Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-18
Ar. LETCHER. ! understood him as pleading ii

Mr. LEICHER. So It occurred 20 me. Laughter
But II my friend from Richmond did not really wish t.
co understood pleading infancy, will lie explain t.
NJ why he referred the fact that lie was "a youns
man q; the time the Stanton Convention met, What
' lie mean by the reference 10 Mr.. MERGERS talents
ana experience IN political affairs. and above all what
I'D nc mean BY the declaration that he Or Mercer bad
20 covered up the white basis in the report that the Bit
t.' was ios seen ~ the young in the Convention
But as these Stanton Convention ceilings do nos
pear lie much rclshcd BY some Of nv frionds here
wiil dron them. And now, ask the attention of M '
friend from Petersburg Or R:vEs to another w.7 bill
"a, ir woucali ID which gotten up in the Cockado
own n 1916. - !. on the ninth day Of August 1916
they hal pr! .c ing il the OF Petersburg
Si.. p bert BIZ e. !ded a. chairman aud F. g. an.
'ey acted os2..,.y and Nr J. 5. Barbour offts I'd
ne preamble resolutions. Can nv friend tell me
VINO that was heher It was the present John S Bar
boar Of Gu pcpc
! Mr.. RIVES fulSl5i
I Mr.. LETCIit :. Yes
Mr. flNES was about eight years old at that
:imc. !.au.tcrI
:hr. LElCHEi | nn very sorry that mr friend has
80" been cami!nc the rccoi j. since he arrived at full
we that he nigh, hare Known the history of his
people. lie Ought to have known something about
irrs proceedings This meeting perfectly concurred in
plnloa w!tl their western brethren who held tho
ircliestcr Convention and were ready to unite with
In III securing the then Necessary and much desired
. +, .rrms. for which they wcr. earnestly struggling
rte attention to the following extracts from the pre-
Ne and commend the principles therein set forta
q he consideration Of ny friends who from tina.
IL let
hcY perfectly concur in the opinion with their
We I'm brethren who held the Winchester Contention
thai here defects in he prrsen' cr' fgoyen7.ent
W''ici- necessarily require Hl!ctn.cni. Equal rg hts
an': cq;al representation constu, sis Of demo-
c:a;lc government That - rerpci.f." c, the inhab
t"'ts of his Borough are Ready &c il all jrst
aad :cccs> measures-thcy spur! t!.a influence of
local Ihry oil ~
pride and pr .rc upon the recent pledges Of :a:;h and
loyalty. sTel BY tho people of the west We stand uni
tel BY the I'd ties OF brotherhood, members Ct the
';:nc great family :"
Our legislature in theory is designed to be rspositn-
ry of public ereiauy. Let hope that is in
practice and til long pol:,:ca! virtue exists
country caa continue /" be governed b. minority OF
Is inlabants. ecitizens of Petersburg unite in opin
ION with Ike address, that there is Inherent right in
tn" people. ja the legitimate fountain OF powcr 10 call
:: Convention without aid from any quarter"
These cxrac,s enh,dr about strong white basis doc
trnc r"cuicct have heard uttered in the weat
They not ouly white basis there in 1910, but
expect. il could get al the facts that Dorr actu
Ally got lis ". "f organizing his Convention il Rhode
Island ro:;. H. upni"n embodied il the last sentence
quoted In calling hi Convention he went upon the
irucp pc that there il a inherent rghi in tic people
las the !l!;e fountain Of pnser,; call Cuuveu
ton. without aid from any quarter"
:t how it. that there was - large IN crstsu
Va, ii 30, because there feeling abroad through
ol the whole coun.ry ii favor %! equal rights and equal
representation We're not those The great ect.
which to he accomplished b. the Convention then
pr posed to 10 BE- held in the town OF Staunon And in
ca! necon with this subject let call the attention Of
iii gentleman from Richmond, % another matter to
" ch lie referred in the coarse OF lis argument and
III "s tn" senatorial airport onnlert made in !Sl6-lI
u not the gentleman know the fact. that t!a; appor-
IL mcnt made upon the white population as scer-
i nv -,fl Nav anIt
together the proceedings Of III. S;Aunon Convention
lie public ac;- and tic public meetings he'd throuu
ort eastern Virginia, and then tell ne, what was the
si!Ei: and the sentiment of the slate, at tia; time with
regard to thu, interesting question Can any man hest
tate for single moment 10 believe that they were con-
tending precisely for what We struggling here
equal rights and equal representation That WA the
doctrine then contcudr oy both sides of the ridge
~! the doctrine contend for And Vet gentle.
