Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-04
REMARKS OF AR. MOORE. Of Roskbr'a9e, ~
Committee or the Waolc on The 18th and IAN nare"

Committeeof the Waolc or The 18th ana afn -0a'''
H.. MOORE. lowe my thanks to tie counCtee .ot
tie indulgence which they extended me- not IA'
personally solicited it, by their adjourn aens frr.ba-
now | attribute it not to any merit OF intu' :; ~
than the fact that have heretofore taken no M ~ Ie
discussions before this BODY except in sustaining the
nomination of gentleman as clerk ~he' w
organized. =
The gentleman from Albsmare, (Alr. oou1HALL'} In
his opening remarks maze an eloquent "ppe"t c,'7
house in order 20 impress upon them SeusI ~ t'ro
portaace OF the pending question. o ,ranc. 81 s;.
question than am |, is question upon 'he ueci%oa
of which not only the prosperity anu h"Pp'u@se' o>
The tranquility and in al probahIi'y Tue lntesi!'s'
this STATE depends Entertaining ms oPin:on' 80 iaf
rom NY wishing 20 diminish tue so'lse VI us
i.p,, 10 not think il can we'll be exaggerated ap
,ros,h me n, discass:,n ii il with dee? sense oil
La rasnou,biIit wf;y,. devoves upon me as member
:, ,b;s body, rs we'll As each Of Ms confess, how
.yec that from what has fallen from various ihea!-
GERS Of tAe eastern te.rsatioh' c"nld aot noto'
y.n Il ,rere ,ossessed Of powers vastly superior 10
anr Gun pretend to- produce the slightest impression
ncn III. mind of anv eastern member who Is honorc
MI, ,.; ~, his floor We told By the gentleman
rom Aeta.,!e Mr. RAy9cLPA) in he early part Of your
deliberations ;n.t our hc vest late upon this qucoa
vas ,ca;,: Ne were doomed and that effort on our
nsrt .ou!d change it, We not only told tbs but
sa yrr. odd i: With unusual solemnity. If he had
Been invested with the power Of pronouncng our hnal
,,2, "G.par yr cursed, he could not have added 10
IL !a,:e ao.eaa;t" Of manner We were further told
cre b. IL. gentleman from Fauquicr tNr. Scorr that
10 change cDu be effected in the mind of ans member
1re-.-:!ia nothing could be done Why, then it r!ay
be :; aed does any individual think proper TO intrude
.l,r elf upon the deliberations of this body, who, hay
ug ycs se not and hear not aud prolonS this dis
ctssIou when possible change eau be wrought III lne
opinions Of any member aud no conviction, even II
could be effected, would change their phghted faith
H. y,bp navu larnh IL !;
ar syLe upon this question. admit AT once, that
Ils other object in rising to address YOU than to Ell
i-ct cha :,c in the convictions the vote Wch An
member mag ue disposed to give here, would remain
,:lsa.. BIT ~ have marked out for myself lnrt;cu
ar course CT action upcu this subject consider II que
% nv con ,,iuens as we'll as myself explain TO them
the grounds upon which will predicate tina! actot
We have No, ouv been told that We are doomed
out h,re has been manifest reluctance on the part OF
eastern geatlenen not only To engage H. and ia ro"ns
his ,o but dis position to discourage II Ill Others
Ta i'm, /, n.rectly natural They have dead major
it; here they cannot wish 10 alter the state OF things
from what thu actually are Then is natural that they
should be content that should stand is, and tina!
