this thing and
suggest to those who have taken this provision under
their charge that they ought to make provision fol
| this before it is adopted.
! The question was then taken upon the amendment
and it adopted-a count being had-aves 81, noe:
! 90