here tia; eastern Virginia las been perfecIlv
consistent ibis subject. that she has ALWAYS been in
Favor of the mixed ba-s How then oe- il hapncn thu,
this proposition nos hefor" tho Committee OF seventy.
tive delegates ~ :aXes, aud se"cntytve population
i no% Introduced here and insisted upon rs the genu.
inc republican, doctrine! Suc! proposition was Intro,
dEce into the last Convention, ana was repudated.
ia II eastern Virginia had been consistent If she bad
always been for tins compound bafis Of people and tax.
and i'll the proportions ret out in the substitute Of
the gentleman FROM Fauquicr Mr.. Scor7 how happened
It. TINT she rcp;ia: Cd it in the Convention of 2e-3Ot
But it is brought forward cow, and for the first tine
every effort is making tn furce it, upon unwilling mn
jjorty OF the people Of Virginia.
now ask attention to another portion OF the argu.
mcn OF the gentleman from Richmond. You will re-
member that be referred TO the basis OF representation
as adopted in the old thirteen states and very much ia
ly an.scAelt he began with the slate OF Maine which
did not come into the Union until 1921. Laughter
He began with l"r for the Grs and then he came 10
Massachusetts e.. hich was not less surpriZed for
but momen . &c had been ocrating her. for hav-
ing been in the Hartford Convention. He
will quote NJ ,achusctts for any thing If her consu
ton that mas made 10 lean il ;aro: the mixed ba-
SIS While he II, At the same time denounce her az
federal state Hartford Conrcution State, utterly
unworthy the sspcct and confidence Of ALL who claim
10 be republic in feeling. lie vent c.l to several
other states. TO my establishment lie found quo
ting from 10 X Of constitutions that, Go not believe
contaiued any constitution which.had been adopted
within tie last years. For instance, the constitu-
ton Of Illinois, adopted in 1871 in it, and n lieu
Of it, the hook contains tie old constitution of 1918
And The is Tic fact, with regard 10 several Of tho
constitutions. to which he referred. BIZ, did tho com
nittcc notice how carefully, he skipped South Carolina
He iwet cloquen!ly upon North Carolina, where free
c-rocs voted up 1855 for members of the house of
lilnons, but he skipped over South Carolina whence
re roposition now under consideration came, and
to Georgia. This was very singular omission,
say Tie least Of il. was locking every moment 10
him read, that clause in the South Carolina consti-
on, which requires as qualification for member
II INC general assembly, that he sha. ten cuccs
cSllc VI I'VE .. res OF lano, or
have ,cl5u sterling worth of rca a,' uniIcumbered
by debts of any sort. And the a.v a:cr u.s. that
Hith tie views which gentlemen a.. &C on this sub
jcc, hcY do no, propose such for adop-
ton here But no they propose TO extend the right Of
suffrage &c those who have 40 property at all. They
arc 10 BIZ owed select the representatives. and not
only that LIT b, the legislative report which has come
in here, qualification TO be attached to tho
member Of the legislature. Whether be shall have
any property not, is matter of moment, accord
fp that tell mi il thjs
mixed basis Of population ard taxation, intended SOLO
II FOR the benefit Of property holders and if they
the ONLY class be considered the formation of gov
.:nn,ent why suffrage also: should not be confined to
property holders. 81 any rate. ought representation
10 be confined property holders, that those inter
e,cd in the PROPERTY should be those alone who had the
mower TO make laws for its protection; Al thi, i,
pudiaed b, gentlemen here, but say that they must
either this at last there is nothing in their
position, that taxes and population be combincdr
for The protection of property They may take either
horn Of the dilena.
But, let notice another matter, worthy Of Sonic
little consideration great deal la, been said in this
debate about he western people wanting money Tor in
,ernal improvements aud ii ia said That they are 10
ha.s the treasury, and bankrupt the State if they
get the power in the building Of canals. rail roads aud
various other Improvements throughout western Vir
,;ina Now before gentlemen claim any great ered.
Z fba,-s should ri,