Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-18

'' s"' mel" >orne twelve months ago eastern man
r. ;, ,'s STATE Of things introduced :. pronosit;o :; -
i1l"se 81 Delegates call convention - -
hot the advantage but the right tha,s -
tIest "3!id acquire by the census Of So md - , ~
hi he advantage Which western v;,;a 'I ana perhap
s' carrier adjustment Of this question Hill y a
n PROVIDING for the call II this convention I,
a. ~" , me people at e polls should decide the
o: mixed white -s-whethcr the neon,s ~ on th
he Tree will aud nresirainci Judgment should aaa owl
= one or the other. To that tribunal ultimately oil
n questions are refcnbe and the mode of talina ,hsi,
IS "non of the question free from any rational obso
- '"n' We could then perceive whether there was ma
n fv :" the people for against either Of these mea
N c b"intey and not conecturally as the gentleman
: ron fanqucr now charges when assert that ma
%rty q the people rndoubty prefer the popular bas.
t i' vi" IL 'i'r proposition was submitted TO
i Reasonable and intelligent men, and vet eastern penta
a men condemned it. They denied to the sovereign neo
d pie the right TO be heard the question They had
: Tie power and inclination 10 do but whether there
t was lf'hcipie IN their action will submit to their own
c'h-c!'c-: linen came up the mixed basis system of
\ representation which was Incorporate in the bill call-
Ing the Convention the delegates r.nre.ennc
large majority OF the people of the State with almost
entire unanmiiy demonstrating and dcnouncne it in the
:.ost unqualified manner Nevertheless in the face of
this array of public sentiment the part of the west
Their rebukes and cxpotuations eastern gentlemen
forced the I'LL upon them And what Wa, their argumens
Ill hat lceis.aurei 1t that repeated hy the
gentleman from Fauquer. that it was not appropriate
Tor the legislature the governmental majority, decide
the question of the ba, Of representation that question
Belonging rather IL the Convention than the legisa
turc II forced upon the west and the people of
EASTERN Virginia voted with remarkable unanmitv for
this Convention. Why did they thus yoel IN COM
pllancc. a. the gentleman from Fauquirr said with the
general desire of the commonwealth Yes eastern yir
,nia voted for the calling Of this Convention saws the
gentleman from Fauquler IN compliance with this
general wish Of the commonwealth for this Convention
thus o,sauized | think however that many eastern
gentlemen vo;c for the Convention from very deren.
motives. gentleman with whom have had conycrea-
ton upon the subject stated to me- his position which
he said was the position Of many others WHO had voted
Tor The cal; Of the Convention III order 10 prevent the
Possibility Of transfer from to western Virginia
III the political pfepondcrance of the State dare say
that his views, if the truth We're known would be found
Ia Ice the exponent Of the sentiments of nine enths of
the people III eastern Virginia upon the subject Some
of the people of western Virginia believing that the ar
Gnent made III the Legislature might have been sincere
that the legislature not the proper body to decide
the ba>, question and that when this Convention as.
scnnied OF grave and able gentlemen. of just and gener
oas gentleman. representing great and magnanmous
constituency that the east would hear their claims and
rcsTec, their demands ami conccde their unquesonable
right voted for the Convention. But from the indcs
tons rca manifested this floor so far as the ulti-
mate decision Of eastern Virginia is concerned think
they have Dccn egrrgiou-ly deceived How is this Con-
"cnon now "rganlzcd l. i, organized in such manner
to give effect and force the public will of this
State: Is it organized in such manner ms TO eY-
press fairly the Judgment Of the qualified of this
State, the very body 10 which gentlemen themselves
must ultimately leave the ratification of their work
No, 1t is very far from it. You have stihed their
voices in this hall but trust you cannot do il Ion
ger. How is this Convention organized The tide
water district is much inferior 10 the trans egany
district in white population TIE Alegany dis.
