Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-18

should be lakent.en will he based upon qualified
voters At Present il is OH white population
vi. ~ LhERSOS ! am glad to be set right The
gentleman has shown that although this apportionmen
may not accord with the principle laid down it pro-
Htu'' lhlt a1i future appointments shall be made to
conform precisely To that principle.
Mf. W lSk. beg leave 10 show n the gentleman
That he Is no, corrected bv III. statement that thi.
not now suiiras" basis There being however no
means 10 ascertain The precise number voters the white
population j, taken the data on which 10 apnosi.
mate III" number Of voters, there line no Other
leans oi getting nj The information. The number Of
voters hereafter bc precisely a-ccrtancd and thea
IN" plan will rely hot rpon IN approximate but upon
precise statement
Mr.. BARBOUR only know that in tho actual ap.
Poronnient mad" the ratio is founded upon the whole
white population If the commonwealth. That is
stated in The tables accompanying that report. and
stated apples 10 pcop AMI not 10 voters.
Mr. " lSE YES: but in that view present II.
Mr ri LkERSON. il Is innlaterial whether sia
rigi' ar wrong because speaking ri the principle,
a'd M, oi tn" details Ii tie details did accord
with The principle that Is tie aat of the details and
no q" ti principle. W all know tina, exact equality
oi representation. according 10 tie Ircs,n condition
the c",ut,s III Virginia. cano, lr attairci 1t is IN
possible unless you could sqGare he counties and gys
them nj el'a number If people OF population
voters n you choose. Yo, cannot make this work al
equality. but that does no, afec, the principle
VI, idea IN the subject we'll expressed bv the
gentleman from Cah.. That Is, first lay down your
principle" and then adapt yonr prac'ir" 10 II ms near
possible. And when hav, done that you have done
all that you can be- expected to do But while thu gen
tl"inn iinds lanl, and points out inequalities III the
d"ta oi he plan have presented he has not seeu
hi 10 I" whether h:> friends CARVING oLt
dior principle" il they have any this subject. am
go;I@ make statistical speech do not des9e
to do H. hera!-. il tn. statistics furnished bv the gen
tlrman from Augusta. Sir snEffEY anil the gentleman
from Preston Nh BEow>.) will satisfy
brrtl,i,n th.v would Lot believe though one should
: 81. IL, .l.at Ipt fora inys
tt n;x",i i..is plan Operates III" doctrine ol gentle
mru who adyorat" that plan understand Is, that You
h"ud have representation according 10 population and
taxation WcIl, ii We are 10 carry tina, principle
call 7hnall strictly conform 10 1t III
details. \ reference I" very few counties. however.
will show how widely the have departed from H.
Take thr county al licrc" Tor instance: that county
has popHa,ion IF so3 aud pays tax "i $500. and
j. represented III the legislature by delegate King
William county, which has population of 27lo and
paws tax If $500 has also representative i'll the
Legislature. and vet H." difference between the two
counties in population j. 5.5sl and The difference in
taxation $1,000 They placed. great the differ
between Them Is. upon an exact equality in the
legislature. Caroline county with white population
Of $500 aud paying s"oi2, and Flu,anna with pop
a,;o Of ISL and paving tax 81 5000, each have
delegate witl>tandips the great Inequality be-
tween the There is specimen ri the exact
equality which! y" attain by l-i- OF population and
taxation confined have drawn together nuinb",
Of counties which exhibits the same disparity both in
Numbers and iii taxation. although they placed on
al equality in the Legislature" will not read the
Who'll. lit; ior think have read enough TO show I'll.
fact have the table, however, Tor gentlemen 10 ex
anime il they desire to ho~ far they have carried
ont TIL, state of things and how the, have squared their
detail, with their principle. il is impossible for
tlcl ., n to make than approximation 10
equality on their basis. And III. very
that would prevent mixed basis friends from doing
tla would also prevent our plan from working an ex
act equality and without affecting principle III the
H. I Latnr m la
principle and to squar. Your practice near to ii
possible; and stated periods to correct That practice,
and make i, nearer if possible To tho mincr" YOU hay'
laid down.
Now although this equality cannot b. attained.
although in aprcrtonmcnt We may prevent a few
voters county, and few in another from having
their Just weight il the legislature, yet the evil would
be eveny spread all over the commonwealth. But
how does Your plan operate Does it act equally oil
over ilc commonwealth: No. Indeed but by one fell
swoop YOU cut of the whole west aud dsanchise there
ninety thousand people and deprive them Of their due
political weight III the Legislature. That is the working
Of this system. IL is not unavoidable injury or NJ
unavoidable Acknowledgement but is intended and de
sired thu. IL operate and that Is what We complain o
have been somewhat amused al The course OF argument
in this debate. particularly nj the argument of my friend
frcm Haax Mr.. prEKISs.l who told us that in the
beginning God gave man dominion property. Well.
/ acknowledge that and at the time acknowledge
the superior wisdom Of Him who governs and rules all
things in 20 or!aning II. But what do we Fee 10 these
latter days Do We SEQ that wise rule adopted by orr
Maker carried out in practice attempted to b"t
NJ We coming mp here il This dry, and instead
OF abiding by and conforming their practice 10 that rule
desire 10 give property dominion over the not4eo'
work OF God--,nnn. Why, j, seems to me- to be pre-
sumption attempt TO change the rule that God Al
mighty himself has established in relation to properly
and 10 put where God placed property and property
where God placed man
Mr. PRICE Will The gentleman give way 10 mo
ton ha, the Committee rise!
Nr FIJI lIERSOS IF il i the pleasure Of the Con
vcn,ion will do 60, nm alpr'hcn-ivo that shall
mol be able to conclude to-day
Then Oh motion Of Mr. PRICE Tic Committee ro..
and
/ The Convention then adjou,ncd unit! 10 "''lok Is,
morrow morning.