Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-07-17
[PROPRIETORS.

which | was governed upon that occasion
was the conviction upon my part that I'll,
interests Of my district, the tranquility o
the State. and the voice oi a large MAORI
ty Of those whom l represented on TIL
floor demanded it At my hands 1t is thei
scarcely necessary for me TO say, after ,hi
avowal, that at all times the voice of a clea
and decided majority Of the qualified vo
ters of my district upon this or any o,hel
Question coming before us for our delibera
lion, will not be disregarded by me. and
| will state further that the voice of no por
ton Of the district which | have the honor
IN part to represent upon this floor would
be more potential TO controlmy action here
than that Of the comfy, the proceedings
| from which have been read this morning
But If the Convention will bear with me
for moment, I will very briefly assign
why. with all respect TO the gentlemen
who composed that meeting, believe tha,
they do not reflect the voice, even Of the
county where the meeting took place. A
few days after the final action upon the
basis question by this body. paid short
visit to the county Of Henry. and though
confined entirely whilst in the county, to
my own home, in attending to my domes-
nc duties, the fact that it was known TINT
| was in the county, brought under my OBJ
servation some OF the most Intelligent and
respectable gentlemen in the county. l
saw gentlemen from different parts of the
county and also some gentlemen from the
county of Patrick. all of whom had sus-
tanned my election and We're originally mix
ed basis men. and though come Of them en-
tcrtained the opinion that it would have
been better perhaps for the interests Of the
commonwealth that the mike basis should
have been sustained, sew not one solitary
individual who, when the subject vas
fully explained to him, did not concur in
the propriety of my course, aud was not
unwilling that the subject should be again
re-opened for consideration in this body,
was earnestly requested to remain in the
county till court day which came on about
week alter, to explain to my constituents
the course which | had thought proper to
pursue, but declined to do it, as thought
that my public duties required my attcn-
dance here, and promptly left the coun-
ty with view to leave the people Of my
district free to act upon that subject in
any manner that their interests and wishes
might suggest confident that no considera-
bic portion Of the people of either of the
counties of the district would condemn
my course before had been heard in Its de.
fence. Ofcourse then l complain not of
the proceedings that have just been read.
| am acquainted personally with all the
gentlemen who seem to have participated
in those proceedings. They are gentle
men Of high character ard rcspcctabiiiy
Some Of them are my warm personal as
well as political friends, but I have had
conclusive evidence sent me by gentlemen
of the highest respcctahility-scnt to me
in one instance by an exmcmher Of the
Legislature from the county-who dsa-
grees with me in my political Opinions
that SO far from the proceedings Of that
meeting being evidence Of the public seniit
ment of the county, they are rather evi.
donce Of the contrary. He informs me
that the meeting was gotten up late on the
court day without even the fact having
been communicated during the day that
the gentlemen engaged in it entertained
any such intention. | learn that after the
discussion by those gentlemen mentioned
IN the proceedings, it was proposed that
only the qualified voters should be allowed
to vote, which motion was ovcr-ruled and
then the chairman announced, without
even counting the votes, that the resolutions
had been sustained by majority Of the
meeting. am informed further by other
gentlemen in the county that there is not
a shadow of doubt that a very large ma
jor.ty of the county endorse the course Of
their delegates in this Convention, upon
the basis question. More than this, the
county Of Henry is the smallest voting
county in the district. The county Of
Franklin which contains the largest voting
population and by whose vote mainly
hold my Tenure in this Convention, was ad-
dressed at theirJ June court by my colleague,
(Mr. Claiborne and there was, learn from
him and from other sources, n very large
collection Of the people D" the county
present. am Informed also. not from him
but from other sources, from all portions Of
the county, that there is 10 "A very great
extent, pubhc acquicscence in that county.
in the course pursued by that gentleman
and myself | have similar information
upon which | rely, from the county Of Pat
rick.
I will not avail myself Of this opportu.
nifty to 90 into defence Of the cnmpro-
mise or Of my conduct III connection with
it, having thus briefly stated why shall
not be controlled by the action ofthat small
meeting gotten up in the county Of Henry.
| hope | shall be pardoned in conclusion.
for making this observation, that notwith.
standing the efforts which | know are being
made here and elsewhere to prc-occupy the
public mind to the contrary in my district,
that feel most indispu,ahlc assurance that
| shall be enabled from the record at the
proper time and before the proper trbu
nal--beiore those to whom alone | am re-
sponsible for my conduct on this or any
other question that may come before this
body. to show that have flirly, fully and
faithfully redeemed in my public action
here, every pledge that gave them upon
this and every other question Of reform
which has come up before this body.
BLUE RIDGE TUNNEL.-A settlement has
been pretty generally copied into the pa
pers Of the State, that the hard trap rock
which has hitherto been SO great an obsta-
Gle to the excavation Of the mountain, had
been cut through, and soft white limestone
rock met with. This white limestone roc,;
turns out to be white flint, and as the trar
rock is found on both sides Of the mountain
it is proper to infer that the same continue
through it. Geologists tell Us that lime
stone is never found imbeddcd bctwccl
trap rock In the Blue Ridge this rock /
thrown up at an angle Of ASP from sotith
east to northwest
In the smaller tunnel yellow soap-ston
rock has been found, which crumbles o
exposure to the air; and the excavation