The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-12
eaa,s.rtctsng che State -Lestef from
Mr.. Daniel.

Mr.. Daniel.
T,ne following letter from the chairman
enc state Central Committee shows ina
chat committee has not recommended TN
,sdIssrictang Of the State previous TO tht
.,ovt congressional election. We apphut
the wisdom of the committee in not recon
n,euaine what they seem to have considered
Sesirable measure, but which would, II
our optnion, result in great injury TO INT
conservative party. The census will mol
have been completed in time for the Legs
I,ture TO be In possession in October OF the
necessary data. And even if 1t should oe'
Congress has not yet passed law apportion'
Ing representation among the several s'''.s.
So chat il the General Assembly shouio li.a I'm.
nine districts in October, Congress m.sns
refuse admission to our Representative
-, the ground that they had been elected
in disregard Of the existing law andsot .i,e
rights OF the other States, none OF WHICH ::
viii elect under the new census, or nave III
the next Congress the number OF represen-
tatiyes to which they will be entitled nnaef
the new census and If only eight districts
were made, the General Assembly woulo
have to re-district the State within Il le"
months afterwards so as to provide TOT the
election of nine epresentatises-the NUM-
Der to which Virginia will probably be en-
titled under the new apportionment.S
Again The candidates for Congress may
al, he nominated before October. Already
one candidate has been placed IN the heio'
Neyy districts would call for new conVen-
tions. since the aspirants thrown into new
rotations would not be satisfied to give way
tn candidates nominated before their .coun-
ties were put into the altered aistrp's'
!. Tbua we should have "confuslon worse
confounded." The authority Of the con-
ventions already held would be denied, and
troubles would thicken around us IN every
form. .ss.t. ..T.. -
But above all other considerations we
would place that of rightfulness. TO re-
district State more than once under one
apportionment OF representation Is wrong
The districts should stand always until
new apportionment. This should be On III
variable rule. Otherwise, they are liable TO
be changed whenever the political COM
plexion of the Legislature changes. NO
temporary advantage would compensate us
for departure from this wise, just, ana
polite rule:
Editors Of Dispatch:
~ Gentlemen paper Of to-day has
an extract from our friend Major henys
Mper expressing disfavor with the suSS-
gestion of che committee Estate Conserve.
tive) (Which looks to the postponemsnt
of Conservative nominations for congress
until after the State is redistri ctcd." And
the Major adds lin the eXtract), "the Con
seryatiyes Of the Legislature decided this
question only few weeks ago, and they
decided against redistricting until after the
census returns of this year have been re-
ceived as data upon which to act" II by the
word " suggestion" is meant that the COM
mittee designed to dduise or recommend any
course Of action to the Legislature on this
or any subject, its meaning has been mis-
taken. Care was taken in the address to
exclude the idea that the committee takes
upon itself to suggest any new view, or any
view of policy originating with itself, to the
Conservative party-least of all to the Con.
servatiyes of the Legislature, from whom
the committee derives its own authority.
But frankness requires the admission that
the idea was meant to be conveyed that the
Legislature would redistrict the State in
advance Of the elections for Congress in No
vember upon the basis of the present APP
portionment of representation, and had
only deferred action until October, when
aid might be derived from the census emu
meration now in progress. 1t was unknown
that the Conservatives in the Legislature
had come to a different decision, under
which, as there cannot be elections after
those in November until November 1872,
we must be content with the present AZ.
rangement and its probable accompani.
ments Porter, &C., until the Congress after
the next at least.
Yours, truly, r. I. DANIEL.
Richmond, August II, 1870.