Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-06

council. when boy. We have toad ns publ:
have struggled as adversarics We ave emIrso''5
friends together we have enjoyed our socia! a.
and together, We have been happy. Shall W. i"a'
strangers aud cuelnes-shall our children becoro
and foes Sir, Virginia can suffer division i 1:F-
no more suggested here. Present no more r.I u
prompted by the delirum of party spirit Howe
make this division. Where will YOU run this linz: 'Vs
upon that map-you will ind bold and beautiful -,
graphical dcneations. You may look upon tIa s. s.
Ridge or gaze upon the Alcghanies, but in vain u;,1
strain the power of vision, in fruess search sl,ar
Pyranees ;.
'geographcr on the face of the EARTH who can oog NV
our-yes our-lnap. aud point out proper lie for ;b
division of this commonwealth Of ours. No. she; '
one she must ever be-ever one and indivisiLe. lc
Tess cannot look with composure upon the proposition
to divide our State but anxious as am MAINTAIN he,
integrity speak in all candor-anxous l am %
maintain the unity of the commonwealth, anxious a.
am to maintain the integrity of this union would no.
regard the severance Of the Union, would regard
the severance of the State as the greatest OF all human
ca!amitics There circumstances which might Zen.
der even these desirable There calamites which
might be brought upon people which might be iAove
untadurabe than the separation and severance Of N
ylia Sir mplore vou DO not place one OF the dy;.-
ions OF this commonwealth III 4 state OF a3ect subec
ZION to the unconditional, uncontrolled mastery Of
tnohrr.
1t was my purpose to direct the attention OF the com
mtee for few moments, TO other POSITIONS which We're
occupied by the gentleman from Berkeley. That gentle
man assumed that the mixed basis ofrepresantaton bal
failed to furnish security to the property OF the either
have been somewhat amused with the ingenuity Of gen
tlcmen when they have purpose TO serve They occa
>ior " assume, that the white basis OF representation
WIS recognized and established by the Constitution OF
.g 80. But when pretended EVIL / - resulted from
tina. Instrument they desire to show that
safety has not resulted that property has not been pro-
ltecc or that large debt has been accumulated under
its operations, then 1t IS stiSatlzed rs the mayed basis
Whencver it necessary TO Introduce authority for the
recognition and acknowledgment of the principle OF mum.
hers then the constitution of 1880 and its basis of re-.
presentations may be relied upon such example
When it is necessary to decry the action OF VIVA, they
call the governmental ma ortv, for improvldent waste.
u and prodigai expenditure Ct the public money then
all this results under the operation of the mixed basi.
ve mixed basis is responsible for all these evils The
,or i, OCCASIONAL founded population ard
taxes and occasionally the doctrine OF numbers list
Ia suit the purposes OF distinguished confess
nys, somewhat loss to comprehend these Conflict
IN arguments addressed To the iii diligence Of the State
hen gent lemcm desire denouncc this governmental
majority, they refer 10 the past prodGalitv Of the GOV
erriucrt when they desire excite Il feeling of prcu.
lice the part oi the western people against the east
cy dccaim in OF bitterness against the nggard.
v plrsmunv which has distinguished the past action OF
our legislature 1t is known that have sustained
;!r: lc; the policy which has been adopted by the
Present government 1t is known that have condemned
pruI: many OF the of general assembly and
l.avc rcapcd perhaps very cnvilbc reward have
been sigalizcd little narrow contracted, in.
definite term of years behind the age-held a1ed
lvin, and ts having ideas corresponding thereunto.
but gentlemen forward and urge upon the pee.
Die eli the State that they have been shnmclly entrca,
FED By the east in refusing to open up the Of
The west. We have contracted debt OF twenty-five
aud half millions had occasion TO demonstrate
cw days since, have laid the foundation for the Ula.
yodabe expenditure OF seventeen and half millions in
.dton thereto making an unavoidable debt of forty
millions OF dollars to be fastened upon the State and
set we are charged with nigga. dly parsimony Moth
in has been done for the west This cry has come Up
even from the Valley | do not believe the gentle
from Augusta velltured upon that topic have
heard that he made ii subject of complaint that
there roads leading into StaLnt0n which not
iu"npikc.
