Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-20
in,,;,,..d f.o N Fourth Pays:)

oa;fcstion ofthe present aPPot ;noe The sys
qlaos Established falls fairly within ts provinces, s o
ts'n was ;eoralitv is found to exist, 1t IS te ou!
II sn nre.an, Assembly according 10 tne ,r;0
op;nu Of the Constitution, 10 @ ;,o,;,r evils
Here J. - w. il was the duty Of the Genera
teu -. TO correct it at that time
s,e s.t.bIished by the constitution ho b,ss Of
shown that the principle hx the preceding nation
white now show as the result OF cacniauos
OIL Census, a i, made that if the principle eslaoshe"
ha.e ra;lsdas the minority OF me eGnl,,"ss VA 49, il
nau ron,eadod it shoud-anu may - ,he fart the
uouSiy hav had not been mistaken m tne iac. uIe
would ses would have been equally divided between
r:PTese"ssSw est After statements oil the "hte pol
12e eas taxa,ion in 1929, and at that time' Inc e
port proceeu' :, -esn,,s that the amor
,on-,ent ma lie hv the Convention VI 80 10 ,nd
100 ertent from the ratio o! the niiAea a.1' , ,
SOM 49, west an excess of both delegates ana seia
So pnt this was done, as Is well hho"i' III .p,;o
- consultation and compromise anu .to r Nv onme
=, ehandon the principle. reference ~ atarn Al
,;on. &c our population proved that Tue .ra
r2'iohs W w. s.erc was increasing in population ana
sts. :; r,tio % far exceeding the eas'e'' d "
.rs,te the belief, that IN inc space VI @ 80 Snla
- If the white population OF inc who'e Si.o
~ ,he western division, ana Inc o'.h'eh'to'
os ioaua sasy reconcied to an inequality so IN
;sn, in value which events were daily esseh1ns
S;.h at the expiration Of ten years was e"Pee'eo
- 3s,nnear These aaticipalions were n h saos
;o,nJatfon. 1t now actually results from inc ncte,s.
=, n,nulation in tue western DIVISION IN lhe ".' A.
2. and the large addition recently made 10 lie
a,, nf il, yearly contribution 10 inc common iuiu
oon,eo cent upon the ce-asses'mett % ~, i; I'm
influence which it now exert III '"e So'e'o " "
i. nr,p ,rtoned 10 its just rt@h's Mt. &c 10 co,r
n,kinr then the present conoi'!oh u .ne lou
-; ma of the State, the undersigned rerceN'
sme;cient cause for disturbing the existing rae "
or,;onnent There is no inequality 20 remove ~
i, ustice 10 remedy, but as near as may ";
;on now exercises that influence over puoc .a,s Z"
n,bicb ia interest in the common stake entities II.
The IAN he true onlr on the supposon that the MIX
~ hos;s ia the principle which the existing appoF
t;,nnen, was made. Ii was the extreme circuhst'a
tali.y Of the paragraphs have Just read "tlc mus,
/; con,ribut, d 10 nisraG me anu " ui'siU " ava
c.i1ical examination OF the sup]ecl;
.rbe gentlemen who drew up ard siSned tnat report
ware certainly mistaken as 10 inc TACT ". .'u ~
,oument of the present constitution "'s T1 .ri
fnanoe wh,tcyer 10 mixed basis. The PInciiH
w,. u,crlv repudia,ed it now appears, aiu =. W.
NJ > comnrou,ise the white population was au"L'eu
The basis but it was thrown oach Ten SeaIS' ~ III
cpainy census in order 20 ascertain what sho'a ~ -.
.en,atiou. have OF course DO PetsoIa. r,t
,Lre az all the terms Of the compromise. ana c"' go
~ Them only from the constitution itself bt an az
cle OF tina, instrument, il was pro'fcc 'hat Wv
,;o,nent should remain unds,urbcd Tor ten years s
AFTER lS4l And what is the ncSssss n ,he YEAR N
h.d no,sea tie principle was 10 nc prcser'e"' te ~
ecdins census vas e be taken lot 'ae ni's, Nv
aenaton was TO be apportioned according 10 .1 W.
population throughout the SAFE ao" - ,Ic facts h,
Gentlemen saw They are mistaken as 10 INC ,':'s' o
3bare growing admiration for portion OIL ','r,r lea>
oninp They tell us in this report ha, would pe yer?
r,n 10 disturb the prncp pie csaoiishcu D! inc cc'>
,u,on-,ha it would be- " in inc hshest eA.ls,c .'\
osd;an, ard unjust TO do They say, moreover:
.,n ;,fracton bv the General assembly, under ex-
.,i,r circumstances of the principle OF represchlat
csab,ished b, the constitution, would be All unwarra"'
able exercise OF the power conlidea 10 II.
