Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-06


tuition, it deprivrs many ccun!ics OF tnis Com
monwcaltb, in which the population IS lncrees
ed. OF the advantage Of having proper repre-
sentation ip the House Ct Delegates upon the
suffrage basis J am. therefore, in favor ol
tho rccommitmcnt Of the fourth article 70 tne
committee and, il seems to uio, that upon re,
faction, gentlemen will see the prop7lcty oi
such course, or of ct least postponlnS acton
upon it until tho subject uf representation
shall have been disposed Of. Gentlemen may
undertake 10 act upon the section now, but
would esk now will they be enabled to get all
the information upon this subject THAI IS me-
cessary? Gentlemen acquainted much more
familiarly than we are with regard to the ap'
por:onment of the senatorial districts, lind it
difficult to manage them If the subject IS
referred back to the committee, they can ascer'
tain all the points connected with these DIS
tricts much more easily than we can here, and
apportion representation in the various coun.
ties with much more facility than we can
Having done SO they can snbm;t Their report
with the data upon xhich 1t is based and
then the House cnn &c; undrrsttn!lingiy. The
several new cnHnries formed slnce tn, adoD'
.ion Of the Constitution Of 1850 should be pro-
so to do when they undertook the question oi
ap?orlionmGnt.
hope it will be the pleasure Of the Convcn.
ton 10 rrcomuit this article to the committee,
and afford them an opportunity OF making a
proper arFortionment, which they can do much
more easily than this House can.
The question vas then put on the motion to
rccommit, and it was decided in the negative.
Mr.. PmcE-J apprehend that vote will be
taken upon The first clause Of the second sec.
tion Of the fourth article, down to the words
"and distributed and apporlioned AZ follows,
so that the adoption Of that cannot affect any
change that may be made n the future.
Mr. MAcFAaLASp-I would Ike to ascer.
lain wha. the reason is for not declaring, IN
this section, TINT there shall be annual sessions
or biennial sessions. The words ''chosen an.
nually" 90 not necessarily imply that there
shall be annual sessions.
Mr. SrrAEr-Gf The gentleman will refer to
the Sih section he will ind that the Lagsla'
ture is required to meet annually.
Mr.. TURNER, of Jackson.-l TN perfectly
willing to take vote on the clause terminating Z
at "Cummouwcaith," which reads "ouc OF
these shall be called the HpIse Of Delegates,
anu SUull VI !i'''t
mem bers, to be chosen annually, Tor and by
the several counties, cities and towns OF the
Commonwealth"
Mr.. WYsoR-I move to strike out, in the
18th and 9th lines Of the second section, the
words "and distributed and apportioned as fol-
uws," ami insert the following: 1.-The distribu'
ton and apportonmcnt whereof shall remain
as now provided by lnE, until re apportIon'
meDt Of the sa,"e shall be- made by the Gene
raj Assembly as hereinafter provided"
Mr. HaYMoSD--I weuld inquire CT my
'rien. 1t u hat time the Constitution requires
re appaI tionment 10 be ruade?
Mr. WvsoK In 1865.
Mr. HAyMoXD. D.-Trcn, sir, these counties
that are represented hefc-I mean the new
counties have 10 wait until 1865 before
t:iey can have proper representation.
Mr. WYsoR.-l take j; for granted that the
Legislature has, in creating every new county
since 1851. provided representation for it in
he lay, 50 That NY am =ndmcn! only proposes
70 adopt provision slready made 10y the exist.
a- Constitution rnr he reprces esntatior OF these
COUNTIES.
SIR. HAyyoSn With al! dus respect 70 the
gentleman, done thiak lie understands ny
pon.. Ii is this the principle established By
the Constitution Of 1851 was that The House
O: Delegates should be organized uoon the sui.
fragc basis Us near as InIy be. Now, since
that time the population End tho voters have
Increased in various couu!cs Of this CommDn-
wealth They may have decreased in some
My iaea is that the Convention ought to ar-
portion representation in tho House OF Dele.
gates now, ard not leave the people Of these
counties without representation until 1865.
Such would bo the effect oi tho amend.
men. os the gentleman from Pulaski
Some Of the counties in Western Virginia are
no. a. al represented in proportion 10 their
population. sad 1t is but dne TO these cou2tics
tha: the ir iis;c, should be corrected as soon
as possible. L.. the suij.et be acted upon at
once. ard let each county be appor!oncd 20 lis
representation upon the suffrage basis.
Mr.. HoILaDAy.-If the amendment of the
gentleman from Pulaski is adopted, it leaves
t3c arp1rtioprcat of representation ss it is
ua;il 1865.
TIE PxEsIDsNT.-Thet viii bc the effect Of
i.
Mr. EoLLADAT.-Tho county that | repre-
sent is entitled to two Senators. but, since the
adoption af The Constitution OF 1850, the town
of Portsmouth,, which comprises fully cne hall
Of the population Of Norfolk county, mas been in.
corpora,cd as Z city. AS the power was not in
the Legislature 70 give her Senntcr, to which
she is entitled as the population is pretty
equally divided between tue toTn and county,
and as both arc very solicitous to have sepa'
I.tc representation, cel constrained to OPP
pose the amendment, because it would obviate
the accomplishment of the wishes of my pco.
pie and do them an Injustice.
The subject is ono which has frequently &C.
cssioned irritation between tho citizens Of the
county and town, and, for TINT and many other
reasons, it is desirous that there should be a
division OF representation.
trust, therefore, the amendment will moi be
adopted.
Mr. BYRSE-I think it would be . great in.
Justice 10 the district that represent to adopt
that amendment. l believe represent moro
voters on this lloor than any delegate in tho
body. ! represent about 2. 500 voters, ex-
tending over nearly four counties in Virginia.
This is sn extreme case. Among others, which
certainly ought to receive the early consdera-
iion of this Convantion, represent the coun.
ties of Braxton, Nicholas, Clay and Webster !;
territory equal to the one thirtetb part Of the
whole Commonwealth, and comprising two
thousand square miles. l think, in these ex.
,reme cases, representation ought to be changed.
know something, sir, of the circumstances
which brought about ths apportionment as it
now stands. 1t happened that at the time Of
the apportionment, there were some small
counties which we're known rs the banner
counties OF particular party, and my county
being the banner county Of another party, the
district was apportioasd as it was said, with
reference to party purposes. Ny district vas
very largo Whig district and The apportion.
nent was made, rs is presented, SO as to neu.
tralze that preponderance, the county of Pc.
cahontas was given representative on account
of its party proclivitics in another direction
But be that as it may, trust the House will
now consider tho prcpriety of making some
change in the apporticnment OF my district,
which it must see, has nothing of a represen-
tation nrorort;ooed TO its voters and popula-