;othing has been done for the Valley. But voice
from rclslc has solemnly announced that the west
derived no aud from the expenditure Of public money in
the WAY OF public improvements Wonder if my fricn
from i5nte;ourt travelled from Butords Gap to
a'incqstle. and from Fincastlc to the Sweet Springs.
How did he overcome the Blue Ridge TYLER. mountain
Prices mountain. and again the Sweet Spring mountain
:jir, have YOU never observed any advantage to he
visit resulting from the expenditure of public money!
haze heard pathetic tones from the eloquent gentle
from kln.wha. MIR. SUMMERs) 1t that mid
lie western Virginia has been especially Gsfavored-
nothing done for his region. nothing for the county
j." ka1wha Sir have myself rrav elcd Mt the rate Of
,h; mics the hour, from Charleston (the residence Of
thu scneman) down 10 the mouth of the Guyandotte
yer Il road constructed by the commonwealth Are
there tu:npk- each bank of the Kama wha which
haze bceu constructed By the State
IN referring /" this question of internal improvements
ind that | have departed from the line of remark
which had originally intended to pursue but may
well say what have TO this subject ut once
10 not refer to with view of defending NV past
conuuc!. OF the principles which have en-, in
gard 10 The policy Of internal Improvements. No mat
sef what may have thousht-no matter what NAV
nave conc, We have to regard now the actual existing
condition Of things i'll relation to these works We have
"e told that the policy aud the action of the lcgisa
;rr have been detrimental and degrading To the west
The State COVE rGment has been denounced for hay
ii developed the vast resources of the And
state has been represented as exhibiting condition de-
iorah!y wretched described BY ephets and figures of
pccch, which it might DC disgusting to repeat Virgin.
IA has been represented as existing in state of stagna
t"n OF pitiabc povcrty-too pabIe to be conternpa-
ted. Now appeal to the eloquent gentleman from
bcrkce: MIR fArLKSER TO vndcste the State from such
n charge He has exhibited statis, les here establishing
nconrorertlby the fact that the property Of the PEG.
pc q" the whole commonwealth including a. well the
east ami west, WAS equal To average wealth Of $3.50
per capita, SIG.G00UO0, he estimated to be the value
OF the whole property of the State which upon equal
division among the people of the State would afford an
average wealth OF $3.50 per capita And vet people
possessing that amount Of wealth. is de-
rably deficient in all the essentials of human
Tort. The people OF rgnIa according To the estimates
exibtedb b. the gentleman from Berkeley are in the pos
session If more than twice the average wealth Of any
InUn-savrh"Ging community in the confederacy. Tbs
property Of the commonwe ah Of Massachusetts the
richest MONS ayehoding community has been est.
MATED at :G6 per capita and yet the people of Viz
GINA. possessing more than double their average
wealth pr capita, are Represented ms miseraby poor
1t has been urged too that Virginia has fallen from her
high estate and taken position in the rear New York,
Pennsylvania and Ohio are scvcrally il, the van Viz
Sna ranks only fourth in the scale Of importance Well
that has been her position for some time past She WAS
but the fourth State in the Union the close of the a
decade In egarL to numbers she retains that position
still notwithstanding the mournfn pathos bv which We
nave been 50 deeply moved. But ii her growth md
development have been rearded-i she has not advanced
with the rnpdity which her natural resources would
seem to indicate; are all the members te this BODY
disposed to ascribe it to the policy Of her gene
raj assembly or are there those here who will acrbe
II rather to the action OF the federal government Sir
one VIII" has closely observed the action AMI policy Of the
federal government would nm sure u-cribe it in
degree at least to the bneiui policy pursued by the au
thorites at ashington. Who can estimate the Ge,r
ncnt sustained by the South throug, the commercial
and maritime policy OF the federal government Bv the