Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-05-07

Mr.. LEWIS, Of H., hoped that if tyrannicai major
ity OF % were going force Convention on the West
whics she did not want they would not do it with
gag Tie wished to reply to the member from Lo.
gan.
MIR. SyME expressed bis willingness to withdraw IN.
call Tor the previous question, with understanding
that the vote should be taken at o'clock tonight
Mr.. SoUrHALL moved to adjourn.
Mr.. CLAIBORNE demanded the ayes and noes Sus.
tanned.
The House refused to adjourn-ayes Sc, noes g.
Mr. LEWIS, OF II continued to deprecate forced
vote on TINS bill Eastern gentlemen had made their
speeches which would go broadcast over the land
Enough was to be seen around here to induce every
friend OF human rights distinguished from the rights
OF property, to vote against this previous question: If
TINS 80 called compromise was forced upon his people,
he took an oath as solemn Hannibal swore up
on the altar OF his fathers, that he would never cease
exhortng the West to accept go compromise except
compromise on the top of the Blue Ridge.
n tie would tell his people that Eastern members, and
q teD Western members with Eastern uiecs, had
spoken this question, and not single member from
the North West, and then the gag was applied.
An adjournment was finally carried. On Sat
urday the 10th of February the bill was again ia
ken up. The Times sketch merely states that
speeches were made againstthe bill by Messrs.
Martz, Patrick, Lewis ofHarrison, Shelley, Ben
nett and Kidwell, and in its favour By Mr.. Fer
guson." The vote being taken at late hour,
the bill was passed, ayes IS, noes AZ Including
the members who had paired off, the vote was,
ayes 81, noes 45; and amongst the 81 ayes were
the following seventeen Western delegates, viz:
Hammond, Berkeley Ferguson. Logan and B.
Grantham, do Duckwall, Morgan
Wood, Frederick VIII. ate, Ohio
c Ga do ysoo and C. s eoewsl koi PAGE
Powell, Hampshire Jacobs, Cha Ike and w.
stump, do West, Tyler and w.
Duke, Jefferson Yancy, Rock ngham
Worthlngton, do
Such is the history of the bill under which the
State Convention is now sitting, and which, in
accordance with the prediction of Mr.. Ferguson,
was accepted by the people of the West. Whilst
SO much is said about the degradation of the
mixed basis, it is useful to remember that the
seventeen Western delegates, whose names are
given above, took the bill, although it organized
| the Convention on that basis, and took it too,
with the full expectation that Convention so Or
gained would present constitution establishing
that basis, and, that, this mixed basis constitution
would be ratified by the popular vote Their ar
gument was, that the mixed basis, adopted as
principle of representation, would be better for
the West than the arbitrary apportionment of
the present constitution. So far from holdingit
to be degrading, they considered it thing in
preference to the continuance of the present ar
rangement of representation, to be desired
We beg the reader to note particularly the I'M
equivocal character of the reasons given by Mr..
Ferguson tor supporting the mixed basis bill, and
especially his calculation upon living quietly and
peaceably for ten gears under constitution with
that basis. And, for the edificaon of his peculiar
friends of the North West, whom he has recent
ly taken under his particular guardianship, and
amongst whom it is said that he proposes to make
his future residence, we would commend to their
kind consideration Mr.. Lewis remark touching
Western men aoith Eastern uie,os'' A mighty
change seems to have "come DER the spirit of his
dream" What he voted to take in 1850, he now
says will be degradation, which, if the poor CITY
| of Richmond assists to fix upon him, he will help
to degrade her by curtailing her representation in
| the Legislature
But our principal object in recurring to the cir
! cumstances under which the Convention bill was
passed is to convince the reader that the violence
ofthe language employed by some of the Western
delegates, in regard to division of the State il
| the mixed basis be adopted, ought not to deter
| Eastern delegates from firmly adhering to it. 1t
is proved beyond doubt that the people called the
Convention, expecting the mixed basis TO be en-
grated upon the constitution. majority of the
West voted for the call with no other calculations
and it is nothing but the election of four white ba-
sis delegates from the East, and the wavering of
few Others that has caused the threats of division
we now hear