Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-05-20
THE CONVENTION.


mediately ito vote, several hours were occu
pied with discussion, in which various gentle
men explained their particular positions. Mr.
STANARD called for the ayes and noes on the
first question, which was on striking out B, the
suffrage basis proposition and said he should ask
to be excused from voting, as he was opposed te
the suffrage basis, and yet preferred ii to the Com
promise.
Mr.. MARTIN of Henry and Mr.. Wingfeld de-
Tended their course as members of the eompro
mise committee. They both stated that the com
promise proposed by Mr.. Scott, of Fauquier, was
the basis of their negotiations in the committee
They took the view that an Eastern majority of ten
in the Senate until 1867 or '68, as the committees
plan provided, was about equivalent to majority OF
twelve until 1861, and then reapportionment on
the basis of taxation, as Mr.. SCOTS plan proposed
Mr.. Scott, the other hand insisted that his pro-
position gave greater security to the East He
thought the East would not fall behind the West
in increase of either population or taxation, and
that, under his plan, it would retain protec-
tive majority in the Senate until IT, ia, or '76
Mr.. Scott also explained the circumstances I'M
der which his mind had been brought to the con-
vlction that some compromise was unavoidable.
For some time, his knowledge of the views of
some Eastern gentlemen had caused him to doubt
the practicability of carrying the unadulterated
mixed basis. When the Committee of the Whole
voted down his substitute, which presented the
simple issue of the mixed basis, his doubts grew
almost into certainty. Therefore it was that he
turned his thoughts to securing the best practical
BILE compromise. What his ideas of proper COM
promise were should be judged by the propositions
submitted to the Western members by the COM
mlttee OF Eastern members on Saturday night the
10th inst. After those propositions were reject
ed, new movement, the appointment of the COM
promise committee, took place. He then con-
suited with the Eastern members of the commit.
tee, and suggested to them the plan of compro-
mise which he afterwards introduced in Conven-
ton. 1t was not such plan as he originally ap-
proved, but then, he said, he had been dismounted
and was fighting on foot.
MIR. Chapman, of Monroe, made the first re-
marks we have yet heard from Western men,
ber in direct defence of the compromise. He
declared that he was for compromise, because he
believed that, or the suffrage basis, was necessa.
ny to preventa division of the State and he pro-
nounced this compromise an extremely liberal one
on the part of the West
Messrs Claiborne Bowden, and others address
ed their constituents, through the Supplement-
with considerable earnestness.
Mr.. Stanard justified the steadfast support which
he had given to the mixed basis. He claimed to
be as Thoroughly convinced of the justice and true
republicansm of that basis, as Western men of the
suffrage basis He would have carried it if he
could, though by but one majority; and then, if
satisfied that something should be yielded to the
PreJudlces OF our Western friends, the East would
have been on tho proper ground to compromise.
But as it is, he showed that the East had lost its
cause, by the timidity of those who came forward
before the issue was tried, to talk of compromise
Such gentlemen, by procIaiming their readiness tc
yield, at once secured the failure of the rrinci.
pie which their constituents wished to be estab
hshed
DR. Saunders held that he had retained the mix
ed basis in his compromise, and therefore, wa.
faithful to the pledge he gave in his "way-bill" te
sustain that basis If man takes pint of wa
ter IN one glass and pint of brandy in another,
It IS about equal to taking mixture of half and
$ halt In each. But his plan was thrown overheard
and now it seemed to him they were all on theil
beam-ends. lie thought this compromise would
make the worst possible government for the West
for fifteen years, and then an entire surrender OF
the East. He told the nip and tug anecdote about
the race between the dog and the wolf but we
were not near enough to hear how he applied it
his voice being low, and the members gathering
around him, as they are said to have done aroune
Mr.. Madison in the former Convention.
MIR. Lynch, who has stood with uncomprisina
steadiness by the mixed basis, related the history
OF the canvass of himself and his colleagues
Ihey were all then, he said, for the mixed basis
and the mixed basis, which they were understood
to advocate, was to prevail in both Houses (Mr
Wingheld acknowledged that his constituents were
tor the mixed basis and elected him to support it
but he considered the compromise equivalent tc
it,
After pointed speech from Mr.. Riyes in
winch he took the view that by the acknowledge
heht OIL MI Wingheld, the compromise claimed
power to the East in the Senate without reference
TO any principle of representation, whilst it es-
tabshed the suffrage basis in the House. the
vote was taken ON concurring with tine committee
oil the whole in striking out proposition b. The
Convention decided to strike out B, ayes so, noes
(Messrs. Fukerson and Voolfolk All the
Western members who had not paired off, excep,
Mr.. fukerson, voted in favour of striking out the
Suffrage basis, thus giving the strongest possible
proof OF their determination to sustain the compro
6
mise IRON the beginning to the end of the chap
ter.
me next question was On eoncurrng with thu
s0nm'l'ee Oh the whole in striking out A (th