heg should resist every attempt 10 change the order OF
hings rs hey stand this question II was an easy mat
tyr cr them with the gov ornamental power III their hands,
to organize thi, Convention upon such basis as to pre-
zen, all Change in the relative powers OF the east and
vcs Thi Convention ha. been called through The agei-
cy OF that 20 enm.al power; they have Called IT. ald
uscd rep esentatua here in their own wav They have
ackal cut and deat the political cards to suit them
e!ves ard given the.nselvc. the stronger hand. No
youcr tia. they should be perfectly satisfied with the
state of things as they But we are IN different w
sicn When we take into consideration that We are
backed by nearly 100000 majority OF the white popu
.a,ion OF this Commonwealth west OF the mountains
md that there is large mass even OF the eastern
community as we'll OF the wcs,-who arc now, FOR
the frs, time TO be invested with any voice in the 60
verrment-who doubtless will sympathizc with the
western people in this coatest-anountiag have no
hesitation in saving 20 majority of some 100000 or
500 100 taEn. the whole population of tho State-ve
e eStremel to Lei matters stand IL they are
thavc sd.:.., that this important question,
lac v ;a:e. :ng the feelings Of this entire ccnmu
a" but part l;arlT interesting to tho western people
whom have part the honor OF representing en- this
lpc For fifty years regular Systematic comics! Ia,
tY, wns4l between the cast and the west With reSar:
70 ihc props. ppor,ioncr. Of representation IL orr es
.!atye halls Permit tc say-and say il On the best
,u;hulityhs; throughcu that contest there has been
,ouso pursued By the which has croatedl will not
oNr say whether justly unustly-in the entire west
bai:.f that they have been unfairly dealt with-t.at
ther lave not had fair chance in all the efforts which
nave h-.el made to dus this representation upou fair
lust and equitable principles This is known 10 every
ne nber upon this floor from the west-each Of them
will COUGAR with me-that it is almost unanimous opn-
ion that tae east having the governmental power in
the. hands, and through whose agency as they
suppose convention aleue can be called under the
Substitution have prevented by their action in this
regard, fair and Just consideration and decision
.: this question. III order to prove that this opn.
icp whether right wrong. has some foundation in
the historical facts of this controversy WILL at the
peuse Of little delay recspitulate the prominent Incl
dents connected with the history Of the efforts Of the
western people to equalizs the representation in our
legislative halls
AZ early as 1906, believe. bill passed tho lower
house Of the general assembly for the call of
al tba ia l.
,cre inequality gross in the representation Of
ths different counties of this Commonwealth thai IL is
difficult to conceive how it possible for men, having
any regard to justice refuse the call of convention
- remedy it. This state Of things remained until
convention was called on the subject short time mt
rior the session of 1915, Staunton That
ton drafted petition TO the legislature asking for
convention. WE'LL what the state Of things then
T:are not only gross inequality in the house Of
delegates, of representatives from different counties
=oaie ountes having forty times the amount of repre-
senaton tll others had either upon the basis OF white
population taxation, but in the Seuateit gross
between the and west that 900 the population
esst had large voice in tho Senate IS 900 upon
the side of tho Blue Ridge.
The senate, as correctly said By M colleague,
Mr. SHEFEEY0 although they had always previously
Absolutely refused equalize representation upon the
ground Of a want of constitutional authority; yet,
seeing that th. bill had passed the other house. and
come before them in such shape that it would have
been unsafe To reelst 1t, yielded their constitution
al scruples and agreed to equazc representation in
tie Senate upon the chite basis say so emphatcallv
because that fact has been coutro9erted upon this
Door. Tie gentleman from Culpeper (Mr. BARpcrr)
told US in the argument which he addressed to this
honse, that Mr.. Tazewell from tho Norfolk district
in the last Convention, expressly stated that he was
" member OF the House OF Delegates at the time
:a this apportionment of senatorial representation
took place. and, that to his knowledge, las he had
framed The BILL t was based upon taxation and pop.
ulation combined. Now, / have not examined the
debates in order to ascertain whether this statement is
correct or not, but as the gentleman made it, doubt
not it's correct. But unfortunately for Mr. Tazewels
recollection, Chapman Johnson great and good man.
who familiar with this subject than any man
in this Ccmmonwealth-who was then and had been
ur wears senator himsef-states expressly in his ar
sanent that it was based upon white population Mr..
Dcddridge confirmed this statement and in addition to
this the of 1870 upon which this superintendent
took place. proves the correctness Of the statement
Johnson and Doddridge
Mr. SHEFFEY. would remark TO my coll, ague ne
he goes along. that Mr. Watkins Leigh admitted the
thing.
Mr. MOORE. Yes, Mr.. Leigh also acknowledged and
sith bitter lamentation, that such the fact
Well, am at loss to conceive, if this was the
proper principle for the apportionment Representation
II the legislative department of the government then