The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-16

tooer, 1901, we stood, Mixed Basis, 20
White Basis, IS; the Mixed Basis dele.
gates all being from east of the Blue
Ridge, and the White Basismen from
west Of the Blue Ridge, with the e1
ceptlon Of Henry A. Wise, of Accomac
James Saunders, Of Campbell, Archi
bald Stuart, of Patrick, John A. Carter
and Robert J. T. White, of Loudon
county. The Basis of Representation
in the General Assembly was the great
distracting issue in the Convention, and
at one time the excitement became so
intense that it was greatly feared we
should dissolve and break up the con.
vention without the accomplishment of
the work for which our constituents
had sent us there
The members will remember the anx-
lous and eventiul night when the White
Basis caucus met in the hall of the
house Of the delegates. and the Mixed
Basis caucus in the Senate chamber,
and the messages which flew back
wards and forwards across the rotunda
Of the Capital between the two parties,
In relation to compromise OF difficult
ties. The anxious hours ran away
midnight was gathering rapidly upon
us-when we sent our u!timatum to them,
drawn up by Henry A. Wise, and fixed a
certain hour for its answer. The old
clock in the Capital yard tolled the hour;
no response was received, the gas was
turned oil; and we left our hall, the
other caucus still being in session. AS
we were leaving the rotunda. however,
the messenger from the Senate chamber
hailed US with "a message from the
Mixed Basis conference" But it was
then too late, the members from the
West had become scattered and were on
their way to their lodgings. An anxious
night passed over the heads of all, and
all longed for the return of morning,
and the appointed hour of the meeting
of the Convention. Every member was
in his seat at the appointed hour.
Breathless silence pervaded the hall,
when very soon it was broken by a
proposition Of compromise submitted
upon the part OF the minority Of the
Mixed Basis party by 1--WE think) Sam
uel Chiffon, ESQ, of Fauquier, which
was sustained by himself and several
other members from the East and
which after fierce debate, participated
in by Eastern gentlemen almost entirely,
it was accepted by our side Of the house
as the best we could, under the circum-
stances, obtain, and which gave US all
prospectiyeIy that we had contended for.
The compromise rendered by those gen.
tlemen was substantially the hGc vsrba
of the basis of representation as it
stands in the Constitution OF lS5O-5l.
The compromise was attacked with
ali the great power which the late
Robert E. Scott, of Fauquier, usually
displayed in debate upon great ques-
tons, and was sustained by his col
league, the late Samuel Clinton, de-
ceased, with equal power and ability.
This was one OF the tiercest conflicts we
witnessed in the Convention, and we
shall never forget it. These two dis
tinguished sons of Fauquier have now
been gathered TO their fathers" but
their memories will long live in the
hearts OF Virginians.
The exciting question being out of
the way, our sessions gIided along
peacefully till the lst Of August, when
we adjourned and parted-many Of us
never to meet again in this world.
The writer from whom We quote
SAYS: More than half Of them were
lawyers, showing that gentlemen OF the
greenbag have a liberal lease of life.
Yes; our recollection is that 50 Of the
l35 members were of the legal protes-
sion-a profession, we may add, always
distinguished in the history of the most
enlightened governments OF the world
a. the champions of liberty and popu-
lar rights, and as the defenders Of the
oppressed against the opprossors.
The writer SAYS he has only heard Of
the death of forty.seven of the members,
and regret sincerely that he did not
give us the names of them, as he may
perhaps have accurate information
upon the subject. We pick out from
our memory only such as we have
casually heard of (having no memor-
anda) and seen in the papers. the last
of whom was only few days ago-one
of our old and respected friends Thomas
II. Flood, Of Appomatox. We subJoln
our list, and will send it to several OF
our old friends, and if we have made
any mistakes will be most happy to be
corrected and informed ofthem.
DECEASED MEMBERS.
John Petty, of Princess Anne a most
estimab!e gentleman OF fine appearance
and social qualities, was the first death
we heard OF. He died not a great while
after our adjournment; be bid fair for
q long life from personal appearance.
John Tunis OF Norfolk, a gentleman
of delicate health, his colleague, died
several years ogo. Robert Ridley, OF
southampton; Thomas Wallace, OF
Petersburg Oh; Timothy Rives, OF Prince
George; Robert G. Scott, John Minor
Botts, Robert C. Stanard and Hector
Davis, ali Of the Richmond district, and
all able and distinguished men, are
dead. Lemuel J. Bowden and Robert
McCandlish, of Williamsburg; NJ. K.
II. Garnet, OF Essex; James Smith, OF
King and Quecn; General Corbn
Brax,on, of King William; Judge
Eustace Conway, of Spottsylvanla
Addison Hall, OF Lancaster William
Edwards, of Fairfax; Archibald
Stuart, of Patrick; VIM. 0. Goode, OF
Meckl enburg; Thos H. Flood, of APP
pomattox; Henry L, Hopkins, of Pow
haitian; JAS Saunders, of Lynchburg
Valentine w. Southall, Of AIbemarie;
John Voolfolk, OF Orange, r E. Scott
Fauquier James F. Strother, OF hap