Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-10

l..rn nj all
moi e'in 'u u; hsi order and shall! aprenI tns' ~ ~,
,cmnki wish the people, und vst what was offered
pie, 10 rec what was ~ saw what they think OF this scheme
H,ih ronoI,ed BIZ an Eastern Coii' ,hor in Tho name
tern votes about /? oS Western aided BY fragment
OF coIton a ncgnon this floor But 10 pfocc'u WIN
h Elimination of these propositions bv ,bc Eastern
Mhn was III, nmni,tee7 II proposed donsc o Dt, nc"
~ l'e IsG members the suffrage nas smh S,,,c
West MAJORITY OF not more ma" b. based on taxation alone
TO conss, Oh o. t majority Of ii thus making lt on
n Iot and with the provisions ma az should he made
mcn,s OF reprrsenI That was first proposition sub
on c f," w. Eastern committees and no" dor "a ~,
Inlteu .! we are called upon here 70 iuoP' anu " 2
with the one mat We ,ho Enst is concerned? Look at 1t IN
Is s ms regards The question o. hero in
The propos,ons upon winch we side YOU have been
debate u r 10 population alone as the sole eee u'
I,sd in respect the apportiontent 81 49, vn shond
consumes 49, size il has been maintained 'h"t ypu
On the other s clement of rcpTescn"n Planting our,
'oHA nrincioIc consccrated, as we oehcre ~ ne
81 L evolution have insisted tlat Lcp' id ~
OF e hnid 90 hand in hand and we nave ehueaEo,tu "
taxation ave shown by reference to the debates
I ,,nc.ejnus of the convention that iolinI 'o rI Ia
nslution that this pncpie I IN The Honse ri
-, IN that sacred instrument, ana ia III ,''e u "
represcnion is in truth based On taxation
alone -, &c, ,,-o,o0i,;on of The East And the
Win. in submitting il, what did they say 10 me west
Simnv this: We will recognize your pfhcpc ~ !ne tio9se
I,cI
OF a. will live YOU majority of IA in the House OF
noaaes on population if you will give US IKE majority
Of IA in the Senate on taxation, ana mus mus NC upo
oio ballot and give neither party inc power 70 eicc pc
MAJORS Of the United States and all other officers hat are 10
he elected by the Legislature. !. -, .,:.
; shaII hereafter contiune without change, either
through the form Of submission OF the question OF repre-,
sentuon to the people, otherwise Ana Is IL pretended
hn that propositun for the East IMAM the scheme
rrnorcd by The committee Of eight according TO which inc
West are to have the popular branchto nave now the
nauri,y on joint ballot-to have now majority OF TWO more
han hsv are entitled to in the House of Delegates even
their own avorie principle of The suffrage basis while
the East has minority Of four less than they are entitled TO
the Senate And besides all this even the SHADOW OF pro-
,con thus afforded u.s. is but empomry-even THIS state OF
things is to but little while, and then me west Is TO
have both Houses and absolute s~ay N le T Us
ihan il rhe first proposition the committee of conference
and this the better scheme devised by the Compromise COM
Inir,ec Let Eastern Virginia decide between them.
And what the second proposition submitted by inc has-
tern committee? IL is Identical with the s win TINS SIN
gle exception that instead OF minority OF IL Tor the West
in the House of Delegates there was majority OF w. In
pon, of principle them there difference between the
propositions. In boIh the suffrage basis was recognized In
the House and the taxation basis in the Senatc-fur do
not profess understand that of special pleading by
which We are told that when you give toa party all and
morc than all they entitled TO- on given prncpe still
you do recognize the principle. confess had always
supposed that in political as In mathematical science,
the whole greater than part-and cannot well ina
CINE more distinct and practical RECOGNITION OIL any Prncl.
Pile than in yielding the party that asses all and more
than ALL that the principle itself would then give them The
difference these propositions was difference not OF
pnclr but Of degree. Identical IN other respects win Inc
first the r"pnd proposition gave the West majority in
stead 4 ,in ballot and this additional power was
rendered TO YOU as know from the declarations Of the gentle
men who made That propnon for the purpose ct showing
that they prepared wund recognise their element
in House. give you the full benefit and more
nan The full benefit o Your element o popua'on IN Inc
other House.
