Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-18

why the call should not be seconded and the
previous question SUSTAINED that the discussion.
IS allowed My poirt OF order is, that af;cr
the call has been seconded no discussion is in
order.
The CLERK was directed 10 read The S3rd
rule az follows:
Upon call for the previous question, no
member shall speak IuDre than ten minutes.
Unless such call be seconded by twenty (2O)
members, indicated by rising, the President
shall put no question but If SO sustained, a
question shall be immediately pntby the Chair,
tp this feet: Shall the main QUESTION DO now
putt II on this Question majority Of the
House vote in the affirmative, the Chair shall
thereupon put the pending question, and all
incidental questions Of order arising after IL
motion is made for the question, and pending
the notion shall be decided whether an up.
peal or otherwise, without debate"
The PREsIDEST-The Chair will state the
reasons why he udheres to the opinion that de-
bate is now in order. And first upon the
reason Of the rule. Where demand is made
for previous question, if tho debate upon it
IS then permitted to 60 or for tle len minutes,
We have it upon us infailbly. aud IL may occu.
py the entire day, and il lnGy tarn out AZ the
end Of the debate, that when tic question is
propoundrd, whether The previous Is seconded
or not, twenty .ncnbers Iiay not rise in sur
port Of it That is one ground why debate Is
allowed upon the reason ol the case. Bat this
rule enphatcally declares, ,hs, until the pre-
vious question has been seconded, no debate
shall take place There is no question put Ut
all until the previous question shall have been
seconded and if no gus ston has been put, or
can be put, until after thu call for the previous
question has been seconded, 10 what debate
can this rule refer authorizing ten minutes de-
batcl These are the reasons why the Chair
comes 10 the conclusion that debate is now II.
order. II appears to mc what the Nicc-Presi-
dent would call memorable logic. II there is
An appeal for the decision Of the Chair the
House will decide it. Is there ah appeal:
SEVERAL MENBsRS-N', no.
The P!:EslDEsr-T Then debate is in order.
Mr.. HALL, OF We,zel-l DO not know, III
| President, thai shall ocGupy ihe ton minute
| 10 which ain entitled | nave said nothing
upon this question. Being Western man,
being idenuted with, and having at heart
Western interests as well as the interests Of
every part Of the great Cnmmonwcslth oi
| Virginia. hope that the Convention will in.
! iuise me whilst give tr~ rrasvGs wliic!i, il
my Judgment. should indace every man in The
Commonwealth Of Virginia to vote for the
proposition to appoint Committee to enquire
into the proprlety Of amendtHcnls to the con.
Sttution OF the S.alc. appeal To my Eastern
friends aud say 10 them 'iat This is an i'm.
portant matter; it is q Matter that have al
heart; ard do hope that they will Givcst
themselves Of all setishncss, if they Should
happen to have any, On the subject, and al
pncc look at the lst!ce and equity Of nIr Ne
maudS, and Yieu u cheerful uort:iencc 10 our
requests What, would ash, Mr.. prcsident,
has produced this collision in the Country :!
For what purpose are we here? Fyr whl.
purpose ---
The PREslDESr-The Chair will remind The
gentleman that .,hIlr it is not uut Of order te
allude to the main question, The discussion
should be confined principally 10 the proprirty
OF putting at this time tie ultin Question.
Mr.. HALL, ii Wetzal-lt is with that view
am now arguing-tn show 70 E4sern gentle.
men, and to ali-bcc4u>e ! don't admit that
| there arc any sectirual Or c3rh citing interests
in the CommDnwea! Of Virginia; and it is
| with view Of calling tho attention Of gentle
| men, from every part Of Virginia, i'll this Con
vention, to the SUI j"ct in the light in which
view it that am endelvoring 10 ilIGnce them
TO vote for the proposition, upon shc call OF the
| pttSiOu~ fuSeliO'i. AN'", Ni'. ''S''' sh"'
as proposition that Western Virginia is
more Interested, Vi will become more interested
| in the institution Of slavery Ihan E lsIern Eir-
gina; tina. Western Virginia has grealci
interest, or will have when We get Ibis cn;.rgr
made which We Contemplate, in Tie i's'ljuiUn
OF slavery than E1s.ern Virginia. Why srI
! Why do Stale that, sir? Ia Eastern V,rs
MIA the property consists principally oi slaves
the aggregate value Of that species Of property
is four hundred millions Of dollars. Under
the provisions Of the present Cons ii ution the
more slaves there are. the more one dollar and
twenty cents we get ; but it we should bavc
them taxed ad caIUrpm, as other property
then We are interested both in their nunb.r
and in their value. We have forty millions pi
debt that wc have to shoulder, and besides that
the expenses of the State government 10 meet
The slave owners Vi the State can very easily
transfer their slaves from Virginia 10 the Con
federate States and employ them aG pro6tably
TOR perhaps more so) than they do III Virginia
and would lose nothing by the transfer, while
we of the West, if the slave property of the
State ceases to be basis Of taSat,on then the
whole burlhen Of the State debt falls upon III.
! property Of the West, which wnnla more thar
! double our burthens ana We would have to pay
for the improvements Of the East, when very
little Of the appropriations that constitute the
State debt has been expended i'll the West,
the West would be paying for dead horse.
The PKEslDESr-Sn the maiu question be
now put?
Mr.. BrgDErr-I Withdraw the call fyr the
ayes and noes !; thought did SO this morn
| Ing.
The reading Of the origina! resolutions anG
the proposed amendments was called for, and
the Clerk reud them as follows:
! The following arc Mr. WILEY original re-
solutions:
Resolved, That taxation should be equa!
and uniform throughout the Commonwealth,
and that all property should tie taxed in pro
| portion to its value.
Resolved, That Committee Of thirteen
members DE appointed 10 prepare ard report
| to the Convention sucn alterations OF sections
90 and 90 of Article ". Of tho Constitution
ri The Cumrnouw. .alth, as shall conlurIn sad
sections to the principle uf taxation enuhci'
ated in the foregoing resolution.
Resolved, That Cnmril:ee of thirteen
5Aembers be appointed to take into considera
ton 50 much uf Article VI. Of the Consttu
ton Of this Commonwealth, as relates 20 the
! Supreme COURT .! Appeals, the Dlsni;l Courts,
| Circuit Courts, and County Courts; and bat
they report such amendments and modihca,
lions thereof rs they may deem necessary unG
| proper.
Resolved. That the basis Of representation
in the two II ,liscs CT tie Gcnra Assembly
should be the same; therefore be ii further
"Resolyed, That Committee Of twelve
members, to be selected in equal numbers from
the four great divisions OF The State, be ap.
pointed 10 apportion representation in the
senate according 10 the number Of the quail.
fled voters in the Common" ea,h, and that
they report amendments 0! the ". Article Of
the Constitution accordingly"
III. TURNER, of Jackson, moved to nmfnr
the resolutions by striking out the whole aud
| inserting the following: