Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-15

sh"ies which have long -ndered the people of til
! commemorative. If We level them the cy.
VII! at least wipe them out Of the constitution.
We are told by the gentleman from Cu pcper. OF
nAkhorh and by the gentleman from Albcmarr. III
orhALl that the constitution adopted in 10 is 10
'"hch a. Inc Interpretation OF the bill OF rights and II,
eAPotelt 81 the truths which ts Trainers intended {
slulci;te
:; We AL Know Alr Chairman the circumstances uip.
wich The constitution Of l776 was formed and adopt.
Ne Know that IT was framed ly IN assembly not elcctc
...H' constitution Tor the people of Virginia. ae
"'Ns inc power o! an ordinary Legislature. W
Know That 1t was never submitted to the prop!,. i,
nS'''a Tor their approval Rejection and that il b.
came the organic law by surrance and acoui.-c.,c.
netetf We further know that il WAS the first con.;i
,"' MADE 10y any of the States-n.!c amid the tir.
hc'i'E throfS Of the revolution when all h.rt. and i
eyes We're cirrOssed with the mighty ev.t which Wv
'ic'' hi.'"S thc'nsclvcs-that ii was i'm rned =. tenn
P,' ,otn :" government onlv, III substitution for that
"'n'n ,'"y hld thrown oil They laid down The tru,
principles OF government in the bill Of rights, without III.
VI 'ne leisure TO form government in conformity
20 'ho-e principles. TO maintain under surh c;rrnni
stances that the constitution is proper ,ynoupt f ,h
i'"cle7 "i the bill Of rights understood hv it, fr,
whit DC about as Reasonable, TO say that n Tor
t''I'e shah!y put up for temporary shelter h
ITS 'r"ctcd by master builder who has written
"''h ' cchailcs Is to be taken an illustration au
excmp!iilcailon Of the rules and orders of architecture.
! AF' jefferson, speaking of the constitution of II-6
ahH OF :; draiSht of constitution prepared y himi
IN 1883, says The infancy Of the subject ut that mo-
c and our Inexpcriencc Of elf-goycrin,nnt OCCASION
"d gross departures in that draught from grnrn. re-,
!"o'.!' c:tils In truth the abuses nf monarchy had
70 mich lil!c all the space OF political CONTEMPLATION
M'' IRE Imagined toery Minq republican miich wns no,
a!"nchg Va had not Yet celebrated to the mofLrr
principle That gorfrnncn, rcJlb'ican only IN pro.
portion as they :moody TIE ~WT lie pecpi aud ererutH'
And here, sir beg lcav" to avail mv-cf Of mgth.r
nrit ,lrIlut lt,,. 4
the constitution Of lilo furnish the true ntcrnr,,a
ton OF the Bill OF Rights. The .nten,an from IN,
city vi Richmond, Mr.. X. e. ScoTr has ulucsI in my
hands little book containing the iourial Of H.. ,r
cecu5o" the Staut"n Convention held in Jul, lsn5
lii OF which he prominent member ,o.t j.r viii
t!r memorial OF that convention the general asr,-
bly. This memorial was drawn bv the Gentleman from,
kiciirnit OR Scorr.) and aiop."i bv the Conyco,
without division This do unent after speaking, If
the constitution as defective, in not containing a pro-
vision for IT. amendment. and the ncccs.it, o npryiu
Ito the Legislature to supply this defect goes on t. IN,
- i"ur lnenorIa-ts have RI hi to expect that il will
be supplied ii they show that there i any on. inn,
portan provision in the existing constitution ,lich r,s
originally and aiaps inconsistent ritz tie gret Dr;ui
i1ts o" ~hch az FREE gortrp0ats arr Tcund,i, and
which BY the operation Of many causes ha. bccomr
still more oppressive in its practical operation Your
i!!clnori.- Il" not mputc /" the vice aud excellent
men VIII" framed the constitutions the defect in liz -r.c-
t!rc, to which they a!llde. In t.s Declaration ef
lights 81 Virginia. rhE Meg ar;skcdt to BE-. In
ne constitution :tsa "c hrhON instrument fashioned
under iHausp'c;oas and uncomfortable circumstances
These are 20 generally known that it seemed =,p.rtuou,
10 state them Again, after ii-cIaillg ali imprtati,m
"pon the trainers vi the constitution the memorial pro-
c".s I" state, to give II those institutions tha, con
--tcni shape which the Trainers III the constitution ST.
distinctly conctir.d JGt tourd M.ms.res uaajIe 10 rr,
r"| MoWa De tie aim Of ererq ci:tl ot tie coamn.,r-
rtM. The great inc"n-i-trc? between the coils.iru
ton ami The bill u rights, thu= denounced b. the Siam
ton ncni"iIa was that while the latter declared the
political "aty OF men, the former apporoned repre-
s'ntalion c,i!!ly 10 counties without regard 10 the
n;mtrr "i n!iabltais or the number OF voters which
! they contained
Such, -ir. WAS the concurriny sentiment of Eirgi-
ma, At thar day, upon this proposition now started
arcri, that The bill of rights IL be interpreted H..