In other words these gentlemen said to the West by this
propostun recognise principle in one branch o the
legislature give efficient protection tor our pro-
the majority which on That principle we are
entitled practical efficient majority OF a. nstend OF an
arbitrary ority of TO- based principle inefficient
and UNRELIABLE make this arrangement permanent nstead OF
adopting temporary and shifting expedlen do TINS
on your rar, and 10 show You that not en-
gagged in struggle for power for powers sake we VIII
only recognise your principle in the other branch ol The
Legislature, land that, the popular oranGh) out we
will give you power than even, upon your own
principles you yourselves claim Sir, was not this
proposition fair Was it not more than fair-wns II
not liberal Will any candid and impartial man say that
il did 20 10 the utmost verge OF concession, mol
beyond il 7 And yet, sir, | pray you TO remark that
while Eastern gentlemen prepared, IN spirit
Of compromise. aye in spirit OF large ano oeta con-
ccss0n 70 thus far, yet the sumo TIME tney cx-
pressly declared their Western brethren that they
would neither directly or indirectly give their sanction
10 any by which time or hereafter rep
RESERVATION both Houses should be appooned on the SUI
aqe To that they expressly declared they would nev-
CONSENT either in the form Of direct mandatory Clause IN
constitution under the then dl5guse The transparent
veil U submission OF the question TO the decision ol the
numerical majority 1t reserved for The committee oil
eight-t compromise committee II has been syledc
posed of Eastern gentlemen elected by Western voes-or
them say sir has been reserved the honor OF devsng
scheme b. which the suffrage basis is recognized oirs full
and than its full extent 10 the House, while no pncl-
pie whatever applied 10 The Senate by which te West WIN
majority Joint ballot has two more In the House man
is entitled the suffrage basis, while the East has Tour less
in the Sennc than il is entitled the taxation basIs-an
arbitrary majority be marked out by an arbitrary apmr-
lonmcni 10 lortn II may be- two or more while oasis
districts East Of the Blue Ridge; and lest even THIS state OF
things should prove favorable to the East lest even such
government this should furnish some senoance oil pro-
lection Eastern rights and Eastern interests provision Is
Icure years
whole legislative power both Houses shall be transferred
the West Yes, sir in the yca 1862 or shortly thereafter
the West is have aa sir of legislative power mat we
can give they take This, ten is the second propo-
si0n Of the conference committee, and this your compo,
misc scheme You have them here SIDE oy SIDE ana again
say 10 the people OF Eastern virginia. choose ye pe"eeh
them.
do not mean 60 any calculation to the relative
power of The Eastern and Western sections OF The State,
under future appointments of representation surprising
those appointments be made on the suffrage basis III 'e
House the taxation basis The Senate That has been
already sufficiently done by my friend from Essex, hr Al.
r. IA. Garncti,l and should be wholly ncxcusdbe aer
what he has sad in defining the convention single mo-
this point But have hesitation IN saying thh
80 far from the relative power Of the East diminishing mere
after the taxation basis is in my opinion Obliged 10 IN
have no idea at all that in the next Ten years Inc
difference in the ratio of increase between the different sec
lions of the Commonwealth either in respect 10 popu!aon
in respect TO the elements Of wenh, will be SO nuch ~
favor of the West il has been during the last ten years
have believed and do believe that upon the
mixed basis the West could get the power and nave
said SO from the beginning have never made any conceal
ways believed that upon the mixed basis the West never
would The power BECAUSE while their population wo"d
increase hereafter in the relative proportion over
The population Of the East that il has done for the last ten
years the taxation Of tic East would preserve and Augment
its relative proportion that o the West. Look, sir 10
The very by which alone The population and taxation
OF West materially ncreasc-lhut system OF Internal
improvements which is destined trust, at distant Day
that whole country into very garden spo-nnh
you will that those Improvements themselves cannot De
constructed without building up here in the Underwater dls-
tric cities Of 10 000 l5 00O 20 600 inhabitants out
of 900 and 100000 and making this whole section OF the
State bloom and blossom the and thus the very
sources of wealth and population OF the West must mpa
in still rno, wealth and population To the East
Such have always believed must be the result Of wise
and iudicous system OF internal improvements
pass the third and last proposition OF the COM
ntec Of conference and what is t gives the West he
Senac the suffrage basis with majority of two in Sc
maize &c. while East have the House of Dele
gnies The mixed basis with majority Of II in house
Of l50, with reappuriionmcns on the same principle ana
further provision that should require hrcehs OF each
House call another Convention BY this proposition Inc
question OF principle surrendered on either Side
We gave basis in the Senate and took our basis
in The nuse of Delegates giving thus the east the popu
lar and the majority joint ballot and declaring al
pfipun no hn0