Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-04-23
STATE CONVENTION.

STATE CONVENTION.
Synopsis of the Remark of Mr. Stunard.
Thursday morning. Mr.. Stanard being entitled to
the floor, delivered what to be regarded on all
sides of the ablest speeches which has yet been
made in support OF representation based upon taxation
and population combiued. He showed that under The
Constitution of 1929, with her then population, the
West had all the representation accorded to her that
she coud have claimed under the Suffrage Basis. He
commended that the principle Misrepresentation in the pre-
sent Constitution not, as had been asserted thai of
mere arbitrary rule, and that the principle of the
Mixed Basis report did not add men and money to-
gether and then divide, for purposes OF representation
by a common divsor, but that its gave population one
halt and to property one halt OF representation.
inequality OF representation, not the Suffrage
Basis tequally so, when It's inequality of application
had been shown! file read from the Madison papers
aud the debates OF the Federal Convention to
show that tine apportionmen of representation in the
House OF Representatives, the tax laying and money APP
propriating department OF the Government was based
upon taxation, and that what is called the Federal Ba
Sis only adopted kind OF index to the taxation
o. the States, and consequently OF representation II the
Federal Basis be arsloeratic one, it the distin
gnish ing feature of Republican Government. TWAS
Mat feature that marked the Constitution of the United
States, VIII ch Mr. s. trusted in God would last as long
as the world lasts. Strike from that Constitution and
how long would This Union last? Why. not an hour.
and yet this Is the principle which Mr.. S. desled
to retain in own Constitution.
Mr.. Stanard showed that the mixed basis was itself a
compromise, (oered and sustained such by the East
in the Convention of 29'30) between this principle of
the Federal Constituton-by which representation in
the House OF Representatives is based taxation ao e.
and the principle then, winked at 10y the West,
by which Representation is proposed 10 be based on
white population alone-and in this connection he quo
ted the remarks oil the venerable Chief Justice Marshall
OF the delegates from this District in the last Con-
yenton Speaking OF the basis OF representation, Judge
Marshall says:
Several different plans were contemplated. The ba-
Sis OF white population alone; the basis OF free population
alone; basis OF population alone; basis compounded
OF taxation and white population Tor which is the
thing, basis OF fedora numbers y two other bases
also proposed, one referring 10 the total population of
The State, the other to taxation alone. Now, of these
various propositions the basis OF white population and
the basis OF taxation alone the two extremes. Be
tween the free population, and the while popu alton,
there is almost no difference: Between the basis OF
total population and the basis of taxation there is but
little difference. The people of the East thought that
they ot red fair compromise when they proposed the
compound basis OF population and taxation, or the basis
OF the Federal numbers We thought that we had re-
publican precedent for hsa precedent given us by the
wisest and ruest patriots that assembled"
Gentlemen commended hatit was degrading Tor rep-
resenative to sit on the floor, who came from loca
ty which did not pay SO much taxes, beside one who
came from locality which paid more taxes. Well,
was it degrading for member who represented 5000
persons TO SIT beside delegate the same floor who
represented 5000 persons and yet this the exact
proposition OF the White Basis scheme before the
Convention, and were not Western members prepared
to vote for it; did they see any degradation in that .
No member desired TO introduce the doctrines OF un-
limited Democracy, which is directly at with every
true principle. OF representative Republican Govern
ment. How far was this argument of degradation to
be pushed! Ii it was degrading in State as it not
not also in the Legislature OF the Union?
We ask for the protection 10 property which ma
Jorlty representation gives But The West says,
are degrading them, when refuse to give them that
majority and consequently the unlimited power OF
tion He asked was this not degrading the East to ask
her to surrender that which oreathers refused the
crowned heads OF Great Britain!
In the last Convention Judge Summers ODDosed the
incorporation Of provision in our State Constitution,
regulating the apporonmen OF Federal representation,
not principle but because the Constitution had
signed that duty to the legislature; and thirty Ave Wes-
tern members voted with him. But suppose this
not the present sentiment OF the West and the prnc-
pie OF the White Basis is adopted it might be then de-
cded that the nine Congressman shall be elected from
the West and only six from the East, and
to the correctness OF this apporionment OF Federal p
resentation would have to be decided by majority of
Free Sellers in the House OF Representaves Can any
man doubt how this decision would be made! He did
not mean to charge this desire the part ofhe West
but coming as he did from city whose slave popua-
ton nearly equal to its white, and from District
where tho slaves were nearly equal in number 10 the
whites, he was bound, as one OF It's representatives, to
look to these things.
Mr. Stanard said the Mixed Basis had been denounc-
ed as being aristocraic, and asked why aid you
not give to the rich man representation according TO
his property! Because, said Mr.. s. the effect OF the
Mixed Basis was Just the reverse OF this 1t 10
prevent the concentration OF power, TO divide it
whole District, and to protect the poor man from
Just taxation and base representation upon interests
that were homogeneous with his own The argument
had been erated and reiterated in the course of the
discussion that the principle of the Mixed Basis pro-
tected the rich man at the expense OF the poor and
gentleman the other side had read the views OF Mr..
Burke the French Revolution and to property
presentation. He thanked that member for having
read that authority. He read il himself:
"Let US suppose one man in district ats easy
Supposon) 10 contribute much hundred of his
neighbors Against these he has but one vote. II
there was but representative Tor the mass his poor
neghbors would ouvote him by an hundred 10 one tor
that single representative. Bad enough. But amends
are to be made him, How! The district in virtue of
his wealth. is TO choose, say ten members, in tead of
one; that is to say, by paying very large contribution
he has the happiness OF being outvoted hundred
by the poor for ten representatives instead OF being
outvoted exactly in the same proportion for single
member"
Here, said Mr.. T., the member from Berkeley ceased
his readlng but let the balance OF the paragraph be
read +:
"In truth instead OF benehtting by this superior guam
tity OF representation the rich is subjected 10
additional hardship. The increase of representation
within his province sets up nine persons more and
many more than nine as there may be Democratic
didates to cabal and intrigue and 10 ater the people
at his expense and to his oppression. An interest by
this held out to multtudes OF the inferior sort,
in obtaining salary OF IS ivres day. TO them
objcc besides the pleasure of residence in Paris and
their share in the Government OF the ngdom. The
more the objects of ambition multiplied and become
Democratic jus, in that proportion The rich endan-
gered."
This, he commended, showed that Mr.. Burke's obec-
ton 10 property representation not that IL was too
arsocratc, but that 1t was not aristocrac enough, aud