what We find III the constitution which w:.a framed b
the =;nc men. and at the same time
Bit sir. this little book. which has been furnished NJ,
br M friend from Richmond. II rather curious pro-
ductl"n 1t c"tains tire" remarkable works bound up
:1sc.icr. first, the o"rna ii III" proceedings D h.
hiii" Convention. Second KEY t. The .tp"cuisp-c,
hy the late Alexander Smythr: and lastly the franklin
Almanac, lur 1875 y valuable compendium oi nior-
nation an, authority i; must be allowed. The k+v T.
the Ap1tiyps and the proceedings of III. c0,lvr:iI!
are ntrrlrarcd together. and you read leaf Of tir""
! then ri the other al.emacll. Now when IT,. gen
t.rlan from Rcckbrge (Mr. lErcIrr,J asked = qur--
ton the other day in regard t" that celebrated 1nirl
resolution spoken Of in the Journal it orcirr"! to i.,
/ lint possibly the gentleman from Richmond (llr.
S.orrJ had thus Inserted tn key 10 the Apocalyp c
with view tn aid him in cntcrprci ing these proceedings
The journal does show that resolution was adopted
by that Convention, affirming the true basis o! repre-
sraaton to be the numbers Of the white population :"
The State, exclusively In the proceedings this resou
ton stands ~ the third resolution Of the series Tn,
second resolution is divided into four I.rt. The thrr
branch Of this second resolution relates 10 suffrage Ih
question is when the journal speaks ri the third
luton whether il refers tn the third il stands ~
10 thu third part of the second resolution The gentle
nau from Richmond insists that he did for the
la-i. IF whit. population in til. Convention but voted
4 y anst it. Tn" ana hoes not recorded an:
there coc-scy much confusion in the report oi the
vote on these several resolutions. AMI il j. difficult 10
determine which il referred To- sometimes. the third
rc-pic:tion. But happen TO haze key also, which
ina. help s to unlock this officially ! hold in my
i hand number II the Winchester Republican, date"
/ August s 1895 and which contains detailed account
OF the proceedings o! the tantun Convention prepared
:, "a understand, b. member OF that body. This re-
:. port gives the resolutions adopted 'yl'nso witt
CONTINENTS tie debates that took place The writer
y On the passage OF the :rd scction Of the sftona
. y.soiyn relating To the right %: ira" ihat,
cn-ic between the advocates OF the strict constitutional
limitation the one hand, ana the friends of reason
Z .ilr cxtrus"n the other resolution was hoi
proposed aud adopted UiM one dissenting roice which
.i.rcl in sus ance, that representation ought tn b,
!. .;,oo:ioned o.; the basis nf free white population
|; appears then. that the basis of white population me-
4 with but one opponent in that Convention
q sir WISE. Who that
2: Mr. SUMMERS. cannot answer The writer
does NOT furnish the name.
. \ MEMBER. 1t was Judge Scott.
! Mr. SUMMERS. Then, Mr. Chairman. il it VA
la!1c Scott il wns not my friend from Richmond III,
| other Scott. Laughter. II the statement which
haze read be correct that the resolution raferr" t"
passed with bit dissenting vote and thar rot" va e!Tt:
hv The distinguished gentleman who then Represented
The county Of Fauquier in the S,aun'on Conv"it"n II
certainly follows "a necessary consequence, that M
friend the senior member for the city Of Richmond
NJ Sc"rrl was then and thcr" 10 wit, III the -r@a
Co.vc at Stauntnn in tho SUMMER Q! lo:' n"
/. onir writing memorials affirming the very doctra'
which va maintain bit actually voting for resolution
affirming white inhabitants exclusively 20 De me pro
! per basis Of representation. I-aGghlc:
! Mr. SCOTT. Of Richmond city. WITH the permission
!. Of The gentleman from kinavha, WISH 10 maze al eS
PLANTATION Of how The vote was Which Is reicrrs! 10 i.
! his Winchester Republican, Il l. tlc hrs; time
haze er.r seen or heard Of that paper 60 not kn""
who this correspondent sas VIII the gentleman &c
, no the s.ro. 10 furnish me with hi nlinei
Mr. SUMMERS I an, pc.hal5. not ut i,Dsr'y 10 dc
80 He ws OF tic representative: iFoa inches;ef
ana unless am mistaken was distinguished ieiinc'
Of he Convention OF 1879
Mr. SCOTT II the gentleman WI turn 70 '.'e re.
rcr which again invoke, he will find that upon tha'
IL nj