They saw TO the west, you have had more IMAM YOU
shs r. Of Representations for great many years, an
although YOU have been increasing rapidly IN PoPua't"
o,d ,rss I'M Won have got where you are Just riS
This. of course. assumes the mixed basis 10 DC u,
oinclple cousecra,ei By The constitution put lake .
true principle, the white basis, an" Apply inc
nj the report and then see what would DC Inc coiSc
onences, viii show what difference II would ha''
made 10 the vest The pportijnnenl by the cons.
tuition of 1881 gave TO the east - anu 10 "c Mss "
members in tine house Of delegates an apportohuieI
made uDon the white population OF ls4O, would nav
d;rd.d tne representation rQualiy between the wv
rr,nl divisions Of The STATE. and yet we nave, uerh
ali that time, been subjected 10 majority against
of twepty.two in the lower honse-no~ twen'y-'Hrs
IN consequence OF the annexation oil alexandra.
Tn. reoorr saws in regard 10 the principle estab
>shed bv the constitution, il would have been both II
.xoe lien, and unjust for the legislature TO have u'
.uroed : and yet acting ~ ignorance I'll 'nc 'a.'
cannot pres Iln- anything else, tat the true PrnciP
II
mis- wav k.d the west out Of at least eleven member
Of the general assembly for ten years past ana VIVA
is worse owing the errors contained IN tnal paper
TIE mistakes as believe them 10 be, we are mere uoi
t,,s aoor in minority Of seventeen. Now, th!s i'
Yay in which these things 10 be conducted hereae
"a sell q heretofore. cannot imagine thai every
90 " in the east sno ant OF The TACT that the col
.,rution recognized the white basis principle. lh'
Gentleman from berkeley (slr. fArLkSER) reaa OK
frcrs froc, the speeches Of members of the last Con
-.n,i IN other than Judge MarsHa all going TO sho"
that the recognition OF the white population as IN
only prope: basis OF representation, WA. part OF th
compromise by which the veXed question was th'n a.!
iuste,; and cannot believe that tue east was "ho:
;,ooran of this tact when their governmental lnaloru
il the @ isature cavalierlv refused to listen TO on
demand for re.apportonnent oil representation ai'e'
the year lS4l.
This is the way in which faith has heretofore beer
Vent with us We have in this way been deprif d o.
eo.a, representation for the last ten years, and nos
that se nave met to construct new constitution, VIZ
e eprircd OF the just majority upon inns moor Z
W len we are emitted BY The reasoning and DECLARATION
OF gentlemen acting and speaking on the behalf oil IN
eastern NJ iori,y il the Legislature II their reasohl
!. correct and the governmental majority were ooHhc
10 carry out prncip established y Inc CONSTITUTION
we entitled TO aory upon this ioor al TINS NC
n,e,t When they undertook 10 call this ConTentIoa
and 70 fix the ratio OF representation upon the nike
ha,is thew without hesitation took the white PopGia
hon and taxes they were at that tlne ana laa hcs
as ,hey were bound to do taken the then numbers o.
80, majority of thirteen upon this floor, instead o.
|. wing US in minority OF seventeen.
Iagain earnestly call the attention OF members Sc! Q.
1ts BODY, and thS attention OF every citizen OF ar
II, VIII IN my words may reach, to the fact that ior
sy,,c years past have been entitled TO an equality l.
,h. and are entitled TO maJoritT ufo
e losr O: this Convention
- have now concluded the remarks proposed ,'
,,.. upon the pending question, anu nave eaca'ore
~ re,snt some facts, which, think, should be re-
sarI.! call the attention OF &c 'tlemcn prinrlpayn
nave s noticed and also 10 the fact ana 'he con
e,uences which may be iair.y dedrced from IT, OF u,
unequal values Of property in the east and west mlsh
aI,o call their attention aainfnot TO what have salt
IN the sub cct at least what others have said who, Will
asscr that every citizen OF the community Is entitled
70 equal representation i" the Councils OF the state
&C great fun, iamcu,Al. inherent and lnallenaoi.
ri-bt A iuced from the original ami absolute equat!
al all the int gers of any community. We believe III
he west that such is right, and the opinion
,,,irersal. do not know man there who does nol
think So Evcn if we others were not able to prove
lie fact b. logical deduction, from nndenla6le facts
st;I we sou.d claim the ri ht have asserted, for the
-, r,,,.st feelings Of our hearts us II l.