Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-13
VIRGINIA
REFORM CONVENTION
FURNISHED TO ROBERT H. GA1LAHes f"1hsner 70 ms
l Convention, BE- WIZ G. BsHoP, Cs'ea "sPor'eHI
NO. AZ
FRIDAY, May 9Th 1851:

fror Rotr
ir'ehe .ooton upou tho subject Of internal i'm
s,r,or+ that that has no Influence upon my hilna
lho,aer do not conceive that the question oi Inter
W. ;,n~nrsment or non-nternal improvement has any
th;,r =, do whatever with the precise pt'Posu" n"
hsf,re rho committee The amendment "nereq oy '''I
oei.ie sAe s, Richmond on my right (Alr. BoTrs)
th;n = nroner ono l do not admit that as general
rule taking tho existing state Of things in the towns and
cities of Virginia as they that the cities are not en-
titled to the exact aud full amount OF representation
that the people of the country entitled to- ID mat
ter what NAV be your basis apprelend there is no
gentleman upon this floor who is prepared to contend
that the people of the and the cities less vr
1uos less intelligent or less capable of exercising the
rights and meeting the responsibilities OF the citizen
than the people of the country All will admit that
tho paopla OF the towns capable vrtuos and
rs intelligent in the discharge of their duty and their
Obligations "a citizens the people of the country
tr. that state Of things does exist in some of the
H;a,tS3s this Union, in which y may be proper that
there should be exceptonret that state of things
does not exist in Virginia now. There is town in
Virginia that ought to be spoken of city proper:
an think We only show our vanity when wo atelnp,
IN place any town in this Commonwealth upon an equal
footing with any of the great cities of this Union |
admit that whea cities have acquired the great popul
ton and wealth, say of New York or Philadelphia and
possibly Boston, it may be proper to put imita
ton upon their representation, not because they less
rirtuous less intelligent less capable of meeting their
obligations, or loss willing to meet them citizens than
the people of the country, but for another and very
different The people when assembled in i'm
masses Of four and five hundred thousand per-
in one locality have an identity Of Interest which
perhaps makes them dangerous to the people scattered
nver large surface of territory. When that state Of
things exists then is proper apply your exception
That state of things does not exist here Not at all 1t
might be so if YOU were making constitution now for
ali time come, but tell you this mixed basis conSt
tuition will not be tor all time to come but will be
for very small portion OF the time 10 come.
[Larghter] If we making constitution for all
future time, it might be proper to fill the blank with
some fixed number of representatives and see how ma
n. wears will elapse before any town in Virginia be-
densey populated any Of the cities which
/ have alluded, though trust to our cities more
populous than they have BEEN
One word more Proposition A, If NAV infer from
the vote which has just been taken does dsfranchise
my constituents in my town-and am in the habit ot
calling it town, although by act of the General
Assembly it is ctyor in other words deprives them
Q; representative. state that according 10 this
distribution apportionment OF representation ma.
y proposition A, my town Is deprived of one represen.
rative. must confess that when see her deprived Of
representative by the vote Of this city, il does not
make me feel comfortable as ought to feel towards
certain quarters of the State but two wrongs never
make right and at present advised am not 30.
sed upon principle of l-feelng retaliation
shall vote as think is right according to principle
Mr.. CARLILE desire to say that approve Of the
amendment offered BY the gentleman from Franklin
,Mr CLABoRSE) and shall for it now because COW
i. the time it should be offered Blythe adoption of the
mixed basis you will find that cities and towns will
have four ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the CITY of
Rchuondto every one to which they would be enti-
tied to upon the white basis and while might not &c
willing to vote for restriction of this if the suf
ace basis was adopted because population does not
keep pace with the wealth of those cities feel it to be
a datv owe my constituents to vote fcr it as an
amendment to proposition A. What is the white popu
stion Of the city of Richmonda 1t contains some l5
according to the last census.
