Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-05-29


for the West in The House of Delegates. there was
majority OF 20. In point OF principle, them there
no difference between the propositions. la both, the
suffrage basis was recognized in the House. and the tax
alton basis in the Sena efor do not profess to under
stand that sort OF special pleading by which told
that when you give 10 party all, and more than all,
they are entitled to- on given principle, still you do
not recognize the principle | confess had always
supposed, that in political in mathematical science
the whole was greater than part-and cannot well
imagine more distinct and practical recognition of
any principle Than in yielding to The party that asserts
il, all and more than ali that the principle itself would
then give them. The difference between these PROPOSE
ton swas difference not principle but ofdegee Iden-
teal in other respects with The first, the second propo
stlon gave to the West majority instead OF tie, on
joint ballot; and this additional power was rendered to
you, as know from the declarations of the gentlemen
who made that proposition, for the purpose OF showing
that they prepared, if you would recognise their
full benefit and more than the full benefit of your ele-
ment OF population in the other House.
In other words, these gentlemen said to the West by
this propostlon recognise our principle In branch
OF the legislature TO give efficient protec ton
for property; give US the majority TO which that
principle we al entitled. to practical efficient majority
principle, inefficient and unreliable; make this
rangement permanent instead of adopting mere tenn
porary and shifting expedien; do this your part,
and to show you that ours are not engaged in
mere struggle TOR power for powers sake, will not
only recognise your principe IL the other branch OF the
Legislature, land that, too, the popular banch) but
we will give you more lower than even upon your now
principles, you yourselves can claim Sir, not this
proposition fair? Was not more than far-was it
not liberal Will any candid and impartial man say that
1t did not to the utmost verge OF concession, not
beyond il! And yet, sir pray you to remark that
while some Eastern gentlemen were prepared in spirit
OF compromise, aye in spirit OF large and liberal con-
cesslon, to go thus far yet at the same time they
pressy declared to their Western brethren that they
would neither directly or indirectly give their sanction
to any scheme by which at any time, now hereafter,
in both Houses should be apportoned
the suffrage basis. To that they expressly declared
they would never consent either in the form of direct
mandatory clause in the constitution, under the then
dsguLe, the transparent veil of submission of the
question to the dec sion OF the numerical majority. 1t
mise committee as it has been styled, composed of
Eastern gentlemen elected by Western voles-or
them, say sir has been reserved the honor of devil
sing scheme by which the suffrage basis is recognised
to its full and more than its full in the House.
while no principle whatever applied to the Senate by
which the West with majority on Joint ballot has two
more in the House than is entitled the suffrage ba
Sis while the East has four less in the Senate than it is
entitled on the taxa ton basis-an arbitrary majority to
be marked out by an abi rary airport onment to
form, may Re, TWO white basis districts East
OF the Blue Ridge; and lest even this state OF things
should prove too favorable to tine East lest such
government as this should furnish some sembance of
protecllo to Eastern rights and Eastern interests pro-
vision carefully made by which the course OF few
years the whole legislative power in both Houses shall
be transferred TO the West Yes, sir, in the year
1885, or shortly thereafter, the West is to have al-a
take This, then, is the second proposition of the
promise committee and this your compromise scheR e.
You have them here side by side, and again say 10
the people OF Eastern Virginia, choose ye between
them.
do not mean to go into any calculation to the re-
lave Of the Eastern and Western sections OF the
State, under future appointments of representation,
suppOslng those apporonnents be made on the suf-
trage basis in the House and the taxation basis in the
Senate. That has been already sufficiently done by
my friend from Essex, tMr M. R. H. Garnett,) and 1
should be wholly inexcusabe er what he has said in
OBTAINING the Convention single moment this point
But nave no hesitation in saying that so lar from the
relative power of the East diminishing hereafter on the
taxation basis, Ii is, in my opinion, obliged 10 increase.
have no Idea at all that in the next ten years the diff
terence in the ratio oncrease between the different sec.
tons OF the commonwealth, either in respect to popu-
la ion or IN respect to the elements OF wealth, will be so
much in avor OF the West has been during the last
ten years. have never believed, and do MOI now
believe that upon the mixed basis tine West could ever
get the power; and have SAID from the beginning
have never made any concealment ofmy opinions on
TINS or any other point. have always believed that,
upon the mixed basis the Wet never would get the |
power because, while their population would never
increase he eater in the relative proportion
the population OF the East that it has done for the last
ton years. the taxation of the East would preverse and
augment Its relative proportion over that OF the West
LOOK, SIR to the very means by which alone the popu
atlou and taxation othe West can materially increase
that system OF internal improvements which is dest
ed, trust, at no distant day, TO convert that whole
country INTO very garden spot and you will that
those improvements themselves cannot be constructed
without building up here in The tide water district c
ties, not OF 10000, 5000, 20 Coo inhabitants but OF
900 and 2O0OC) and making this whole section of
the State 10 bloom and blossom the rose, and thus he
very sources OF wealth and population 10 the West must
impaItin still greater ratio, wea h and population
the East. Such, have always believed, must be the
result OF wise and judicous system OF internal i'm.
provements
Ipass now to the third and last proposition of the
committee OF conference and what is il? 1t gives the
Yves, the Senate on the suffrage basis, with majority
OF two IN Senate OF So, while the East to have
the House OF Delegates on the mixed basis, with MAJ
jorty OF IA in house Of l50 with re-apporonments
on the same principle, and further provision that
it should require hree-ffths OF each House to call an
other Convention BY this proposition the question of
principle was not surrendered on ether side We gave
you your basis in the Senate, and took our basis in
the House OF Delegates, giving thus the East the pc.
pular branch and the majority on Joint ballot and de-
clarng at the san time that such should continue to be
the organic law OF The Stale, until by vote OF three
tths OF the Legislature another Convention shall be
called Now, no man, apprehend, will be bold enough
TO maintain that this proposition is not infinitely better
for the East than the scheme OF the committee OF eight
But this is not all; tor maintain and will now pro-
coed to show, that not only the propositions sug
gested by the committee of conference the part OF
the East infinitely preferable to the scheme that is now
about to be forced upon but that this latter is deci-
dedly worse than at least, if not two, the pro-
positions submitted by the Western committee them
selves.
What were those propositions? By one of these the
West proposed to take the Senate OF So members on
,iie suase pasis ana give Gs the Rouse OF lou men,
bers upon the mixed basis, and that to continue
until 1862, when the question to be submitted to
the people say whether this state of things should
continue, or the suffrage basis should be applied to both
Houses. Now, look at This proposition and contrast it
Tor single moment with the scheme embodied in the
report now before us. Here the Western men were
willing to give us one House. and that the House of
Delegates The popular branch, with majority of at
least ~ and take themselves the Senate with majo-
rity OF but two, thus giving us majority OF 10 On
Joint ballot; to allow this state of things to continue un-
til 1862 and then submit the question to the people,
And YET with this proposition made TO us by the West
Ky which we were to have the controlling power in
that branch OF the Legislature that directly from
the people, with majority OF 10 joint ballot until
1867 and then submission OF the question to the peo-
pie without any mandatory apportionmen whatsoever;
with this offer, say made to us by the West we are
called forsooth to coptomSe-aye, sir, that is the
word to compromise upon a scheme by which we are
to give 10 the West the popular branch noo give them
now the majority joint ballot let this state OF things
coulnne until lS6a and them aiue taspa both 4a1Sea