Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-04-28

blacks will have a majority of twenty-one OF
joint ballot in the two Houses of the Genera
Assembly. The majority of the committee OF
this subject were Radicals, and they brought il
report which gave their party about nine OF
joint ballot in the Legislature. This was partly
effected by adopting the registration of 1867 al
the basis of representation and apportionment
The committee declined to adopt as the basis
the census returns of 1860, or to correct the re-
gistration lists by these census returns although
| it was we'll known that large number of white
persons had neglected to register at the late re.
glstratlon.
| But the party leaders In the convention were
| not satisfied with the majority thus secured
| They sanctioned the general principles on which
the report was based, which were las regards
the House of Delegates) these: That as far as
practicable each county should have separate
delegate; that there should be one delegate for
each 1900 registered voters. and where the
fraction over, In a county, esAeded 900 voters,
to give another delegate and to every county
in which the number Of voters was between 900
and 1900, delegate EACH"
The report, in the main, was adopted by the
convention. Had it been adopted without
modification, the negroes would have had ma
jority of about six in the House ofDelegates. =
The convention, however, desired more decid-
ed preponderance, and they increased their ma
jority in the House of Delegates by the follow
ing fragrant outrage, without any precedent in
all our past history. Chesterfield county had
1889 registered voters, and was, under the rule
adopted, entitled to two delegates; Powhatan,
adjoining, had l.624 voters, and was entitled to
one delegate, The report accordingly gave two
delegates to Chesterfield and 6ne to Powhatan.
But Chesterfield was a doubtful county, while
the black voters heavily preponderated in Pow
hatan. The convention accordingly threw the
two counties together and gave them three dele
gates, thus securing certainly three negro dele
gates. But they wanted still more. According
ly, they then threw Richmond city and Henrico
county together, on the motion of j Judge Under
wood. Richmond city had 1,666 registered
voters, and the report assigned it six delegates.
Henrico had 8, los voters, and was assigned two
delegates. 1t was concluded from the result of
the registration had last month in Richmond
that the whites could carry this city. But there
was negro majority of $50 in Henrico. The
convention therefore again wantonly departed
from the report and all precedent, threw Rich
mond city and Henrico together, and gave them,
thus united, eight delegates. Thus, as is calcu-
lated, change of sixteen votes is effected in the
House of Delegates. In the same manner,
Richmond city, which by itself would be entitl-
ed to two senators, with a fraction to spare, IS
thrown with Henrico, and the two combined
elect three (black SENATORS Ills last, however,
had been the work of the committee.
TAXATION
The only partin the administration of the gov
ernment which has been almost exclusively as
signed to the whites is the payment OF the taxes.
The convention repeatedly avowed that 1t was
their purpose to lay the burden OF taxation on
property. In conformity with this idea, natural
ly pleasing to the negroes, the constitution pro-
hibits the Legislature from imposing poll tax
exceeding one dollar on each head, and prohibits
any county poll tax exceeding fifty cents; and
requires that the whole of the State polf tax
shall be applied to the support of the common
schools to be established. :
The Conservative members made a strenuous
effort to make the amount Of the poll tax always
dependent ON the amount Of the property tax,
SO that they should rise and fall together. A
proposition was offered that the poll tax should
be equal to the tax on five hundred dollars Of
property; it was voted down. A proposition
was then offered that the poll tax should be
equal to the tax On three hundred dollars pro-
perty it was also voted down. A proposition
was then offered to make the poll tax equal to
the tax on two hundred dollars OF property this
was also rejected.
Nineteen twentieths Of the taxes raised will
be derived from the property tax, which, OF
course, will fall almost exclusively on the whites;
and by returns in the Auditor Office it appears
that last year only one negro in four paid the
poll tax required of him, which was sixty cents.
So that the poll tax will also fall chiefly on the
whites. The entire poll tax, State and county,
paid by the negroes, will be about SAC, 900. A
proposition was offered in the convention that
the poll tax paid by the whites should be ap-
propriated to the education of white children,
and that paid by the blacks appropriated tor
the benefit of their chldren 1t was rejected by
a strict party VOTE
The novelty of investing the non-taxpayers
with the power to impose all the taxes assumes
startling Importance In view OF the expensive
character OF the new government. Our Federal,
State and county taxes are very heavy now but
the State and county taxation under the pro
posed constitution will be probably quadrupled.
The common schools alone, to be supported by
State and county taxation, will require two or
three times the amount now levied for all State
and county purposes. Apart from the salaries
Tor teachers, the construction ct school houses
will constitute {. vely serious item. In west
Virginia school house is required to be erect
ed TOR every twenty-five children, and In the
county of Pendleton they are let out to contracts
at from $3.50 to $3.50 EACH
The negroes will also make ample provision
for houses of refuge, and other charitable instl-
tutions, which they can enjoy without any OF
the anxieties which will trouble those who have
to pay FOR them.
Besides this, the swarm of officers in the town
ships and counties will necessitate a heavy an
nual taxation to maintain theA ;aand, it is safe
to conjecture, that under the strange system
which is proposed, the collectors and treasurers
will not always account tai4 hfuy for the public
moneys.
FREE SCHOOLS.
For the support of the free schools provided
for by this constitution the Legislature (under
negro controD is authorized to lay tax as high
as one half of one per centum on all real and
personal property, and the county or any school
district may raise the same amount IN addition.
The State capitation tax is also to be applied to
the support Of the public schools. The present
literary fund of the State the proceeds Of all
public lands donated by Congress for public
school purposes, of all esoheated property Of all
waste and unappropriated lands, Of forfeitures
to the State, and all fines tor offences against
the State, and sums as the General Assembly
NAV appropriate, are to constitute a permanent
literary fund, and the interest thereon to be also
devoted to the support of the school system
How large will be the sum realized from these
various sources may be estimated. Yet the
children of the property owners who will sup
port these schools can never enjoy the benefits
of them because it is clear that under the pro-
posed government they would be forced to as
| sociate in the schools with the children Of the
negroes.
An effort was made in the Committee of Ed
ucation, and afterwards on two several occasions