Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-02-11
STATE CONVENTION.


FINDING that the official report lags far behind
as to be of little value except TO preserve in ex-
tense the speeches OF honorable members. we have
determined to publish hereafter in the Times short
sketches of the proceedings of the Convention
Yesterday, that apparently intermnable subject,
the re-eligibility of the Governor, was still under
discussion in Committee of the Whole (Mr.
Watts of Norfolk county in the chair) Mr..
Claiborne and Mr.. Neeson argued against any Con-
sttutional restriction Mr.. Fuqua and Mr.. Hill
contended that the Governor ought not to be re-
eligible The Committee rose without taking
vote, Mr.. McComas gaining the floor for to-day
A resolution was offered that the Hall be grant
ed at night for the Shakespeare readings of Mr.
George Vandenhoff. A majority voted for it, but
no quorum voting, the proposition failed, and the
Convention adjourned.
Basis Of Representation.-The report OF the
Committee on the basis of Representation, previ-
ously submitted, was distributed amongst the men,
bers yesterday in printed form. The basis ques-
ton being universally considered the most difficult
one which the Convention will have to meet, it is
supposed by some that little progress will be made
with other subjects before this is disposed of.
The committee CONSTITUTED, as our readers will
remember, of twelve Eastern and twelve
Western members) report that upon the
question of the basis they were equally divided.
Considering it their duty to fix the number of
members in each house of the General Assembly,
they agreed that there ought to be an increase in
each but disagreed as to the extent Of the in
crease. The Eastern moiety of the committee
propose House of Delegates of $50, and a
Senate of 81 members; the Western moety, a
House of 1856, and Senate of 36 members. The
committe agreed to report both of the two plans to
the Convention.
The Eastern half of the committee apportion
the Delegates (who are to be elected bienniaNy)
SO as to give 80 to the East, and 6S to the West;
and the Senators so as to give % to the East and
% to the West.
Under this plan which adopts the combined or
mixed basis, Richmond city will have four dele
gates and one senator; Norfolk and Petersburg
two delegates each; Lynchburg one; Augusta,
Rockingham and Loudoun three each. After
1862, and at intervals therea fter, of not less than
ten years, the General Assembly shall, according
to this plan, reapporiion represen taton in both
bodies according to the number of white inhabi-
tants contained, and the amount ofall taxes raised
by the Legislature paid in each" county, &C.,
deducting the taxes on licenses and law process.
One delegate TO be allowed for every seventy
fifth part of the inhabitants, and one for every
sevety-hfth part of the taxes, which last shall be
estimated from the average of the ten preceding
years. The apportionment Of the Congressional
districts TO be according to federal numbers.
The Western half of the Committee report
that the qualification for the right of suffrage
should be uniform throughout the Commonwealth,
and an equal number of voters shall be entitled
to equal representation. Representation there
fore must be regulated and ascertained by the
number of qualified voters. In 1885, and every
tenth year thereafter census of the voters to be
taken, andan apportionment of deegates[and sena-
tors to be made accordingly by the Legislature
Delegates to be elected for two years. Senators
Tor four. Until the new enumeration, the West
10 elect "a Delegates the East 70; and the West
10 Senators, the East II.
Under this plan Richmond city and the county
ofHenrico will together have four delegates and
one Senator Loudoun, Augusta, Rockingham and |
Ohio, three delegates each; Petersburg and Nor |
folk one each
The Western semi-commitee also report an |
apporionInent for aSenate of SO members, giving |
% to the West and IA to the East.