Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-27

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lar session thereof which shall be held next after tn
taking of said VOTE shall apportion representation in eac
house of the General Assembly according to the primer
pie of representation therein for which majority OF tn
qualified voters shall have declared their preference b.
the vote aforesaid land in the questions provided
in the preceding sections shall have been submitted b.
the Governor and majority of votes shall have been ems
for population and taxation combined rs the principle
for either house. it shall be the duty of the Legislature
In apportionng such house upon that principle TO con
| slider the number of white inhabitants, and the anoun
of all raised by the Legislature and paid III thu
several counties cities aud towns deductng thereo
all taxes on licenses and law process and the captaol
tax free negroes and to apporton representation IL
such house among the several counties cities and towns
among senatorial districts the case may be. with
all practicable equality according to the proportion OF
the white population H. and the proportion of the taxa
ton above mentioned paid BY said counties, cities and
said senatorial districts giving equal weigh,
in such apportionment to population and to taxation
and thenceorh it shall be the duty of the General AS:
seby in every tenth year thereafter TO reapportion
and distribute the number of senator's and dele gates
throughout the Commonwealth, according to the same
principle of representation.
said something about my smiling. was not conscious
of smiling at his suggestion Of the proposition. If there
was smile upon my countenauce it was Il smile Of
pleasure at seeing his restoration to health to
bic him to appear amongst US againa smile of pleasure
at hearing his voice mngliug again in this assembly.
have said before that these are verbal amendments
amendments of phraseology-which may become ne
cessary should this proposition meet with favor in the
Convention. have already said that the it
self drawn up under circumstances which Prccud
that careful and accurate phraseology, which may be
attained and certainly is desirable in the constitution
of commonwealth. But do not think the gentleman
should propose his amendment now. AS has been al
ready stated it will become necessary 10 reier TINS pro-
position to committee for revision, and Will also be
necessary to refer committee for the purpose OF
apportonnent. These matters can then be arranged.
All that is necessary now that We agree upon this
compromise so far as principles are concerned. will
mention TO the gentleman from Appomattox that the
suggestion he made was not passed by without consde-
ration in the committee aud he will perceive himself,
when call his attention TO it, that in reference to the
plan of apportionmen which he desires now to make
provision for he attempts to provide that the General
Assembly, if they shalt fail in 1865 rc-apporonment
upon proposition then agreed upon, shall notify the
governor Of the principle of representation about which
there is disagreement and that the respective prncl
Piles advocated BY the Senate and also by the House shall
be then omitted by the Governor. Now in this con-
sttuton how far is it competent or proper to vest the
General Assembly with Conventional powfrs' and how
far it right aud proper for this Convention assembled
here for the purpose of making constitution to trans
fer over the General Assembly at future period the
power prescribing to the people the principle of rep
rest ntaon upon which their government is to be basedt
Ought not this constitution to contain within itself a
,elf-operatug provision BY which this thing is TO be
ried out Ought We the people-for we arc here the
representatives of the people for the purpose of making
this constitutional clohe the governor and lcgls-
aturc with the powers OF prescribing the prnclpe VI
rarrese utatou:
It was thought best that the constitution itself should
contain the various principles Of representation about
which we have been divided here, aud prescribe in the
event the legislature should disagree to the principle Of
representations that should be propounded TO the peo
pie in all its various forms. That is difficulty. An
other is how will your Senate House OF Delegates
necessarily agree upon what principle they will submit
to the Governor? Your Senate is to be composed Of III
y members aud your House Of Delegates one hundred
and fty and suppose both Senate and House either
to be equally divided upon the principle Of the basis or
suppose various conflicting principles of representation
are advocated by members in either House OF the Cen
era Assembly to prevent majority upon any
one how any principle be submitted TO the govern
or: All these difficulties arise.
II true he attempts provide in the event Of the ina
bility the legislature TO make the aPportionment that
these several propositions shall be submitted by the gov
ernor 10 the people, but still the difficulty remains. We
have attempted provide orerery principle ofrepresen
aton have thought of here and very probable
that the progress of political science BY the year 1865
will devise any new modes, other than the ingenuity OF
gentlemen have suggested here We have provided for
the proposition to be submitted to the people upon the SUI
fraee basis upon the basis of the whole white population
upon the combined basis Of the population aud taxation
aud upon the basis of taxation exclusively. They arc
provided for in this compromise, and do not think is
wisdom to provide here in reference to the legislature
be in some respects conerng upon them conventional
powers If there is to be any alteration Of the phrase
oogy here it will be attended to, think, properly
when the whole work of revision shall come before
committee to the details and phraseology Of the pa
per as it is finally to be inserted into the constitution
l. therefore, hope it will be the pleasure Of the gentle
man from Appomattox to withdraw his amendment. If
i, is not withdrawn think we should vote it down and
! look into this matter hereafter
! Mr.. BOCOCk. lretun my thanks TO my friend from
Kauawha (Mr. SUNMERs) for the pleasure which he eX
presses at having again seen my face and heard my
voice in this hall Aud would say that it affords me
pleasure to be again associated with my friends here but
vet for it is melancholy pleasure. was looking
forward anxioasy to the day when could be restored
from sick room to the pleasure and excitement of the
proceedings Of this hall and to association with
friends here come at last, but when came founc
| was not well but in danger of being extremely sick
and that certain physicaus had been called upon to ad
minister TO me and my friends And yesterday the.
pronounced US not only sick but dead laughter ant
delivered dead bodies to enemies, who seemed
to be socitous about the reality of our death thai
they disposed to do that indecent thing of having
| the death and funeral on the same day. Laughter
They unwilling to let us remain out OF our fa
resting place much night lest, as suppose by
galvanic process, might be terminated to-day
But presume that if there is any vitality in US 1t vii
be discovered through our winding sheet. The,
are not disposed to remove that winding sheet in thu
least degree u order look at the condition of tina
which is within it. say that they are not dlsposcd-
for that Ike it the gis of the arguments of the gen
tleman from kanawha-to disturb this compromise Ny
proposition he says provides for the submission of TIVE
questions proposed BY the Senate and one by thu
House of Delegates aud he asks if it is absolutel,
certain that they would agree. l answer that know
snot absolutely certain, there may be twenty-five tx
twenty III the Senate and seventy to seventy
five IN the House, but lie says that my proposition ha
attempted TO provide for the contingency. Theremarl
that have provided for the contingency true, and
would ask of the gentleman from Kanawha if that i
not complete answer to his objection. The question
to be submitted by the Governor Id distinctly set fortl
in the two houses shall not agree to submit an
question. AS to the gentemans other tection will h
tell in all candor and Of his candor have no reason
to doubt, that he objects to my proposition because
thinks it wrong in transferring conventional powers to In
legislature of rs.
Mr.. SUMMERS. lido thiukit is Objectionable in tina
point of view.
Mr.. BOCOCk The gentleman then does obec
that the legislature of 65 should have the right to sub
NIT to the peopl. to decide between the two question
they shall propose. was just about to put the ques
tion if this other was not his objection. shall under
stand him if he says that his objection is to any chang
in the condition language provision of the comprc
mise It is distinctly understood that friend O