The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-25

1
counties Of the tate into finallcr diR,icls, fel
the more convenient exercife OF their eleet;v.
iufrage: Why then may not the fame ,iyiten
be employed for the purpofes, which have iun
| been iiggefteis
The greatelt exertion, which has been made
on this iubiea during the prcicnt fr(iion was
made 70 divide the county Of Amherit AZ, Oh.
petition was made in amoG all lis faees 10 the
bill which authorizes the dvi6on. II hove
ver progreled to its third reading, when Il fhort
debate npor its merits took place.
Mr.. Cahel expatiafed upon the inconveni
ence oithe prefrnt organization of the county,
and upon the advantages ola diyiiion. He flat-
ed that the extent Of tile county with regard TO
ITS entire population, was not efs than 10 miles,
the parts which were thicky fettled, extended
to at leaf 60 miles: that its mean breadth was
not lets than IS mics: thar il was divided hy
mountains, which though not remarkable for
their magnitude, were extremely numerous. &
that it waG interleGted by or large dreams.
One iamentable effect ofthis geographical no.
htion was the delay of juEtice. Two or three
days were fometimes loitby afi,it or in perform
ing the necef7ary journey TO the Court-houfe.
ihere were not iefstban1 2oocauies on The docket
at TIE Ian March term. It is true that goo
osutes were got over duling the laN Nav terra ::
Yet this expedition aroie from a particular a.
sreerent among council to wave all pleas. and
legal forms for the PurPole of getting through
the docket. The fuits on the docket had been
accumuiat'ng tor years, and Mr. c. believed.
that II the court were to fit two whole months
without mtermil,ion, they would be unable 70
60 through their docket. He hoped therefore
that The Legislature would iuterpofe IFS .nrot..t,-
ing power, would authorize a diviiion of the
county, and facilitate the administration Of inf.
tice {. - J"'-
There was another evil Of comfortable i'm.
Por'snce, which arole out of the prefeut fituati-
on Of the county. The mon violent fchifrs
eSifed among the inhabitants. The interens
OF the county were completely divided and
dtbnguithcd by the parifl, lines. The
produced as perfe6 aud difinGf A fenarati
on as the B,re Ridge between the Eaftern and
WeRern diitritss of Virginia; and the ntereas
were as ftronely marked as thofe of Virginia &
the Eaitern ftates. The conieouence of This
condition of the county could not be ton
much lamented. When citizen comcs for
ward as candidate for the legislature, alooN
me hr!t queftion which i, aGsed abou, him was.
is ne favourable or not to the diyihon of the
county Whatever may be his other quali-
hcaticns, however pure may be his political fen
timcuts, however il,uftrious his virtues N, HE
talents, an oppoiition to this Jingle me.f;lre is
nearly tUFicient TO outweigh every other conf
dcration, and to deftroy the NOT exalted claims.
And what can be mere deplorablr. faid hSr
Cabel than that thefacred right offuffiage ,nolid
thus be facrifced 10 meer i7cal confederation ?
Mr.. c. hoped that any additional expences.
which may accrue to the fate by this meafure
would not over balance its advantages. The
fate derives at the preitnt time an ample rcve.
nue. from the county of Amherf. Indepeu-
dently ofthc tax on law process which amount
ed to 800 dollars, and on merchants Iicenfes,
the treaiury annually received revenue OF
five or tx thoufand dollars.
Should then the Legislature grant the PRAYER
of the petitioners, the counties would then pay
as much as half ofthe counTes in the fate.
Mr.. Garland from AIaierl) obferved, that
there were two rr=7rd,e5 fgs isS evils, on
which his county complained: remove ton OF
the county court fytems. which might lead TO
the fptedy attainment of iuftice; or the diyiGon
of the county.-Mr. C. faid he had documents
to prove that the very magistrates themfeIyes
who had tried invain 70 adminifter juftice, are
the fri to petition, and MOE Jealous in obtain
ing 4 divilion. Should the Legislature then
deem it impoiitic to adopt the mrafi,re of al.
tering the county court fyftcms, he hoped they
would not refufe to sdminifter the other rene.
liy.
H;sown covnty experienced certain inconvc.