Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-24

bs,s slresdv elamored against these very grounds
md ts in the public mind tends to convert this
free confederacy Of sovereign
| dated despotism of the numerical majority: I'm
IF gentlemen can find just authority IN our Dill Of
;sb+ or the federal constitution are they better sus
tanned by the practice of the other states OF TINS Union
ba va beeu al the pnns to examine all their constltu-
ions with the latest amendments Except tho Callfor
| MA } and have abstract no" before me-
ind that the basis of white inhabitants prevails in
FIVE States of adult males in two of all the inhabitants
in one the suffrage basis in one, and in two others re-
presentation is apporoued upon one Of these schemes
in the lower House. and upon another in the Senate.
Thus we have different orms-Eather contradictory IN
principe-of your basis oil mere numbers without re-
gard to taxes sectional interests, property in eleven
States and all of them are now States. Five other
| States including Massachusetts, since the change in
her constitution in ls40 apportion representation ac-
cording to the white or the free population, but the
couue. are scaled that their representation can eth
never be less than one or exceed Ger tain number
BY this system population Of 10 900 may have as many
representatives as Of 100000, and your principle
Of natural right is as completely violated as by the
| mixed basis In New York, the free negroes who arc
taxed are counted part Of the representative basis
and your principle is again violated by emitting the
rest In all the other States including eleven of the
| old thirteen, representation in or both houses is
apportioned among the counties with regard to other
considerations besides the number OF the voters or
free population Under such constitutions our lndc-
pendence was achieved and all the old thirteen flour
ished for half century after In all the southern
Atlantic slave States this policy prevails Inc pass oil
representation in Delaware and Maryland Is arbitrary
in North Curolna the Senate is based upon taxes, the
House on federal numbers. In South Curol''a ana
Georgia. there arc similar arrangements; and II Flori
da both Houses on federal numbers
In fact, us was well shown by my friend irom CG!-
pcper (Mr BARBouR) in his conclusive argument your
own apportionment in proposition violates your pr
cipe. presume, without examination II IS as larly
worked out BY your committee MS the nature o me case
permitted Yet their apportionment gives to :!!nor
| ify If nf
the representation in the House OF Delegates: The
gentleman from Marion, Mr.. NEEsoN) III answer, m
forms you that this inequality IS balanced ny another
inequality in the Senate where the counties which have
too small representation in proportion to their popu-
!ation in the House, compensated by representa-
ton as much too large II this be 50, it still violates
principle for il amounts TO giving the control OF
house TO majority and OF the other TO different
| majority. Has your principle then changed 10 this,
that the assent OF different Houses designed
presenting different maortes of the people, shall he
required every act "f legislation: Ayow the prmci-
pie plainly in the constitution select your different
iorities properly, and l. for one, wodd be content.
Bat YOUR apportionmcnt takes that the ma 0rY
represented in both HOUSES shall be the majority
OF the Blue Ridge You proclaim that you are acting,
not for interest, but upon principle alone which re-
qures that 494 900 whites should have e3 delegates,
while lo2 600 have t.. Well, gentlemen il this is all
you desire beg you to accep, our api'rtonn"nt III
proposition 4, which, according TO list la:c made
out gives SO delegates 10 counties containing i9j.G'
L
where the excess deficiency above or below tie re-
preventative ratio is greater than is COMMON III vo:-
own apportionment What then YOU % "ci ~ i:
That il gives majority Of the delegates 10 minority
of O., 900 Of the white inhabitants; But said be-
fore, your apportionmcnt does worse, for il 81
iority TO minority of 100000 No, gentlemen Confess
| that my friend from Culpepcr CIR. BARBOUR vas
| right You had but ma GRITTY in Tiew-tie western
sectional ority-and to that you meant To give ;.
