Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-01-18
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Thirty-First Day.

FRIDAY, Jan. II, 1862
The Convention assembled, Mr.. Soper in
the Chair.
Prayer by Rev. J. NJ. Powell member
from Harrison.
The subject of Mr.. Caldwelrs proposition
in relation to corporations, with the amend
ment and proposed substitute of Mr.. Van
Wrinkle, was passed by on account of the
absence of Mr.. Caldwell.
The report of the Committee on county
Organization was taken up.
Mr.. Van Wrinkle as Chairman of that Com
mittee addressed the Convention somewhat
| deliberately on the general principles of the
reformation of county organization pro-
posed in the report, which proposes to
abolish the county Court system and erect
in place of it something like the township
system of the Northern and Western States.
He quoted Mr., Jefferson, in the course of
his remarks, and showed that that eminent
| statesman had proposed such system for
Virginia as early as the year 1920 or there
abouts. The chief point aimed at in the
gentleman remarks was, that by doing
| away with the present county Court, which
improperly performs both judicial and leg
| lslatiVe functions for the county, and by
sub-diViding the counties into convenient
townships or districts, letting each dis
trict elect a Supervisor, who should
preside in township meetings ut sta
ted peril DIS to lcgislatc on all district af-
fairs, to constitute sort ofcouuty legisla-
ture,a democratic form of government would
be more nearlyapproximated,a and the rights
and convenience of the people be better sc
cured and attained byithus allowing them
to legislate directly on their own local af-
fairs. The space allotted to this report
forbids anything like an abstract, much
| less n ranOrt of tl,n cDnoCb
was handled in Mr.. Van Wrinkles usually
thorough manner.
MIR. VAN W1NKLE moved division of the
first section and the adoption of the first
portion of it, as follows:
81. Every county shall be divided into
townships having an area of not less than
thirty square miles, lying compactly, and
containing not less than four hundred
white inhabitants"
Mr.. PRowN, Of Preston, moved to strike
out townships" and insert ''districts"
MIR. BROwN, of Kanawha, moved to amen
the amendment by substituting "parishes "a
Both amendments were rejected.
Mr.. LAMB moved to strike out the words
"hAving an area of not less than thirty
square miles," it being objected that if
both area and population were prescribed
1T would be impraCticabIc to pt the
terms to counties, extremely large or small
in are" with populations sparse or the re-
verse.
Mr.. uERvEY moved to amend the amend
ment by also striking out the words ssnud
containing" aud substitute "if they shall
contain" in order still further to accom-
MEDIATE the difficulty of conflict between
area and population, and adjust one to con-
tlngent deficiencies of the other.
Mr.. HEnvY subsequently withdrew the
amendent concluding the object was at
tanned by that of Mr.. Lamb, which was
then adopted.
Mr.. RuFFNER moved to strike out "lying
compactly" for the reason that in the
mountainous parts of the State it would
not always be practicable to lay off town
ships in compact form.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. BRowN of Preston, to still further
obviate the difficulty of harmonizing area
and population, moved to further amend
by striking out all after the word divided
in the first line aud inserting these words,
"into not less than two nor more than eight
townships laid off as compactIy us posi-
BILE, having reference to natural bounda-
ries, and containing rs hearly as possible
an equal number of inhabitants"
Pending the consideration of which the
Convention took II recess.