Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-04

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rose.
The Convention then adjourned unit! morrow morn
ing, at ii o'clock.
Friday. February q, ISL.
The Convention met pursaan: to adjournment.
I Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Keller
The journal of tie preceding day was read and al
proved.
! wAsinSGToSs BIRTH DAY.
Mr SCOTT, of Richmond I beg leave to offer Tor ia
adoption of the Convention the following resolution:
Efso,rsd That when this Convention aliourrs today
it will dourn 10 meet again at II O'Clock Monla
next
To morrow is tie anniversary Of thu birth day Q
George Washington, and propose that We shall ut lcis
not he engaged II orr labors on that day.
The resolution was adopted.
PUBLICATION or THE DEBATES.
Mr. SCOTT Of Richmond. For the purpose of ascer
tanning whether it is practicable to hasten the pnbcl
ton OF the debates of the Convention, a,tenio!
has isen turned to the suhjec; for day two past
i nng - be very msci! desired presume bv lis all
Lon le The debates now, without designing to re
rroach any body for that delay for believe ali con
cclcd in the under; akng free from any blame he,
are vi no FOR immediate reference. X appears Il
ne tia; it is possible to hasten them and with view
nstuing az inquiry upon the subject, offer to tin
Convention the following resolution:
Rcsoired, That committee Of five be appointed t.
inquire whether 1t Is practicable Ia hasten the pubca
ton of the debates of tie Convention.
The resolution apoptcd.
The PRESIDENT, named the following gentlemen t.
compose the committee, under the resolution just adopt
ed: Messrs. Scorr of Richmond, SHErfEY TAyLog. 81
Norfoii:, SsopGr and BRowN, of Preston.
TIE BASIS or REPRESENTATION, dc.
The Convention then. in Ccinmii.e" of the Whole Mr.
MILLER in the Chair, resumed the consideration of thu
report Of the committee the basis and appor,ionncnt
! Of representation.
The CHAIR stated the question 10 be on the PROPOSE
ton of Mr.. SoorT, Of Fauquier
| Mr.. BROWN. In the few r, marks | design making
to the committee, will endeavor to conlne myself to
the subject under debate and in answer TO the remarks
of gentlemen who have preceded me in the debate but
particularly the remarks Of the Hoo ,gencma!
from Ncstmoreland. who occupied the floor yester
day will first however, call the attention Of the
Committee 10 the proposition reported from the commit
tee # twentyioir marked A. and die substitute of
ercd by The gentleman from Fauquer. (MIr. Scor. y
Proposition l. reported from the committee, proposes
10 organize legislative department, with House Of
Of hundred and fifty members, and Senate of fifty
one members, one hafot the delegation of both branch
cs be based On white population and the other half
on taxation or in other words, seventy6ye delegates
in The lower house to be raised on e99,l3 fee white
persons. and the other seveniy-iye on S3li,5l0. the
revenue or taxes Of the Commonwealth as paid in 1850
adding them the increase arising from the
snssment OH lads and lots and to he app1rtioncl
among the different counties, towns and election dis
trcts in that proportion ahd in like manner in the
Senate The substitute, offered by the gentleman from
Fauquier, aflms the same principle, and should the
blanks be filled with the numbers indicated BY that
gentleman Monday last, the two propositions WI be
in principle precisely the same, and in all probability
produce the same results. will have occasion TO re-
Ter particularly TO the results in the progress OF
my remarks. For the present. desire TO call the AZ
.cntitn Of Tie committee - what deem mols;ro,ls
'eature in the proposition l'7elf by its provisions if the
white population should oe two millions. still but one
nall the delegates wou!d be raised from that element
and should the be reduced 10 half their present
amount still the would Ike entitled to halt the
delegation or p,ca power in the law making DEPART
nent Of the State Can il be possible that gentlemen
would be willing to see such principle Incorporated
into the constitution was pleased 10 hear my friend
from Fauiuer say when he introduced his substitute
that he incorporated III it provision especially tr
the benefit Of West. | am always glad to lind anon;
m Eastern brethren pers kindly disposed towards
that section OF the State from which hail! and pariicI-
'ary Ia find friend in advocate taenici and in
Aucntia as MY friend from Fauqrier; hn. must con
Tess when | learned HAT he alluded 10 that provision
which directs the Legislature in making the re-appor
tionment in 1862, and IN every Ten years thereafter to
calculate the taxes the average amount paid the pre-
ceding ton years. thought however much he desired
to serve Us in that particular he had greatly missed
his aim. That sagacous gentleman hardly can be ig
aorant Of the fact that the Western division oi the
State has increased. is increasing and must continue p
increase mach faster in both wealth and population than
the Eastern section, why then deprive the growing
West in each rc-appcrtionmen Of the benefit of ten
years of lis increase--fcr this is the effect Of il.
But the gentleman from Fauguicr told us that it
introduced for fear the Eastern majority in the eglsla
lle might the year next preceding each appointment.
lay the taxes with view OF increasing their political
2owcr for the next Ten years, and thereby nfic.ng
wrong on the West | have no doubt Of the gentle
mans kind feelings for the West but would seem in
this instance, that he looked upon wrongng the West
as s.ch luxury, that nc could not suffer it 10 he en-
loved by the legislature but wGuld commit the deed
himself Bu: did il not strike the gentleman from Eau
l,lcr tina, it might be pssibe that the legislature in
1862 would be honest, particularly as he and his friends
have been for some days past assuring that the Eas
tern majority in all time past, have never used their
power to the prejudice Of the West But if the gen.
cman is really friend TO the West, and DESTROYS Of
serving ihen could he not affect his object better by in
scting the Legislature in each apportionmcnt. to ap
portion representation among the counties. towns End
election districts may be. having regard To
tho relative increase of population and taxation
could appreciate ii provision OF this kind 1t would in
effect be 10 give nem the benefit OF Their superior IN
crease fur the ten years next after each appor
::cnmcn VIII it be said that the legislature will not
1bcy such ins7uciions2 they NOT sworn To support
the constitution and carry out its provisions This is
no new provision, is be found in the constitutions
Of other States of the Union; Maine has an express
provision of the kind and is the only just rule to be
observed between communities differing widely in thc
growth and prosperity. But may be objected that ii
would he Difficult, to ascertain the average increase for
The mex. ten year4 succeeding an apportionmen, i'm
are that there would be but little difficulty in arriving
a. near proximity accurate results By calculating
ne average increase for the ten years preceding
making proper deductions for any temporary causes and
you would have substantially the result for the
next succeeding ten years But it true that the Yves!
IS otcrowing the East, in both wealth and population?
], s said that the increase Of the West for the last ten
wears. is unprecedented and not likely TO occur in the
same ratio again; well then, let 60 back TO 1920.
embracing oeriod of thirty years. and let us see how
the account stands. In 1890 the Trans Allegheny
counties had free white population Of 1874; in
ls5o-33l .5s6-sn increase Of l9S.474. The Valley
in so had Ike population Of II! .096; in 1856
i53.il7-an increase OF l2 0si MAX aggregate in
GREASE Of 30 $50 in the white population Of the West in
thirty years. The Piedmont counties had white pop
uation in 1920, Of lS7 AS; in ie50-2l3,449. The
counties below Underwater in 1920, had like popula