Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-29
WEDNESDAY. Nay IS, 1851.
The Legislative Department
c.;,.d from Supplement No. 81.

The Legislative Department.
1non:i,.usd from. Supplement 40. o.
,,SrpoSG. Will it be in order now, to offer
Institute for the amendment
sIoS 't,ni That will be in order.
Mr. ME- have S,s ns,I
which Su .Hot il will be adopted 1t Is US follows
anu "|f .,rtv shall be formed with an area less
None" ~ ,I,;lss In the formation of new coun
than SOU squs county shall be reduced below such
ties, no any existing county having population
area ~" ,.sn 900 white nhaoi.ah's; oe deprived OF
VI .. ,hsn one fourth Of ITS F'l'""''0i'
NV .xnrpsOS. hope the committee will reject
Nr. :,.n,3nent to the amendment. ana ADOPT the
this araenu a,s.rsd hv the gentleman from Mecklen
amend1eDIa oonr) 1t will be recollected, that the
burg ln' sterdav struck out the original proposition
nst' ,nosed to make the area OF all new counties
n..n.rs miles and that the population should not
w rsGrced below oneifth OF eooo inhabitants The
"nan from Harrison Mr.. CAMDES) then proposed
sIl .bot blank with proposition much the same m
:to. IF the gentleman from Taylor (Alr ARMSTRONG;
,rr;nr "a TO the population, but agreeing lis to the
.r. THAT proposition was re eeted b. large MAORI
- nf the committee The gentleman from Mecklen
Burg jMr GoopE) then proposed 70 MI the ol."E oy
r,oosition that was mean between the original pro-
i,on and the one of the gentleman from Harrison
~; imagine that IS both the extreme propositions
wa elected this proposition OF the gentleman from
Uonllsnhrrr will meet the wishes OF the committee
:; .Le, nrooosition be adopted, then county
4 be formed of less than twenty.sevcn and
LoIf miles in length by twenty miles in width. take
,hssa dimensions BY way Of illustrations any other d
nsnsons can be taken that do not give more than i've
br,dred and fftv square miles. And no man. should
tho court house be situated in the centre of the county
,d live more than twelve or fourteen miles from the
COW, house Now, if intend to impose any rcstrc-
.;on upon this subject, it seems to me that ought
M, 20 make counties any smaller than they would ue
under this proposition. think that 1t is very mpor-
IAN, that some restriction should be imposed upon this
.hect for we should preserve the peace of the differ
IN, communities. All those gentlemen who reside in
counties where the question of division has been atcd
are we'll aware of the unhappy state of feeling caused
he il think, therefore, that there should be some re-
,ict;on upon this subject, and consider the amend
uen uf the gentleman from Meckleuburg as being the
best one that has been ye: proposed.
The question being then taken upon the amendment
20 the amendment, it was rejected.
The Question then required upon the amendment OF
ths gentleman from Mecklenburg, (Alr. GooDE)
Mr.. PRICE. understand the gentleman from Meek
enburs {Mr. CiooDE) to be compromise man. and will
ng TO accept of five hundred miles instead OF five hun
Ired and fifty; and will therefore, move that amend
nent.
Mr.. GoODE I feel that am called upon, in justice
10 myself speak Of what occurred between the gen
,leman from Greenbrer (1ir. PnIcE) and myself diG
propose Yesterday and repeated this morning, that If
met with general approbation and gave general salts
faction to the house would be content that the provi
sion be limited five hundred square miles. Bat il
INV conscience and as amatter OF individual opinion
think that it is small but if it will give general sat
isfaction then am content that the change be made
Upon consultation with several OF my friends thcT III
sist that should make my provision to BIZ lowe
than FIVE hundred and City miles and | think mysc
that that would be best The gentleman from Grecu
brier CMr Pncr( has however. proposed this change
an amendment, and it is III possession OF the
mit;ee Although think that it would be unwise |
make this change still if it be preferred By the commit
tee shall be satisfied to have it so. But wish to sa
hat INV purpose is when We go into the Convention t.
resist the striking the clause of the committees
port.
