Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-10-13
[Ror the Wheeling Intelligencer.l
THE BASIS QUESTION.
PART TIIIRD-CoNcLUDED.

The speeches made in,the Convention 1850
have not been published in book form. tsIhe
Supplement- containing many of them was circu-
lated extensively, each member flooding his dis
trict with any copies Of that paper, that con-
tanned any of his own wise sayings Every one
appeared anxious to achieve Something tliat4
would fix indelibly upon the institutions Of the
State, the impress of his genius. Shall we dis
play some OF their gems of rhetoric and master
pieces OF logicS shall we tellyou of the amicable
adlustmentot personal difficulties, originating
IN the excitementio of debate and how honor was.
healed withoutthe application of gun powder?
snatl we describe our present brilliant Governor
delivering his speech through five successive
days: Don't be alarmed, kind reader, it shall
not be attempted
The Printer to the Convention struggled man
fully, to publish all that was said but twas too
much for him, and the poor fellow broke down.
how much posterity has lostl how many cen-
tur1es the hands upon the dial of civilization
nave retraced, from the failure of that one mani
Inc Panhandle was represented by r. Jacob,
John knote, and Thomas NJ Gally, of Wheel
ing, and jeff I. Martin, Of Marshall Nature
made Gally an orator. His power was of that
KIND which the study of elocution can never
acquire, and was exercised in his addresses be-.
fore the people, so that every chord in the popu-
lar heart vibFated at the touch of his humor
and pathos. We need not speak of the three
surviving representatives. Their modesty would
not permit US to praise them.
The Convention of 1850 must have the credit
OF having introduced into our state govern
ment many reforms, if modern ideas of refor.
nation be correct They gave the right OF
suffrage to others than "freeholders and heads
OF families" They gave the election of Gov
ernor to thepeople. Those who advocated these
changes twenty years before, were denounced
by such Eastern Champions as Leigh and Ran
dolRh, as little better than the Red Republicans
OF France They did much, too, towards remov-
ing that great wrong, which had been the princi.
pal cause for calling them together.
They established representation in the House
OF Delegates upon the basisof white population,
and in the Senate upon white population and
taxation combined. This was great concession
to Western Virginia; it did not give them all
they asked, but gave them more than any preyi-
Gus arrangement.
The Convention secured to us the full weight
OF our rapidly increasing population, by adj
journing over till the full returns of the Census
OF 1850 We're known. That Census made the
! number of White inhabitants in the two great
divisions of the State, as follows:
T Nss of the Blue Rsdge... 1884
In House of Delegates of 1872 Western
| Virginia was allowed So members, but only
twenty members in Senate of 90. So We have
in our legislature, with our 92,282 majority of
white inhabitants, majority on joint ballot of
just SAG, and the Trans Allegheny country with
nearly one third of all the white people in the
State, is represented by a little more than one
s5rt1 of the members of the Senate.
We have population of 267, 944-that of5the
State is s94,800-and we have nine Senators
in so.
Let!'us look, then, at the remedy which the
Convention provided for the inequality of the
present system.
Here it is:
ut shall be the duty of the General Assembly
in the year one thousand eight hundred and
slxty-hye, and in every tenth year thereafter,
IN case 1T can agree upon principle of repre-
sentation, to reapportion representation in the
senate and House of Delegates in accordance
| herewith, -andin the event the General Assem-
Oily, at the first OF any subsequent period of re-
aPPortlonment, shall fail to agree upon princi-
pie OF representation and to reapportion repre-
sentation in accordance Herewith, each house
shall separately propose scheme of represen-
tatlon, containing principle or rule for the
House of Delegates, in connection with a prin-
clple or rule for the Senate. And it shall be the
duty OF the General Assembly, ut the same SEES.
sion, to certify to the Governor the principles
or rules OF representation, which the respective
houses may separately. propose, to be applied
IN making reapportionmentS in the Senate and
House of Delegates !; and the Governor shall. as
soon thereafter as may be, by proclamation
make known the propositions Of retrospective
houses, and require the voters of the common.
wealth to assemble at such time as he shall ap.
point, at their lawful places of voting, and de-
eide by their votes between, the propositions
thus presented. In the event the General As.
sembly shall fail, in the year one thousand eight
hundred and sxty-five, OF in any tenth year
thereafter, to make such reappoftionment or
certificate, the Governor shall Immediately after
the adjournment of the General Assembly, by
proclamation, require the voters of the Commons
wealth to assemble, at such time as he shall
appoint at their lawful places of voting, and
to declare by their votes,
First, whether representation in the Senate
and House of Delegates shall be apportioned on
the Suffrage basis" that is, according to the
number of voters in the several counties, cities.
towns and senatorial districts Of the common.
wealth; s
: Or, second, whether representation in both
houses shall ortioned on the s'tnixed basis;
that's, according to the number Of white in-
habltants contained, and the amount of all State
taxes paid in the several counties. cities, and
towns OF the commonwealth, leducting there.
from all taxes paid on licenses and law process.
and any capitation tax on free negroes. allowing
one delegate for every seventy -sixlh part Of said
inhabitants, and one delegate for every seventy
sixth part of said taxes, and distributing the
Senators in like manner;
Or third, whether representation shall be
apporioned in the Senate on taxation; that is
according to the oil "a