Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09

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formed the Legislative department! Oh ~ da,;nS,,;sbs
on the proposition of comprom,se " ,e Ia. 'iln AZ;
la from the Valley Mr.. Cook, says
c;nles and results of the two plans
a. oonromse the one submitted by Judge Upshur, the
other by Mr. Gordon cha detail, re- t,a .,ro
WI oouA hafors the Commttec--viz: the schem es
Nss arc Jpshur and notwithstanding to these plans
Rv Mr. Gordon's Senate of 80 Is West l9 East.
. Mr.. Upshur's DO e,ror &c tha ,yost os "a mart
Here is difference III 'a'o' - VIC '''' " -" p"'
~ ~ Nh Mr., Gorlon's, House of Delegates
ny fIso '''@ > SO West. 70 East.
By MIR. Upshur, do do As 6, ~
1hn: r Man of Mr. Gordon, is preferable to that of
Ar Tshurs sixth thus in the two Houses the DIFF
ference between the two plans is very nconsderabe.
But in another respect there is very important differ
| once That OF Mr. Upshur contains principle of flu
,ura annortionment principle of vitality and sepre-
| s.rya,ion which Mr.. Gordons entirely wants. He
wod therefore, say il with all due respect that Air.
| Gordon was mere shift and temporary cxPedent, to
cot clear of present embarrassmens, much as he der-
ed to support any plan. which came from that quarter
| from gentleman TO whom he had been so much in
dcbted rs faithful friend Of reforn yet he could not
| support plan which settled principle and 4
mere temporary patchwork Of Constitution to be torn
20 pieces some five six years hence by the agItators
aud Jacobins Of that day
Here then the result shows that in fact the PROPOSE
ton of Mr.. Gordon and Mr. Upshur are the same, that
they produce the results and although Mr.. Cor
don took for the basis representation the white pop
uiaton OF 1890 it gave the same distribution of power
IS the combined basisthe basis of white population
and Federal numbers So it was in fact recognition
of the very principle advocated by gentlemen who ndvo
the mixed basis OF representation upon tins floor
We go for the mixed basis, not that we care SO much
about the principle of the mixed basis but because it
effects proper distribution OF political power-becase
it arranges and protects NIL the diversified interests of
| the Commonwealth.
| Mr. VAN WINKLE. If the gentleman will permit
mo- would like TO know whether he means to say that
the present representation is apportoned upon mixed
| basis:
| The white population of 1920 was adopted the ba-
sis of the apporon established by the present constit
ton If the mixed basis, according to population and
taxation in 1929 had been adopted, the majority against
the west would have been thirtytwo Whereas, leav-
ing Alexandria, il is twenty-five or the differ
between sevenyeigh and fttysix, precisely the
result which calculation based exclusively upon the
white population of 1920 will give. And certainly if
there had been any intermixturc, if it had been the
erage of other plans into which taxation had entered
the result would not have been
Mr. LETCFER. If my friend from Henry will give
way for moment, will inform him that in CONVEX
satlnn with Gen. Gordon, some short time ago. when
he was attending to law in The of this city,
he informed distinctly, he had based representation
upon the white population Of 1920. There other
gentlemen herc-my friend from kanawha and others
who present at that conversation Taxation did
not minge with it and had no connection with it.
Mr.. MARTIN. 1t seems TO mc-with all respect
ii gentlemen had listened TO what had said they would
not have deemed it necessary to ask inc question.
