Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-19

un>st acceptable men within the broad limits of
tho Commonwealth, and ii tho selection Of A.
teen will create jealousy, and Tho selection OF
Ave will diminish this tho selection Of one will
reduce it S;!ll lower. Il the otjsct is to get rid
of jca!ouSr---t you carry ont this process of
will selid ao delegates to Mont
gomerr.
II Ssr;,ls to me, sir, that the object we should
have in view shouth hc this to send = dclega.
ton which will most fairly represent the vari.
ons shades Of opinion ard interest throughout
the Commonwealth; and see no reason why
~c should not send precisely the same number
that We expect to Send in the Fall, if wo should
become permanently connected with the Gov
erntnent Of tho Confederate States. Why is it
that the same number should not be sent now
as then ! Arc there not :ho same interests to
take care OF now gs E;ill be then? AFRO there
not the same constituencies to represent? And
are they not to CONS in contact with the dele.
gates OF the same people froA all parts Of the
Confederate StatcS7 II d,na seem to me, in
view of these considerations, that VIC ought to
select 4 delegation which will come, not only
from every section, bat every district Of the
State; and the committee, in fixing up.
On eighteen, took that iumbcr which
they supposed Virginia would BE- cn.i
.led to wien s:lc sends her represen.
tatvcs To the par;nanem. Congress; and The
sarro eason which wculd justify QUE seniliny
that Number urGcr the permanent Government
of tue Confederate States, induced tna CON
mittce TO believe it would justify them in re.
cumulcnding the same number now. Fer this
reason shall vote for The number eighteen. and
If that is voted .iawr. ";l! go for fifteen, and
il that is voted down, | will Vote for the nrx;
highest number.
Mr. Rlvgs, of Prince George beg leave to
offer the following amendment to IL" suerd
ment offered by the Ser':fx!nan from Bal.crd,
(Mr. GronE)
'.Resolvcd, Tia: this Cnnvci,inu nnw pro.
ceed to eject fifteen delegates to the Congress
o.! the Southern Conlrccracy, twelve Of whom
shall be the late members from the respective
districts in the Congress ut thu United States,
10 VIII: From the Is. district, IL. T.. II. Gar
nett; = district, J. :. M.lsns; ID district:
D. Q. D&jsrnet!c; .ttil district, Roger \. P:y'
or; ata district. Thomas $. Bocuck 9Th d.s
.rjst, Shelton F. Lcake; 7til di4tr:t. William
Smith Slh district, Alexander r. BolsleT
OH district, John 7. llTT,s; III, district, !,
q. Jenkins, i2.h district, f. A. E :nInnt:s3n
l3:u djslrlct, (. S. iiJ:!on; and That -----
- br ..rcctc,! from tbs lnlh district,
the Hon. Sh:rra-,i Cicnicris having dc
clincd re cnr;ion and TINT the i!r,l L
r. NJ r. Hunter u!:i J.iSI; n. Mason br c;rct-
el for the Safe q: ia'gr.
NJ. jtlvs;. II Uif.r that amendment UPON
this grouai. 1t is perfectly ciaar tilat lhe
election which We aru Eow abnu: 10 proceed
to, properly belongs 10 the people Of the State.
lf lnsmherS Of Congress wcro to be elected
ANA sufficient time was lrt: ior their Glecllo;i
by the people nobody would deny but that
the peoplo Of each district would have tu
elect these lueTGberS. The reoplc, .i3wcvcr,
have not time 10 elect, and that huty vii! de-
volve upon this Convention. In the exercise
Of that duty, this Convention shoua appronch
as nearly Us possible to what they hc'ievc tl.v
people would 10. We only express the voice ci
the people; and IN elcciing any other than th;s"
whom We knuw to be the CHOICE Of til- people,
suggest that ve would b. departing i:oln t:G
esta blisnod principle which regulates popular
elections ,hcmselves-that the peoples lavuritr
should represent them, and no Uther-and that
tho y"ca Of the people in each district should
govern 10 tbs selection Of their representatives
THIS principle can best be carried out by
leaving t1 the delegates from The respective
districts toe selection Ct the Representatives. for
these districts. According TO The popular eicc
ton system, the people uf district M. l won:d
illyo nothing to do with tho election Of lhn
delegate from dssric: No. =, and So with ,.il
The other districts It the people, say OF the
first district, shall lc deprived OF tie privileges
OF voting for their Representatives, If the
voice. oi tic gscpic ii 80 hs stopped, and the
voice Of i,r rerf, sentative Is 70 speak. il is
beciuGc the people c.n!lot speak, and ihis
oclng the case the dclagaticn from the tr&!
Congressional district would 10 the proper
body to elect q representative FOR thai District.
fhey are tl:,: :mincdiats representatives. Gf the
sovereign people, and necessarily best informed
rs 10 their will in this and all other matters
apJerEIl:in@ 10 their pubiIc relations The
people thrnSelyt; wtrld have u elec: their
delegates n the cgcut ci a ,rinrr cI II: C;D-
ycntion 10 d. 80, aud ;il=i: chose should be
strictly regarded. If tbl; w:i0is uurventicn,
SUPPOSE, ~rr. - ciIs: i ;nc.Ibrr !nr ti:e Isl
district. | R.k wneIher it il vroha,e tina;
toe result could bu ~ satisfactory ai ir ne
cuoico wss uaLe by the delegation from that
district. rta, was great al!acy which was
embodied in the proclamation. nf Genera!
JlckSou, that . representative was !:nt the rep
rescut:!sv" II thn pacii. Gf iIa imine-
d.eta district, but 0! lha people at large
| hold that ha is tne peculiar rcpresan-
;ativz uf the people who cicctca him, aud tu
s5mc cT:cns admit, the Fepres Sentative Of the
people III large But liS lisst obligation, is to
ns immediate cnnsti;uen.s | am satisfied,
sir shat the best and aafast policy is 10 give to
the delegation from the respective districts, tha
power to elect the representative for each dis
tric.- They can be governed by the last ex
preston Of the popular choice, particularly ol
this regard, that expression is IA endorsement
of the representative in the late Congress. -
This is the bsst data upon which to baSa SC.
lection. There is in fac! nn better day, unless
the representative has done something since hi;
last election. so garins Us to leave Du room tn
doub: that . radical change Of sentiment has
taken p'aer n reference to him.
liz exc, cising this power for the people, we
should indeed be cautious to act as nearly III
conformity with ;he expressed wish Of the
people us pvssoi and in order to do so, il
seems to me tia; the ad p.ion Of the plan
which propose, is the best. In the absence
Of any pusitive assurance by e late election,
as u what the popular sentiment is, tho acticn
o! the delegates Tor their respective districts,
will best secure the end which we all have in
view---as close en- accord OF our choice here.
with the popular preferences aa possible
kaow that tucra are delegates from number
of districts that do not represent the feelings
Of lher constituents; bnL that is not our mat.
ter Tnry were chosen by II majority Of thci,
people, and we must pay due regard to That
Consideration. We cenuot reverse the dccrsrs
of the peopc; and il cholro is iaaae that
does not strictly accord with their preferences
they must blame themselves.
The President. The Chair will suggest
to the gentleman that there il ru!o inat
stands in the way Of his resolution. In crc-
tions, hut one vacancy can he filled at time.
Mr. RlvEs-That rule will not come in con.
fitct with tue resolution Offer We can take
them up one By one, and take Twelve or fifteen
different baliols
But to carry out the line Of argument which
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