The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-30


language OF either OF the gentlemen named
could D.. tortured in a refiec tion on the West
Well, If IL could not be, why all this hu hbub !
Why the SPEECH from the gentleman from
Washington The Speaker would not permit
any man to question his fealty TO Virginia,
and he regarded Juggling this question in 10 de-
bate as an insult to every Virginian. He did
not represent the hills and valleys Of Morgan
on thar floor, bnt represented the interests of
every section Cf the State. The gentleman
from Prince Edward had used no language
which could give rise TO this debate. The gem
teman had said that in jus tice had been done in
the appon tment OF thus committee; that a rule
had been violated. Could he not complain Of
| that without ignpeaching Western Virginia I
But the gentleman distinctly stated further
that he made no imputation on Western Vir.
gina, bhi only demanded W hat he {the sneak
er.) would accord TO him. that the East shou Id
De put upon an equality with the West He
should Ike to see a Western Virpin,au who
would deny thai privilege TO the gentleman
Mr.. HIVES, of Prince George, saw no neces-
sity tor this hubbub. He was from G., ,nsres-
sionai disirict which was unrepresen ted, and
endorsed every word the gentleman from
Prince Edward had said He couid not see
what exception Western Virginia could take
10 that.
Mr. HOPKINS quoted Mr. Dickinson's re-
marks As reported, IN which he said that some
of The over-ihe mountain districts had two
representatives, while some OF the largest
sla.eholding districts had none His district
was one OF those mentioned as having two.
~
sentative from one of the unrepressnted dis
tGicts.
Mr.. RIyEs said that what the gentleman
from Prince Edward had said was just So and
II the gentleman from Washington would read
farther in the report of these remarks, he
would find thai he had said that he did moi dis
trust the Western members. Mr. Rives call
ed attention TO the distribution of the com
m'ttee, containing as it did four members
from the Piedmont t dis trict two from the Tide
wafer, enc from the Valley and six from
Trans Alleghany. He asked if it was fair
that 1T should be charged on him that because
ne complained of not being on an equality
with +he West, .e was rejecting Oh that dis
trict of the State.
MIR. COLLIER of Petersburg, said as it was
an occasion of personal explanations. he
would make few remarks. For one he
would beg to be excused from voting on
any question connected with that question
lie had been connected with this subject from
rs inception He had prepared resolution
OF which the gentleman Il ON Washington, 1t
was proper to say. had not been advised, ap-
pointing q join committee of nine on the part
Of the Senate and thirteen on the part OF the
House. which he had not presented. had that
resolution been offered and adopted, he in
tended 10 have relieved The Speaker of the
House from auy embarrassment by req ues,ing
MN, as a matter of courtesy, TO leave him out
of The craftsmanship. There were many MEM
bers Oh that floor who were more entitled TO
il, from experience and parliamentary repu-
tation than himself, and he should have de-
clined il had il been offered to him. He had
not understood any of the remarks made in
this debate as rejecting on any portion OF
Virginia.
Mr.. RUTHERFoRD, of Goochland, asked Mr.
Christian to modify his resolution by striking
out the first part not that be objected TO it,
but pressing it would increase rather than
allay the excitement now prevailing in the
House.
Mr. CHRISTIAN said his object was to stop
this discussion before il became acontroyersy
hn wa mort fp,t " w IN
gestion Of the gentleman from Goochland.
Mr.. RUTHERFORD would vote for the remain
der OF the resolution. He suggested that some
member OF the committee should move its dis
charge from the further consideration Of she
subject before it. What was the necessity for
"A committee to in troduce resolutions about
proposition so simple as that laid before us by
the Commissioner from South Carolinai 1t
was proper that We should give South Caro-
lima an answer quickly. and he did not believe
tha the recommendations OF a commi tie would
move This House one way or another in its ac-
tion III matter OF such importance and So
iemuity.
Mr. HOPKINS said he would make the mo-
ton for the discharge of the committee now,
if the gentleman from Augusta would with
dra W his resolution.
MIR. CHRISTIAN could not withdraw it, He
WAS sure ii ii was not voted, that, before an.
other resolu ton could be voted on, there would
he action in this House which would be regret
ted by all.
Mr. GRATTAN. of Rockingham, explained
thai the Speaker of the House was not aware
OF his views before appointing him on the COM
mittec.
Mir PRErLow, of Southampton, said that lie
did not III tend, in his remarks of yes terday, 70
cast any impu tatiOn on the Western members,
and he would tell the men OF the West that
Southeastern Virginia was with them, and
that if ever the occasion came her people would
be found ready to pOur out their blood with
theirs In defence of our common mother.
Mr.. DICKINSON, of Prince Edward, had
hoped that he had made himself distinctly un-
deTstood, and when the entleman from Wash
ingtOn this morning
MIR. HOPKINS said he did not misunderstood
the gentleman. The ground of complaint, as
he undeTst ood it, was that the large slavehold-
ing districts of the State were not equally
represented III the committee as was their
right. That right he accorded them.
Mr. DICKINSON said he could not exactly
und rstand whether the remarks Of the gen
tleman from Washington about want of con-
fiGeGce in the West We're intended to apply to
him
Mr. HOPKINS said that he did not under
stand the gentleman from Prince Edward as
cas- ting any imputaton on the West.
Mr Dickinson reiterated MS views express
ed yesterday adding that he had not said that
there was aay portion OF the State not III Ter
es ted in The institution of slavery.
MIR. BLUE SAID he believed he was the first
member on this floor TO complain of the dis
tribution of this committee and had called
the attention of other members to ii. lie did
had intended injustice in his appointment of
1t.
Mr.. CowAN had no personal explanation to
make He was perfectly satisfied with the ae
ZION OF the Speaker, and would still have been
satisfied if he had appointed a different one
i was not an uncommon occurrence, that the
Northwest, from which section he came, had
been overlooked III the appointment OF COM
mittees as important as the one under discu
sion He was glad this discussion had occur
red. He did think when he first came here
that the Western men We're regarded with
suspicion. but he had learned from this debate
thar they were regarded with unbounded con-
fidence Now, it Eastern members regard
them with such unbounded confidence, why
do they object TO trusting them! Why all this
hubbub, all this fuss and feathers IL there
WAS a difference between the Speaker and the
gentleman ircm Stafford. let them settle it be-
tween themselves. lie hoped when the COM
mittee met it would report the resolutions of
the gentleman from Cuipeper. as he believed
they would command the confidence OF nearly
every member on this floor.
Mr.. JONES, Of Gloucester, coming from a
Congressional district unrepresented on the
committee, telt it his duty to say to the House
that for one he was not a little astonished to
find that two Congressional districts, and one
whole section of the State, had been overlook
ed. He attributed it to inadvertence, and did
not wish TO cast any reflection on the Speak
er but thought the inadvertence a most un-
fortunate one Every section should have
been represented. That was his idea OF a rep
resentative republican government, and such
should have been the action of the Speaker
When the uumb Der of thirteen was announced
he thought it poin ted unerringly 10 the Con-
gressionai districts. 1t was unnecessary to
say that different shades Of opinion prevailed
in Congressional districts. He stood on that
floor instructed by both of the political par
ties of his district, III advance OF the action 81
South Carolina, TO pursue the course since
pointed out by that sovereign State. His SEN
timents accorded with those Of the people In
structing HIM for he had been ten years In