admitted, that the proposition was based upon the
white population Of 1920, but said that the result
and practical object was accomplished as by the propo
Sition advocated by eastern gentlemen. 1t had produ
ced the result The basis of representation, based
upon the combined ratio, Of federal NUMBERS and white
population. Nlore than that-the result Of that vote
shows that it was triumph Of the friends of the very
principle of representation commended for upon this
oor BY the eastern portion Of the State because, by
refer to the final vote upon Mr. Goron's PROPOSE
,ion you will find it was carried by vote of 50 TO II
and that it sustained by every eastern gentleman
upon that floor except three from the county Of Lo-
doun. from the Bedford district and two from the
Pittsylvania district seven gentlemen who all along in
that great cont ST. agreed with the west in favor Of the
white basis Of representation, and voted against by
western member Of that body except Messrs Cooke
and Henderson. If the result of that Convention is
to be invoked authority in this discussion if that is
to be relied upon principle TO sustain the gentle
mans proposition, it is more argument in favor Of
the position occupied by eastern gentlemen than that
advocated by western gentlemen.
utthere various other objections which have been
made to the principles embraced in the propositions sub
mtted by the distinguished gentleman from Fauquier
Mr. ScoTT 1t has been argued with great ingenuity and
ability by gentlemen from the west that this basis Of
representation dcgrades portion OF the constituency
they represent upon this floor. The argument has been
very properly met by various gentlemen upon the part
Of the cast, who Illustrated their idea Of degradation
thus: that if there be anything in their idea that coun-
ty is degraded, because 1t has larger population and
only the delegation, the principle if carried out
degradcs not only other counties in the same section
but counties in every section in The State II re.
suits from no basis of representation. That idea of
degradation-whch think is no dcgradation-which
certainly do not feel in reference to my district al
though to extent it might be applicable there but
it results from the inequality in the number of popua-
aon Of the different counties Of the State and never
can be otherwise, unless you adopt the principle of the
general ticket system in the State Of Virginia. sys-
which would destroy all representative RESPONSE
by-you cannot carry out the principle laid down in
proposition B. that equal number of suTragans or
voters is entitled to an equal number of delegates upon
any other principle unless you establish the principle
OF election by general ticket.
shall therefore, Mr.. Chairman, with great pleasure
support the proposition of the distinguished gentleman
my friend from the county of Fauqnier | regard it as
Just and fair principle Of representation II DESTROYS
what in my humble opinion, never should have existed in
organic law the arbitrary section divisions ofthc COM
moaweah. 1t establishes the true rule which should
exist in every representative government, that
Important interest in society should he protected hy
naTng its particular representation; and it prcsumes
that principle Misrepresentation which has pervaded all of
our past history from earliest colonial history down
to the present time-hat is that the aority Of per-
sons duly qualified according to law to vote, in each
election district whose peculiar interest he
represent, should have the privilege Of ciectinc
such representative, and that in such election the vote
Of no one man or set of men, should count more than
the vote oil any other man or set OF men, Ii docs
and what think is nothing than fair and equi-
tabe-it gives to thal portion Of the State, which
makes the largest contributions TO the public treasury
The greatest influence in I he legislative department of
the government In other words it gives to those who
pay the taxes the control of the application of the tax
cs, in which can perceive no degradation to any ono
nothing unjust, unequal or anti-rrpublican. The
prominent and distinct ground upon which the PROPOSE
| ton was placed by the able gentleman himscli-npon
which it has been put by other gentlemen who have
succeeded him in the advocacy Of the mixed basis of
representation and upon which it has been relied upon
BY lis friends generally is. that the nxed basis of re-
presentation was not only necessary protect the east
crn interest OF the State agans, unjust and onerols
cXactlons nut was necessary protect them against
improper and unequal appropriations. The distinguish
ed gentleman, my friend from the count of Rochbrd re-
(Ar ooRE,) sensible Of the force of that view ~ lie
subject, chteset E,o long and abo:ed argument 10
sustain the proposition 135err interest and tic
eastern section OF the State, required as man. :ppro
prations for the purposes of internal improvements as
| the western part Of the State. He went into an nre
NOUS statement of the different localities and of the in
provcments already made in the different sections of
The commoawcalth-in the northwest, in The south
west, he valley, and in eastern Virginia. to sustain
his position. 70 sof that such statement was s,,s
tanned by the facts in the case he ,, IS he ranrcsor,