Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-04

have proved but vain reliance, and these maoritles
are TO be diminished. Is it not infinitely safer !" put
oar dependence on suc Senate AZ this compromise
nronos 10 est bsh and without whose con- urrence no
, Thai rnav mas. the other house become the law
of tbe and Heretofore it has been commended that the
Senate WINS an unsafe depository of that protection to
beir macmillan interests which the east wished to see
ncorpGrated into the Constitution because of the small
ness Of its numbers its Hantoi power originate bills
and because of the fact that the patronage of the gov
eminent beur ia the hands of the General Assembly,
f which the house composed nearly four-ifths it
feared the Scnale would never DC able to stand up
against the popular influence OF the House Of Delegat
and the weigh of the appointing power
Even under all these disadvantages, the Senate has
oyr and often controlled the house on objects of excl
ling interest and after protracted struggle between
the two bodies call to your recollection the resolu
tions relative to the and money, passed by the h1u e
ana rejected by the Senate-the small note BILL also
rejected BIZ the Senate after it had passed the popular
branch and refer you TO certain notifications in
the law passed at the White Sulphur whereby the pow
er of appointing inspectors &c. was conferred on the
Governor bv amendments introduced in the Senate and
pressed TO successful issue, notwithstanding the
most persevcrng and spirited opposition on the part Of
the house.
ing to bring into existence. and especially if th,
compromise prevail, the Senate is to be much larger
moro disnited and more powerful budy-c!otiied
with authority to originate bls-and in all respects or
an equal footing with the house. The east are 10 have
thirty Senators for our share-ony two less than the
sum total of the whole Senate under its present orn
zaton The new Senate will possess over the old the
advantages before enumerated, whilst that which may
weaken It nowthc patr onage-the power Of elacting
Judge, de-, which it was imagined mig be Welded To
the corruption of its members is taken from the house
the CORFU ptor-aud lodged with the people. who will
have in their own hands this potential influence where
with to secure the fidelity of Senators and attach tho
more firmly to the interests Of their constituents
The people will doubtless. have the election OF nearly
all the officers such as Judges clerks, sherlis common
wealth attornies and many others.
Each member of the proposed Senate VIII Lave
much smaller constituency than the present senator's
of course their conduct will be subjected to more Wig
liant INSPECTION and their responsibility be propol ton
ally increased Under such state oi tng- can IL be
possible that any bill will pass this Senate injurious to
slave property or oppressive 10 the es OF Tue SUD
iect of taxation
This minority of ten in Senate Of fifty is nearly
equal to majority of thirty in the other house of one
hundred and fifty
Some gentlemen think the Senate will become unpop.
rar-tha its usefulness will vanish before the breath
of the demagoguc-that it will fall prnstrate and
oushed before the cabalstc phrase "astucratc Sen
ate" Sir if such be the state of popular Intelligence
and such the texture Of the foundation on which ne
essaynp to erect republican cdice YOU may raise the
superstructurc but it will be house built on the sand
Such is not the character of our people. The dena-
The mas of our populatiou blessed with pro-
found intelligence than to be led on to the overthrow
of their institutions by every mad dog cry That may
he uttered against them. There ID nothing anomalous
in the different organizations of the Two houses nothing
unusually antaronistic between them 1t may be re-
cnomrndutiop that VIC shall have government Of
checks and balances popular enthusiasm in the
bousc-thc conservative check III the Scnate-:he cen
tripeul and centrifugal forces so operating upon each
other as TO keep in The proper orbit ana our
little planet from running "lawess through the skies
The United States Congress is founded on somewhat the
same prucu. population being the basis OF one house.
and being totally disrcgarded in the other-Ne~ ork
ard Delaware having IN equal representation lhe
Senate has fully as much Of public confidence as the
house und in times II nerl is always looked to as the
ark of our political safety.
But if this arrangement does not work well, We are
nor bound TO retain it. The compromise contains self.
correcting provision If after fifteen years experience
of its provisions the people satisfied with Its opera
ton their ordinary legislature may re,aPport!on and
the organic law remain unchanged. ohouid itu'-"p
popt the expectations of its friends, the people VIII
form new bIsis for the two houses, after fifteen years
experience of the two conflicting principles and when
the fevered excitement of the present times shall have
passed avay and cool calm reflection shall have sue
ccedcd in its place.
Tho gentleman from Fauquier doubts that upon re
apportiounle in 1867, according to his compromise the
eastern majority in the senate will be reduced as ha'
from the Enquirer of this morning and supposed to
have been prepared by my distinguished friend who SITS
to ray left (Mr. RASnoLrH) from which !; appears tt
on re-apportionmcut in 1861 according to the raNo
of increase of the last ten years the majority ot
the west would be "l5ooo, and give majority n
the house Of delegates to the west OF 81; decrease 81
the majority in the in the senate as estimated
six or eight majority joint ballot" according TO Mr.
Scorrs proposition, after the rcapportionment OF l6
would be 81 to %"
He (Mr scorr) denies as understand that if are
spportonment should take place in 1862 the eastern
majority in the senate would be reduced upon the lass
of taxation present for the serious consideration OF
that gentleman some statistics showing the reativeI'
crease of taxes in eastern and western Virginia Iey
will furnish food for reflection and think can pove
to him. judging from the past and it is our only means
Of taking forecast of the future that If re-apIor-
t;oument of the senate to take place in 1867 The
majority of the east in that body would be very me-
rally diminished.
TABLE
Shouting the amount OF fares paid by The four gr"d
divisions respectively in 1920, $780, 1910, and 1856
loan Snn