NJ FERGUSON: desire to call the attention of
Ii. gentleman from Barbour to remark which is GER
;aay incorrect and that is that Richmond would under
tn. mixed basis be entitled to four representatives t.
ever! under the white basis. RESUME the gen
tcnlaa did not mean that.
Mr. CARLILE- l say if tho principle Of the mixed
basis carried out and if the cities Of Virginia increase
a. have the right to suppose they will Increase and
as is the desire Of every citizen of the State the,
should increase, would not the legislative district o.
Richmond be entitled to four representatives 20 IN
der the suffrage bass She will certainly increase il.
wealth and population Why what il the state of facts
now Say that the white population numbers l5,Gon
AMI that she pays taxes-exclusivc Of the upon IL
Ccnses and law processto the amount nearly of 10000
oars annually into the treasury-and according to the
Of real estate recently had throughout the
Commonwealth should not be surprised if during the
present. year, her taxes were increased onehird.
Mr. SiIEFFEY. The gentleman is mistaken in sup
posing that the reassessment of land is in effect
lion.
The property of the State is taxed upon its annual
value upon the amount of its rents, and not upon the
value of the soil The only addition TO the value OF
.al estate in the city limits is in unmproved lands
Mr.. CARLILE. As the cities increase in size anu
as the population and wealth of the cities increase
would like to know if the also of these cities would
no; increase. unwilling, opposed as entirely
basug representation upon money, to give to poo
pie concentrated those Of city must be, the over
crown power which they will have under this system
shall vote in favor of the amendment of the gentleman
from Franklin.
Mr. ARMSTRONG. desire not to make speecl |
uo this subject but simply state of the
sons which will influence in the vote shall give
s,ne here with firm belief that there princi
ne in government and that there mil ht be adopted
d which could govern ourselves, and do ample and
=4.s! Justice to every portion Of this Commonwealth
I5sl Intended, far my vote was Concerned to dc
s handed Justice to every part of the State alike.
been surprised that gentlemen believe that ther"
n3 principle in yoveinment-this report before III,
committee OF proposition A will degrade western men
and osc of Richmond and Henrico, and sink them be-
lex? hc balance of mankind What are the facts in re-
la,on TO the vote which We had here this mornng il
lis connection hope shall be permitted to addre;s
g.ys,. particularly to the delegates from Richmond
an! only want to state the facts as they exist Now
ve find the county Of Chesterfield has white popua-
,oa q s,sc4 pays tax of 1850 dollars and she has By
til <sportionlnent two delegates We find the county
Ct lelrico has white population of S,09S and pays
axes 10 about the amount of seven thousand five
l4ulrcd and nine dollars. The county of Hen
!co has oaly one delegate and the county OF Chester
S! has two The county Of Chesterfield has majority
u population over Henrico of but Ell, and the county
q +urco pays an Of taxes over Chesterfield OF
<55e But in addition to that, this proposition gives
Tie city Of Richmond upon this principle, five dele
gates upon fair calculation Yet the city gets but four
delegates And the delegates from the city of Richmond
'ervsctins ler in connection with the county OF Hen
Hs thus disposed to disfranchse, to very considt
Fable extent this city and county. Now | feel that
nigh, not be doing injustice when am inclined toap
ly the principle which they themselves have adopted
In what w0id do wrong in carrying out their princ
pes )
had intended as said before, far as was coz
ned t" do justice let either basis be adopted and to
py II faithfully, correctly and every where alike
n nc delegates from the city of Richmond seem to
,s A II is right and proper to deny portion Of
sr Constituents equal representation, am disposed
IL. !" act with them because presume they understand t
'"eiF WISHES much better hnn do Therefore, far a
my vote Is concerned, will aid them in restricting V
Ii representation of cities 7
alr. DAVIS; had not intended to have said any a
@ns IN regard 10 the proposition which is now before
Ae committee But the very pointed illusions which a