d mixed bases proposals, which
lasted three weeks, the convention finally turned to a consideration
of the various plans of compromise. Mr. Gordon, of Albemarle County,
presented a plan which was finally accepted with slight
modifications. He ignored completely the basis question and attempted
an equitable distribution of representation. "It provided for a Senate
of twenty-four, of which ten would come from the West; and a House of
one hundred and twenty; of which twenty-six would come from the
trans-Allegheny, twenty-four from the Valley, thirty-seven from the
Piedmont and thirty-three from the Tidewater."[9] Incidentally this
plan was quite acceptable to the populous counties of the Piedmont
foothills and the Valley, for it tended to increase their
representation.

As a constitutional basis for future reapportionments of
representation, the following provision was made a part of the
constitution:

"That the General Assembly, after the year of 1841 and at
intervals of not less than ten years, shall have authority,
two-thirds of each House concurring, to make re-apportionments of
Delegates and Senators throughout the Commonwealth, so that the
number of Delegates shall not at any time exceed one hundred and
fifty, nor of Senators thirty-six."[10]

The question of taxation was one of some importance. Prior to 1829,
the west had drawn annually for administrative purposes more than it
had contributed to the treasury. Real estate values in the west were
low because of the lack of speculative spirit there, and,
consequently, taxes were not collected in great amounts. The west now
desired (1) greater revenues to construct roads and canals and to
maintain free schools and (2) the power to tax the slave property of
the east. There were at this time east of the Blue Ridge Mountains
397,000 Negro slaves subject to taxation and nearly 50,000 in the
west. The slave property contributed one-third of the revenue of the
State. The east, therefore, determined not to give to the west the
desired power to tax her property.[11]

Although the question of reapportionment of representation, the
question of taxation and the suffrage question were among the foremost
considerations of the Convention, the underlying and basic cause of
all this strife was the slavery issue.[12] Those who advocated and
supported the institution of slavery were loath to surrender to the
people of the west any of the power and priv