Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-20

of r~atifrins said ordinance, no shall in the
, same proclamation, summon tho members OF
this Convention to NEE, at the Capitol. in tho
city of Richmond, on a day to be named By
him, not exceeding twenty days from the date
! Of his said proclamation, to take into conslce'
! ration such measures and such new connec.
| tons a. the adoption of said ordinance may
make necessary for the safety and happiness Of
this State"
NJ, NycEuAM-Mr. President, it is with a
great don, Of reluctance that | undertake 10 ad-
| dress The Convention when | see gentlemen 40
impaticnt 10 ret 20 their lodgings. | had in
tended to take no part whatever in the discus
sion Of the question now before the Convention,
and should not attempt 20 do so at this time,
but for some remarks made this morning by
the gentleman from the counties Of Peasants
and Ritcbie. (Mfr. CYKrs HALL Having heard
gentlemen from the Western part ct this State
| who have been acting in concert with uysel!
! uoon this eoo- denounced ~ being untrue TO
| Virginia. and having listened to the declarations
| of the gentleman from Peasants and RItctle, |
cannot refrain from making o ew remarks in
relation to the subject
I desi7e to call attention to the fact that pro.
positions to trade upon E%lrEln's5 rights end
interests, have cuIne entirely iro@ the secession
members of the body First we had u propo'
tiun uiadc in Convention, by an Eastern ineni'
Der to Western men, that if they wcaid go tor
an ordinance of secession and get their people
to sustain it, that he would give them any
taxution Oil slaves that the!y might ask Tor.
And to-day we have from the delegate IRON
tie counties Of Peasants and R't:fiir, {Mr.
CYRus HALL d member Tl!o has Toteh Win
the secessionists Of this body on every single
proposition affecting Federal Relations, | be-
lievc, with only the exception OF the direct vote
Oh secession, and, if | understood HIM Alright
he is now ready to give that vote, II declaration
that, unless Eastern men will grant the power
to tax negroes Of Ill ages al %raloreH, his con-
s~tiiuents will not give assistance Tor the protec
ton Of slave property in Virginia, but that on
the contrary The underground railroad Will Dc
run through his country down into the
Valley of Virginia. That t, induce them 10
aid in the protection OF slave property you
must give them an interest in that property
and that interest must not be in the Torn OF
protection, which would enable them to hold
slaves, but in the form OF 4 cesSion TO his peo-
pie Of the power to impose ruInpus tnXatIo'I
upon the slaves held chiefly by u5 Of the East
Sir, nc such proposals for The barter cl f'rg'-
nil's rignts have ben hclvd on our side OF The
house, ami alter this, | h1pe We will hear NJ
repetition of the unjust charge that Western
Union mcn are not True TO Virginia.
differ entirely from the delegates in this
Convention G:om the West. on the question oil
taxation upon negroes. | conceive that the
Constitution Of 1850 contains a compromise
III. the question Of representation, winch, # no:
designed for the purpose, would, by giving
tie East the control of the Senate, have Sc.
curei protection 10 US from this INK
uasll after lSG5. as no Congestion could have
been called prior 10 that dtte, but for some
suca caus. a. existed a, the time that this one
va. ordered Entertaining thai opinion and
dc ;Irias 10 give it effect, when the bill calling
thi, Curyenlioa was under consideration, III
the Senate. | of.red. ~ AL amendment, this pro-
rison:
"Bu,, in the opinion of tho Camera! Assem-.
bly, II wouli be in violation OF the spirit with
which this Convention is called that II should,
in any manner, alter the provisions Contained
IN the existing Constitution Of the Common.
wealth in regard ~ taxation, or the spp0r.
tienment Of representation ~ either branch Of
the General Assembly
IL me, with opposition i:ola hoth Western
and Eastern members oi That body, i"r~ reasons
Of o different charac;er, and believing that 1t
wcu.d tie defeated on account OF the anxiety 20
pass the bill through, and fearing that = ne-
gatiye vote on the proposition would Do con-
s.rucd as ayieldT Z OF the Question, withdrew
il without allowing Il vote on it.
have prepared solE.o tables, showing the
relative population and taxation Of the counties
Of Henrico, Hanover, Peasants and RiIcnle,
and VI the ]couu,ies Of Amelia and ~-Sutloway,
represented by my friend Mr.. HAEviE, who
sits near nio, Yhic!iI will not trouble the Con
ycntion to hear read, but which | will baud 10
the reporters. TEcy are Us follows:
Table Of Population Gad Tare:-PDp~lstien
taken from Census # lSto-Ttres. etc., Us
repe~;e,! by TIC -AaatLor for 1857.