trct-;hat much de.ded but glorious district from
which has white population exceeding that
Of tr district by nearly $4,000 vet strange TO
say tdewacr district has thirtycght delegates upon
this Goor, and trans Alleganv but thiryfve But you
pay taxes. DO youl You have more slaves have
YOU Yes vou have slaves and your slaves are
computed nj higher estimate than my white consttu-
ents What il the population Of tile-water district
You have 1865 white population and l7s6Sl slaves
making total of 366 336-not computing your slaves
according federal numbcrsnet applying this three
t s rule to the slave population bu. taking the aggre
gate Of your population, great and small, white and
+ black Now, the -Aegany district has 3Sl5sB
white Inhabitants, being IN overwhelming majority Of
$4,000 nearly the number in your district and
then il has ei,446 slaves making aggregate populs
ton OF 3560o2. The two districts have grand total
in population Of G2335S. Together they are'entitled
20 - delegates in this body Make the delegates the
division of the population and You will ascertain tho
ratio According to that ratio, tide water entitled to
{ thrtyseven delegates, and not thirty eight counting
every negro you have and trans Allegany would be
+ titled 10 hirtvsix-one than she has now Thus
by putting your negroes par with my constituents
you get hiry-seven delegates but il does not satisfy
son 10 put them upon an equality and you must needs
Ga i'm IS delegates here This boosted equality
in The organization Of this Convention for which the gen
: tcnan from Fauquier after prodigous effort found it
il his hHartto offer some slight apology
Ii i. thus came into this Convention, representing
i people t!lus degraded dcisased and vfed-for / do
/. regard il rs II villicatonavc, dehascd below your
-avcs--not thrceourth- Of them but the whole OF
them II j, base mockery to talk to abopt fair
representation this Convention il insulting to tell
II, We have fair and equal representation this floor.
and 10 tell that tie people ratified this principle
when they voted for this Convention. had the glori
on, opportunity Of participation in our election on the
fourth Thursday Of April, 1880 in county in trans
# Acgauy which knew her rights. which desired great
4 many reforms i'll with the rest Of trans ALE
j cny but which abhorred and dctestcd this principle
much that not single solitary vote in this county
recorded in favor Of the convention BILL And let
u ask the gentleman from Fauquicrwhcre such spirit
prevails and under such circumstances al time when
N the is looking to the magnanlmy OF eastern Fir
gnia for satisfactory award to her OF her rights
c cre-how can he expect t" force constitution contain
in. s;cll principle. upon such people! Let him not
fa;tcr himself that he will do il. However inqutous
i. th. ,ln.-howcvcr revolving to Of right.
n an nevertheless here under the reat disparity, suffer
ing this great inequality pert and parceli my repre-
j. sentative capacity in the body, which IL now To deter
mine This question nj representation II is this ques
e ton which YOU have under consideration.
j We 10 construct that part of tie government
whose sole object If to express the will Of the people
ta, department which j, organized rs to give
hctc solemn form 10 the will of the people. And how
e are We 10 10 it am for arranging the matter
r tina; majority Of the voters Of the State shall have
}, 7aortv Of the representatives in the Legislature, as
II that minority of the voters Of the State shall have
. minority If the representatives. The most inHexibe
opponents Of this principle compelled to
esc ycrY qualified voters to sanction their basis,
and nil our abors wcllas-ured that without such
rnaon the constitution would be utterly destitute of
Validity. The suffrage basis should be emDhatically
= the basi. i'll Virginia. Il has been vndicated long
.nce-perhap- for tho fret time, b. her Apostle of
N liberty In i7s3 Jefferson commended it for adoption
into tie constitution in this perspicuous language: The
member of delegates which each county may send shall
IF be- in proportion to hcnumscr Of qualified eecors
n am pot a. a. been enormously imputed TO Us, deal
r. rous nor willing e the voice of the minority by
l. general tcke; election The principle Of the suffrage
basis IS at equal the number Of voters shall have
an equal number Of representatives. and majority
; hal! stle the voice Of the minority 1t admits No
i'll such charge.
n W. have before for consideration three several
propositions purportins determine this question o!
,rJ, lar ,oIa nf