Mr. CAMDEN / have an amendment, which when il
order will Offer and will read now by way of argu
m.pt | understand that tie object OF the gentleman
from N.cklenburg (Mr GoopE is to fill the blank with
i, nrono.;tion he has lust offered Now, l offered
ro,sitiou on Yesterday to reduce no county to les
han rive hundred square miles and | .hnk that tina
void be sufficient protection. The county and the re
ZION in which i've have, think had as much experl
.c, upon the subject of counties, as perhaps any
No., ot tho Commonwealth. Within the last ten year.
enen.i Of four counties have been taken from my coun
,v-,be county of Harrsouand it Is pretty consider
ale county vet Notwithstanding all this am not dis
poss 10 adopt any unreasonable restriction against the
frna,ion of new counties propose that no new coun
- ,lon h. formed of less area than four hundred
square miles and old county reduced below live hun
dred The proposition Of the gentleman from Mecken
burg (r Goops) is that new counties shall not be les
than Ave hurdred and fifty square miles and that the
counties from which they taken shall not be reduced
to less than that area Ii persons living in particular
section wish TO form new county, AID are willing te
take it of an area of four hundred square miles and ht
existing counties reduced below area of five
hundred square miles no objection To it.
offer the proposition by way of compromise. hops
that It viii meet views of gentlemen all AROUND me
Now am disposed to adopt reasonable restriction
upon l. 10 subject but not disposed 10 adopt suct
arestriction will prevent the formation OF new coun
ties at all In the committee my friend from Green
brer tNr PRICE, and NY self united in getting the pro
position modified for encountered strong desire t.
60 provide that il would be impossible TO form new
counties at ALL believe however that views were
somewhat different de desired no restrictions, desired
reasonable restrictions only so that under proper cir
cumstances counties might be formed but that the
legislature should be restricted in cases where great in
i.s,ce would be done The report of the committee il
ia the most modified form that could succeed i'll get
ting it. It is proposition offered BY myself rs sub
stitue for much less favorable to the formation
new counties. still think some restriction should ID
mslc but feeling as do, and my constituents do
mon this subject Of the formation Of new countless 70
bev have lost much Of their territory BY 1t, ah"ug
they have opposed such formation III spirit Of lib
raity thew though it but just and right that the con
rsnience and interest of others should be promoted
ronld ask that the proposition might be so inod6e
that q rea sonable restriction only be adopted
Mr. SMITH of Kanawha. l do not, myself concu
proposition that has Deen oIeleo a'n III laN"
nf preserving the counties and against breaking up an
remembering them There has :, been strong d;p0s
ton manifested upon the part OF the legislature to brea
y, even those old counties where there is inconve
nence to the people in reaching the court house from
nv par, ofthe county. do not believe any county II
~. commonwealth should be formed OF Of les
than six hundred square miles That is small count
al do not think the legislature ought to be permit
,si tc form new county of less area do not tlIl
anv yntv in this commonwealth ought to be REDUCED
Inflow that, and ! shall vote against any proposition
that proposes 20 reduce the limitation below that
DO not think this is western proposition think it l.
propo.ition that is common to all parts OF the coun
,rv, I think the whole State ought to unite in pre-
venting this attempt, these frequent attempts to cu
down the old counties aud reduce them to small dimen
sions Whv sir go far frem doing that, would cheer
iay vote to require the legislature to unite some bal
dozen of those counties down in old Virginia and "a
pu, them into one instead cutting up still further the
existing counties l am clearly in favor Of enlarsne
he area Of counties which already exist shall pro
Jose this an amendment to the proposition or as sub
.:,us for the whole if can ever get an oppor'unlt,
% Offer it: .
No new county shall be formed with an area OF less
'ian six hundred square miles nor shall the county