Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-04-22
STATE GONYENTInN

the county OF writ; and Mr.. McCoMAs from the coun-
ties of Cabel and Wayne; all relative to the basis of
representation.
/ CLOSING THE DEBATE
! Mr.. Chambers submitted the 70 lowing resolution.
ResolUed, That all debate in Committee of the Whole,
on the basis OF Representations on the pending question:
shall close and the be TAKEN on Saturday next at
one O'Clock.
MI o. said he did not know from whom this proposition
could come with more proprety than from himself since
ne was one othe few Eastern members who voted for the
adjournment OF the Convention when Western pentle-
men demanded time to obtain the returns of the census
and assessment He represented district having near
y twice as many slaves the whole Trans Allepbanv
division and more than the whole number of slaves in
the Valley Division He had wished take part in the
debate, but had not done The resolution would
therefore bear as heavily upon him upon any other
gentleman. He hoped the resolution would be adopted
and firmly adhered to without reference to the conyen
fences of individual members
Mr.. Miller urged Mr.. c. to withdraw the resolution
for the present, distinguished gentleman (Mr Bolts
was expected to address the Committee to- day. and the
motion might excite debate.
| Mr.. Chambers declined to Withdraw his resolution.
Mr.. Miller then moved 10 lay the resolution on the
table, but withdrew the notion upon Mr. Claibornes
urging that in ORDER before the resolution was
reported from the chair He intmated his own dispo.
stion to sustain resolution to clese the debate
| Mr.. Anderson said if Eastern gentlemen would with
hold the resolution for two three days he would vote
for it. He not willing to gee the debate protraced
longer than Saturday
Mr. Pendeton renewed the motion to Law on tho IA.
BILE.
Mr.. Finney demanded the ayes and noes-sustained.
The vote was taken, and the motion to lay the resolu
ton of Mr. Chambers on the table was agreed to as
follows:
AYEs-Messrs Anderson, Armstrong, Bird of She
nandoah, Bland Bolts, Brown, Camden, Caperon Car
lille, Carter of Russell Chiffon, Cook, Ferguson Fisher
Floyd, Fulkerson, Fuz, Hays, Hoge, Hunter, Jacob
Johnson Kenney, Kilgore, Knoe Letcher, Lionbeger,
Miller, Moore, Murphy, Neeson, Price, Seymour,
Smith of Kanawha, Smith of Jackson, Smith OF Green.
brier Snodgrass, Stephenson Stewart of Morgan Stu.
Watts Of Roanoke, White, Wiley, Williams of She,
nandoah, Wise, and Wysor-54.
. NoEsIMessrs; Mason, President, Arthur, Banks,
Davis, Douglas, Edmunds, Edwards, Finney, Flood,
Ens Jahney Jasper Jones' hson Lynch Lyons Nc
Ridley Riyes, Saunders, Scoggin Scott of Caroline,
Scott OF Fauquier, Scott Of Richmond City, Shell,
Smith OF Norfolk County, Smith of King Il Queen,
bull, Wallace, w ats of Norfolk County Williams OF
Fairfax, Voolfolk, and Worsham-53.
| ABSENT OR -voTING-(Elected as anti White
Basisl-Messrs. Bocoek, Bowden, Brarton, Cham
IL,
and Wing6eld-l7 '' "''''' A''''''
!, tFor the White Basis)-Messrs Blue, Byrd of FIRE.
derrick, Carter Of Loudoun, Chapman Deneale, Faux
Iii. 90 -
) OF the foregoing gentlemen, Mr. Newman stated
that he had paired eff with Mr. Souhal; Mr. Carter of
Loudoun with MIR. Braxtoa; Mr.. Chapman with Mr.
Cooke; Mr.. Pendeton with Mr.. Strother, and Mr..
Shelley with Mr. Conway.
On motion OF Mr.. Ferguson the Convention resolved
t Itself into committee OF the whole.
dl MR.. Bolts COMPROMISE.
o Mr.. Boris printed copies OF whose Compromise
proposition had been laid upon the desks OF members
took the floor, and having referred to the circumstan-
ces under which he had determined to introduce his
scheme at this stage of the proceedings proceeded to
e read it as follows:
Comp, onise proposedby Mr. Bolts upon the Basis of
~ Representation.
i. The Legislature shall be formed of two distinct
n branches, which together shall be called the General
. Assembly Of Virginia.
2. One of these shall be called the House of Dele
gates and shall consist of one hundred and fifty mem.
bers sevenyve OF which shall be chosen for and by The
several counties, cities and towns lying East of the Blue
It Ridge OF mountains, and the other seveutyfve from
those counties cities and towns lying West OF the Blue
, Ridge.
3. The other shall be called the Senate, and shall
o consist OF - members, one half of which number
shall be chosen for and by those counties, cities and
towns lying East CT the Blue Ridge and the other half
for and by those counties, cities and lying West
OF the Blue Ridges for which purpose each division Of
the State lying East and West of the Blue Ridge shall
be laid OFT into - districts, and each district shall
: be entitled to one representative.
n a. There shall be uniform system of ad valorem
taxation upon every description and species of property
in the Commonwealth real, personal and mixed except
: such may be specially exempted by vote Of two
O thirds OF each branch of the Legislature.
s. 1t shall not be lawful for the Legislature to create
= public debt, without at the time or during the
same session, providing for the payment of the same,
by increasing the rate of per of taxation such
and to such extent may be sufficient to meet
the payment Of the debt when it becomes DUE No bill
aapproprating sum OF money exceeding - dol
lars shall become law except by vote OF majority
OF the whole number elected OF both branches OF the
Legislature
Mr.. B. said he not insensibe to the popularity
OF his position this question. He stood now almost
solitary and alone in Eastern Virginia, but he hoped
he would not stand alone by the time the vote should
be taken. He could not, like the gentleman from
Mecklenburg (Mr. Goode deal with tropes and figures
but should present plain and he feared an embarrassing
argument He not propose to attack the positions
taken by different gentlemen, for that would be only to
secure their opposition.
Mr. Bolts proceeded to explain and advocate his
plan at much length. We might present quite full
synopsis Of his Speech but as he said he designed to
circulate it throughout his district and it will probably
be issued very speedily prefer to await the full re-
port Some OF his leading positions were these
He was willing to grant adequate protection to pro.
perty, but nothing He could not sustain the mix
ed basis because he conceived it gave more power to
pro psrty than to persons. Neither was he Tor the
white basis, bee deprived property of Just pro-
lection He for compromise Of the claims of each
side and placing both equality. The existing state
of things in the Union made compromise emineny
desirable. The Aboliionsts, he said, had two great
objects in view, in regard 10 Virginia: The first looked
to the establishment ofthe white basis in Virginia, from
which they expected the abolition of slavery the Sc
cond looked to the contingency of division of the
State in case the white basis should be rejected where
by they hoped to free State created along our
whole Western border. He should crafty neither de-
SIRE He regarded fhe threat that the West woud se