Dissatisfied but not discouraged, Mr. Carlile explained away the
objection to the words "majority of the people." He maintained,
however, that the changes contemplated would affect the fundamental
law and that they should, therefore, be ratified by the people
subsequent to being assented to by the Convention. It was, he argued,
a departure from and in derogation of the customs and ideas of
Virginia to change the organic law without first submitting the
proposed new law to the people. Setting forth more clearly his
position on the whole matter Carlile said: "Supposing--as I suppose, I
will see when I move this test amendment, which I shall, to this
proposition--that the Senate is unwilling to admit us without
conditions, I shall vote against any bill, if it is pressed, exacting
conditions, for the purpose of going home to my people asking them to
assemble a Convention between this and the first Monday in December,
and act upon the suggestion which we have received here from the
Senate, if they desire to do so and come here with a constitution that
will enable Congress, without such arbitrary stretch of power to admit
us at once without delay."[97]

It was evident that Carlile was committed to a proslavery program and
that his plan, if adopted, would result in the indefinite postponement
of the admission of the new State. His colleague, therefore, with an
apparently sincere effort to meet the wishes of the Senate and to
satisfy the objections of Mr. Carlile, read the bill which was
presented in the House by Mr. Brown, of Virginia. At the same time he
announced that that bill, if agreeable to the Committee and to his
colleagues, would be acceptable to him as a compromise.[98] This
assented to, Mr. Willey withdrew his original amendment and offered
the Brown bill as a substitute for the whole bill, striking out all
after the word "whereas" in the preamble and substituting this measure
in lieu of the Committee's bill.[99] The bill as finally presented
follows:

"Section 1. That the State of West Virginia be and is hereby declared
to be one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union
on an equal footing with the original States in all respects,
whatever, and until the next general census shall be entitled to
three members in the House of Representatives of the United States:
Provided always that this act shall not take effect until after the
proclamation of the President of the United States hereinafter