whole political power of the State. loI tell lis that
i rpn nfatin he q IL,
vo.r rule of numbers without rcvidng the cCuntiCs
and the gentleman from kanawha, Mr.. SC.MGR..l
justly says that the tenacy OF county Associations is
too strong for such Measure TO be attempted. lon
acknowledge then that peculiar feelings, affections, and
interests have sprung out Of the county organizations
which demand separate representation, and which you
cannot force upra your Procrusean bed of numerical
equality. If your great principle Of the natural and
nalienabc right Of numbers cannot break dow, corrn
ration limits, and is warped by imaginary county lines
surely il might yield to what great natural di"sicn III
the State has possessed, 10 what the Gains
and honestly believes 10 be essential to her welfare
You constantly refuse to represent local sectional in
cresis, and yet it Is too plain that YOU began
work of apportoumen by referring TO these gen-rai
cal divisions our arguments in fact the arguments
on both Sides perpeuaily refer 10 east and west and
their respective interests. Does not this from the
fact that nature has created real difference Of interest
between the two sections, OF which we need TO better
proof than this very debate; And if such difference
exists, is it Just 10 give the lesser interest absou.c
| power ever the greater
before alluded 10 the constitution OF South Caroii-
| ma which said to have copied in proposition \.
The frequent references TO in debate make proper
that should comment upon il more fully thinA i;
has been misunderstood.
Like Georgia and SoEi GrFS! ouln nc car" "n
1spportloned representation in the two linscs Of
her Legislature upon different basis, The Senate is
arranged upon purely arbitrary territorial basis which
cannot bc changed except BY anendmen of the
sir mis- cd
ba-s Now the effect OF this combination j, 10 rive
to the eastern Underwater section Of tbs State
majority in the Senate, which remains fixed wii!;ut
regard 10 the changes OF population and property "a
the other hand, the mixed basis gives the joritv in
the House to the western portion Of the state and i;
one of its recommendations that if any county stc:ica
is taxed for decade, il thereby becomes c;i
lied in the ten years TO share Of represen
talion, increase its power correct this excess
OF taxation It is self-ad usting machine. And in tax
ing the average OF taxes for ten years. only
representation from accidental variations OF taxation
nut it furnishes security that the jurity will
the taxing power to increase the future representation
Of its section. The constitution OF South Carolin,
thus arranged upon the very principle which have
J"cre advocated true that is say it requires ,Ec
cnearrent assent of the two great interests 10 tic pas
sage oil any Inv. Ii gives the political power: not 10
the numerical majority, but the concurrent mai, ritz.
think, at different stage of this debate, the .:ea
from Accorac, (Alr. WIsE,) whose absence | regret.
stated in TO the gentleman from Fauo:Icr Ill;
Scorr,) that the opinions OF Mr. Calhoun were alrr.
t, the mixed basis. Now / have in ms ,o..cs,io.la
.ct,er which Mr.. Calhoun published i'll 1876 n refer
cncc tins sub ec;, explaining he character An! $50
~ Of the constitution OF Sout! Cnrno and discussing
| this whole question II will be foam, thai he sro,si,
commends the mixed basis, partly upon such co9sidc-
raons as have urged while he regards The principle
OF what he calls concurrent mujoes the true basis
| for our State governments.
If you refer to the history Of other coires for al-
thoriiy, you will obtain similar results look fer in
st nce to the French revolution of 1889 The iir-i
French constitution, that Of 1891 framed By the Nation
al Assembly, apportioned representation among the dill
ferent departments OF France upon n combine. bss g.
territory, taxation and population Til. gentleman fr,
Berkeley Mr. FAuLKNLnJ quoted from Burkcs criticism,
| upon this constitution in support of hs arsrlnen,
against the mixed basis. 1t surprised me that the zen
trnan should cite Burke lis side Of III. qur.ti.
when Burkes very objection was that he coi iicred
that no minu,ahe and fixed rule could he %y,nca.
bic to all governments at ali times and in al! r!a,,s
Why cir he tells that property must be- prc.
dominant u representation to BE- rightly projected No
man could have been utterly opposed 10 !s al
mere numbers than Mr. Burke; no man rerrobratcd
moro eoquently such doctrines, avoyre b.: the
party of which the gentleman from Berkeley is ,!i,
tia.guished member.
My friend from Accomac (Mr. Wsr) referred to the