Delaware State reporter., 1853-04-26

under the guise of imposing qualifications, we
mean to abandon the principle altogether. We
cannot know this until we see what are his
propositions and his plans
Passing from that point, however, come to
the question before u.s. and ask the members
from Kent and Sussex whether there is any
thing in the principle which the amendment
cmbodics, which they have reason to"ftar! !
ask them whether, because they live in one por-
ton of the State, their political rights ought TO
be greater than they would be if they lived in
another portion? ! ask them if that is a re.
publican doctrine? | ask them if they need
fear the mode in which the State will be dis
trictcd, under this PLAN after the year 1861,
when that arrangement into districts will neccs-
sarily be in the hands of Legislature ncccssa-
nly composed of a majority of members from
the counties of Kent and Sussex ? The amend
mcnt looks entirely to the future, and for the
purpose of that future it csablishcs two plinci-
Pies but leaves the carrying out of those prin-
ciplcs into practice to a Legislature which will
be composed very mu Ii and in substance AS the
present Legislature is. In other words, the
j proposition amounts TO this, that though we of
4 New Castle county come within 5000 of the
4 numerical population of the rest of the State,
and within ,639 Of the free white population
| of the rest of the State we are willing to bear
with the inequality for the next seven or eight
years, if you will now assure us that the princi
pie of equality will then be established, agree
ing, however, to a restriction upon an urban po-
pulation, as against rural one, applied TO the
A city of Wilmington. | can see 10 reason for a
distinction between any portion of the agricul'
tural part OF the State of Delaware. | cannot
see why land should be represented instead OF
men. The amendment before you tests the
question whether you are willing in the future
to give us something like equality. If you deny
! it TO us, my course, at least will be plain. /
will appeal to the sense of the people Of the State
as against the sense of the Convention. ]
will appeal to that sense of justice which be-
lieve is natural to men, over which, passion may
7 sometimes triumph, over which interest may
often triumph, yet which, if this is a republican
government, and if the people are capable Of
sclf-govermcnt, is principle 50 plain, so clear,
and so undcniablc-I mean the principle of the
I, equality of civil rights, and the equality Of
& political rights which are the sole guardians Of
civil rights between man and man, i'll any part
of the State-that ] believe it must triumph
and that at no disa day. When the public
come to have it fairly investigated, when they
come to understand that there isnoral interest
i'll the State opposed to it. that there is no dan
ger TO which it can lead, and that those who
oppose it do it for the purpose of keeping up, il
, this State, certain degree of county feeling
which is prciudical to the interests of the whole
State, which renders small sovereignty Difficult
| to maintain at any time, and if it keeps OH
| will render it utterly contemplate, will no
, oppose the proposition to give every freeman hi
equal, civil and political rights. | ask for tn,
I yeas and nays on the amendment.
The question being taken by yeas and nays
G resulted yeas Is, nays II, as follows:
WINS ApSSrS Iovar1 Ruoc Collins Coi.lit
Gibbs, Hazard Hickman, lodge, l.otland, Max
: well, Smith, Snithcls, Springer, Whitaker, an'
e WilkcnSon-l5.
f Nas -NIcssrs. Bates Bell, Burton, Galloway
{ Hail. lIcyelin, Houston, Jones, Long, Aleriiken
: Phillips, and the Presidential
! So Tic amendment was agreed to-
0 In order that we may continue The sam
c subject, we leave out the proceedings on otho
: subjects. lii the afternoon, the first, secon
/; and third sections were scyerally adopted i
: Convention.
; rlc fourth section, as amended, was read a
. follows:
@ SIC. 4. The General Assembly shall mcc
: bennally, and not Qitcncr, unless convened b
the Governor. The first session hereafter to b
. held shall commence on the first Tuesday i
January, IN the year of Our Lord one thousan
! eight hundred and iiity-tive, and subsequent ses
= sions on the same day in every second year there
\ after, and no session, except that first hereafc
= to be held shall continue for longer perio
than five weeks from its commencement.
q 6 The Legislature at its first session after til
u returns of the next census of the United State
y are made and also after the returns of cac
n succeeding census are made, shall divide I'll
|. State into single Senatorial districts, each
II which shall choose one Senator and two Repre-
sentatives, and each district shall contain
II nearly aS may be an equal number of inhab
tants, and shall consist of contiguous and cor
!. vcnicnt territory-and the districts cstal
"a lshed shall remain unalterable until the ne!
=, succeeding returns of the census are mad
\ Prorided, That in any future revision Of the Iii
e tricts the city Of Wilmington shall not be Il
lowed n number of Senators and Represent
: exceeding two-iithS of the whole number
lc Senators and Representatives in all the distlic
!. within the limits Of New Castle county, or e
d ceeding one-siXth of the whole number of Sen
: tors and Representatives in the State"
1t Mr.. BAYARD. | wish to make a suggcstiC
s. in reference to the amendment Of that scctio
IS It provides that the first session of the IcgSl
turc hereafter to be held shall commence on Il
1t first Tuesday in january, 1855. | do II
OF know even by conjecture what may be the d
A. termination Of this body as to the time at viii
it they mean to submit this Constitution as amen
h. cd, to the people for ratification, whether at
Of general OF special election. If at a genel
nc election certainly the first session OF the Leg
Of lature under it cannot commence in Janua
of 1855, because there would not be time to Gle
II them by that period If you submit the Go
to stitution to the people at general election,
ne will of course be in November, lS54, and "
" would not have time 10 elect your members sot
he enough for them to assemble ON the first Tue
Is day ii January, lSj5 at least should thin
re not If you determine that you will submit
il. Constitution to the people for ratification at
ve special election, the proposition may be prop
W enough; but unless You have determined tn
n. question YOU may involve yourself in dillicul
&C BY the adoption of the clause as it stands
Is, this section
St Mr.. BATES, drew up the provision myse
d. We presumed that the members TO meet at tn
ur time would be elected under the present Co
o. stitution. 1t might he better, however, to pl
of vide for it in a schedule, and am inclined
as think that that course had better be pursue
it. therefore think, that it might be as well
d. strike out all Of the section except that whi