Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-27
man from Appomattox, shalt have no objection tc


will be prepared to meet them. AS TO the ph:aeolog
it will be all corrected in that committee to when
subject is to be referred But have objection an
shall have none to the fair submission by any party
the people of this Commonwealth, Of any issue TN
they may desire at any period Of time
Mr. WISE lbeg leave to say that owing to the cause
that have beeu detailed by the gentleman from hams
wha Air SuMAERs) this proposition was hurried rol
the committee rooni the house was waiting lot !
There IRE some parts of this proposition which nee
amendment. There certainly some two OF thre
important particulars in which shall vote for amen
merits. do not know and will not say, that NJ III
proper time will not vote for the proposition Oh m
friend from Appomattox, (Nlr BococK) feel lne Ti
certify III which he has offered it. He has avoweu III
open hostility the compromise, yet at the same lii
he has avowed his motive to be of good iaitn'
see that the proposition in several respects ee
amendment. AS for example there too many iSsue
for me to have submitted to the people There arc loo ma
ny votes to be taken by the people isnot YET aete
shall decide the question Again. suppose that the es
isature should agree to re-apportou for the rS t.e
but should disagree at the second time OF
ment there is means provided to settle that dc"i'
see objections but will not enter upon them now"
cause they are merely objections of FORM 1sml be Su
cd BY the suggestions of my friend from k,nawha r
SuMMERs) aud wait until the proper time We WIN cS'
tany digest this thing we'll before put it nln tlle
constitution by final vote These not essential opJec
tions and there can be an understanding upon the par
the friends of the compromise that they shall all DC COT
rected and adjusted ut the proper time do not lh''h
now is the proper time. The fact is that this proPos
ton will become better dgested in all respects We We
are debating other parts of the constitution shall tnerc
FORE for the present. vote against the proposition Oh NY
friend from Appomattox Mr BococK) not to be- under
stood ut all az committing myself against it, or any
other proposition, or for the present proposition
But am glad to that there is something blessed
in this proposition Of peace making. 1t carries the bes
sing of the sermon the mount for it hath made inc
dumb to speak and the lame TO walk.
Mr. SAUNDERS. My friend from APPROXIMATION ar
BococK) has spoken here about dead men, Well, ,N
not know exactly, in my present position before me
country whether | am dead man or live one.
LaugLter.l in my action here recently, | have en-
deavored to consult the best interests of my colSt,u
ents and to the best of my ability the welfare o Is
Commonwealth and to do well rs could according
to the solemn convictions of my understanding and my
conscience for myself In cndeavoring to pursue t,s
course have in some degree PERHAPS thrown ny ecu
into the breach between the contening parties Oh .i
Convention and i'll doing SO to take care OF my c'sIu
ents to take Of the east to take care OF ,ne
to take care of the whole Commonwealth "l 'irea'
and take care of myself as best could. lauShlerl
Mr. WISE. That is good law. -
| Mr. SAUNDERS do not know us anybody III las
east has come eFtcually to my rescue. But 40 ho"
perfectly well that the west has not They have thrown
me apanst the wall and far the action o the Wcst
on this floor cnteavoed to dash my brains ont against
that wall 1t is exceedingly difficult, under the clrcu'
stances of the case, for ME to know which course
should pursue But in the aspect of the question a' IL
presents itself before to-day intend to consult my
vitality; if have any mean to consult 1t as lar rs
CAN mean 10 cndcavor to make this conn "iT y,
which Is to form government for the present n well
=, for III, future rs little Objectionable as can anu
therefore AM in favor of the amendment OF my 'riehu
from Appumattox (Nr. BococS) do not mean 10 ar
cue tho question: but did desire to bring before 'ui
house and the country the peculiar position III wnlch
| 1fvN1n cn1
utterly impossible for me to tell whether am h'c
man or dead one. Laughter
| Mr. BOCOCk. | do not mean to occupy inc ''opi
many minutes | am, however, afraid that 1t Is too Of
ten the case that when the dumb do find speech they are
too much disposed to indulge in its exercise Laugh
teri But wish to say in reply to the suggestion OF
nv friend from Accomac (Mr WIsE) that this conpro
mise has made the dumb TO speak and the lame 10
walk that though it he considered blessing Tor the
dumb man to be able to speak, 1t might oy some "
considered blessing to mankind II those VINO sleaS
should occasionally be made dumb. laughter
r.collect when was confined to nv room that my eX
ceent friend from Accomac Mr. WIsE) used to WISH
me Frequently and in the course Of hishow many days
speech WAS 1t
| A MEMBER. II was five days.
| Dir BOCOCk During the course of his i've days
speech recoec his coming in evening quito hoarst
and then il occurred to nv mind how great beSinl
it might sometimes be if those who spoke should h'
made dumb I know that the gentleman would rccip
rocate CONGRATULATIONS with at this dry If such were
sometimes the case.
But my chief business in rising was with the gentle
man from kanawha, Nr. SuMMERs.) asked him in al
cautlor and wished him to answer in the same can
dor if he and those who act with him do not object t
vote for NV proposition because it disub the compro
mise He tells in good faith that he does object E
nv proposition because it gives conventional power
the legislature of 1865. Now believe that my frien
from kanawha is better logican than that. What
his position here He is advocating compromis
which does not grant alone conventional power 10 IN
legislature OF 1865 alone power to consider anu re
commend to the people for their adoption any plan
representation but to decide absolutely Tor the peop
without submitting to them at all the very questio
that propose they shall submit to them. He object
to the legislature of 1865 having the power to present
question to the people, because ii conventional power
but he does not object to that Legislature having powe
TO decide that question for the people as fully aud anp
and without the sanction Of the people the peopl
could do for themselves. In this very compromise be
fore us there granted to the Legislature of ls65
qualified power to decide upon the principle of repre-
sentatou in each house they may choose without
submission nf the question to the people, and whe'
propose that they shall have the power III case the
cannot agree to submit the question to the pcopl,
the gentleman objects to it upon the ground that it
granting them conventional power. He thinks that tn
power 10 the legislature to submit the question to tn
people is too great power but the power to decide tn
same question for the people without submission is e,
actly right. That is his position.
! Mr. WINGFIELD. wish to say for myself that $
far as my own individual feelings concerned, th
proposition Of compromise does not meet with my CT
tire appreciation. | agreed to it though comprc
mise, aud for considerations that thought were hghe
than any consideration Of carrying TIN ough either tn
mixed basis or the white basis And for that reason
shall adhere the principle that has been adopted
long rs it shall meet with the favor u the majority
this house.
AS regards the proposition of the gentleman frol
Appomattox, (Mr. BococK,) do not see, and cannc
see any reason why 1t should not be adopted The onl
difficulty with me is to the time. am not skilled
these matters at ALL and cannot say whether this
proper time or whether another time would be bette
for Il to be introduced But it to be though
by the frSuds Of this that this is not the pr,
per time but that SOME future time will be better,
Shall vote against it now, but when the proper tin
comes if the gentleman from Appomattox, (Mr Bocock
or some one of his friends do not choose to make tn
motion, will move to amend the compromise in tn;
particular myself
I Mr. STROTHER. The gentleman from hccuma
(Mr. WIsE) objects to this amendment us being out
place for the reason that matters of form shout
be reserved for another time. | calnot agree to tina
because think that place is more proper for sue
amendments than the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. WISE | agree that no place iS more proper tina
this but merely remarked that thought it might