The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-25
ENQUIRER.
KIc!sMoN2, y4vyA9r Is, laos.
pIvlg.nN or cnuNrIEs.

WAY has ~ t.a,- e f';scin;a been d;vide;
into Counties? TO th.s .ouction, two differ.
ent anfwe-s may Ne aligned. The politician
would detcribe 20 you the vfss of this arrange
ment, in our iSfen Of approximation. The
LAWYER ~ili expatiate npcu is benefits in the
adniniltration Of inf'ce The era will tell Won,
that counties are laid Of for the purpofe cfe:i-
aiding the people sdcphe al fome centra.
point, FOR the election or their representatives ;
and the iait w'ii dtiG15e to YOU the convenient
-htuation ot a CouDty-Court, where litieant
parties may 7irmhie, with train of witne hes,
C9uufei, Juries, Clerks and Magistrates. cor the
adjudication oftheir claims, and the iatisfatto-
~ administration of iuftice.
In proportion To the inCreafe OF orr no,rlati
on however, any given 6iyiiion of Counties is
likely to prodsce new incoDvenienccs and en-
harraiimentS, IN the attainment OF boz. thctc oh
Jects.-ShOuld the number of Counties be made
very great, the number of their representatives
Will increaic in the fame proportion and this
arrangement viii inevitably ncreaIe the ex-
pence of iegiliation, and rnoft probably auq.
nent the confuhon andindifcrcnce, incident 70
mot deliberative bodies. IF the number of
|Counties be isiniihed, their extent and POM.
|iation nuit be prnportionaIly increafcd the
electors VIII be thrown farther from the rIa-r
|of polling; the Inconvenience and cxpence of
attending the Elections will become opprefJive {.
and the Elective francbife in the hands OF >,anv
OF the freeholders will thus be converted into
an expenlive or nugatory privilese---Sinilar
difficulties viii accompany the administration
ofjuftice. If the number of Counties he increaC
cd, new iails and Court -Houfes muft he eref-
ed, aud additional expeaces will he in,Dof+d
upon the Counties. If the number of Counties
be limited, the difficulty and expence Of obtain
ing luftice will be increafcd parties aud their
wItneiies will be Obliged to travel to A great
or diltance; and from the number OF c,ufps
which are uft:tuted and may remain undecided
on the docket, the delay OF iuffice NAV in ma
ny cafes amount to denial OF It.
1t is very evident, that thief. enbarraHrents
could not politely exit, if the itate ofVirgiuis
poiietied limited proportion of territory and
population. The number or the extent Of ire
Counties could never become 70 comfortable.
4 to lncreaic the sxpencc OF dimini'h the con-
venieuce OF sxercihng the right of outrage, or
o. obtaining the administration of iuftice. A
divihon Of the fate into fich competent porti-
ons iccJCs confeqnenty a very efeau7l cor
receive for the evils Of an extended population.
But this IS aremedy, which there is no confi-
tntianaI proviiion 10 enforce, and which TIE
ioendes policy might eventually coDde11p.--
Inc Federal conltitntion, which prefcribes Ger
tam bounds 10 the power OF the Rates. does na,
contain Jingle ciaufe, which circumfc,ibes
Their white population. II fpecifies indeed a
method, by which fate nav be divided with
MS own content and it alto viTti-!ly declares.
that no territory eau be admitted into the num-
Der of tates, unit it ihould pofefs certain
population. But till there isno clauEe in if.
which H2i:tJ the population of tate, or which
declares, that as foon as the Genius ofits inha-
bltantsihonid amount 70 a certain Randard.
its territory !to-ld be divided into two ftates.
The federal conittutiou, in other words, is
founded on the idea of free and fovereign, but
not OF equal ftates. II was formed for ihe he.
.eFt Of certain ftates as they EStuaiiy exitcd or
as they might be cenftitutionaIly created, with
opt paving any regard to the us.qua! territory,
which they pohefed, or the unequal popula-
tion which they might afterwards acquire.
Virginia cannot then be divided without her
own content. Her difcretion on thisfubiecf is
uncontrolled by Constitutional provifions. Un-
I'll her own policy fhall dictate a new arrange
ment, ihe may remainone & indivi(ible The may
ftand forth an illnarious monument of political
v'idon, and concentrated ;.o.=e:: e.. NAV
continue to fhine one of the brightef H. in
the American ConAelIation. MAY ages then
elapfe, before this policy fhall be demanded bv
an imperious neceiiiyl
There is no reaion 20 believe, that this necef-
~ NONs dl PiCICht, OF Ii'I IL VIII loon, exItt.
The grc2tea evils which our extended popu1s-
ticn produces, mutt obviouily ariie from the
great multiplication of counties. But the fqvo
principal evils, which this Arrangement NAV
produce, are fuiceptible of an adequate remedy.
II it be contended that it will increaSs the ex
pence Of the administration of juftice to this il
may be replied, that the refourccs of the fate
may alto have increafed in an equal propor-
ton that this however is an expence which
is not extended over the whole fate, but
is confined to the Counties themrclves that
the demand for new County-Courts, is ee-
Morally the conieqnence of their increahnc
wealth; and that in almot every petition
which is offered for the divifon of county, the
petitioners exprefs the greateR Willingness to
encounter allthe additional esf5efites. If it be
coatcnded, that it viii incrsafs the'expence of
the legislative body Il may be again replied, that
the general wealth of the people, and the re-
iources of the fate mutt have increaled in at
leait an equal proportion; and if it be siio con
tended, that an inCrealed number of reprefenta
ives will fetter and confufc their proceedings
we may then appeal to the experience of other
Legislatures to prove that we have not vet reach
ed the maximum of the number of reprefenta-
tives. The Virginia Legislature contains nc
more than 1877 Delegates. There was a time
when the Legislature OF France could number
more than 500 representatives; and the f3ritilh
parliament at this time contains about Cog
members.
Should the multiplication Of counties howe
yer appear incompatible with the ounden poll.
CIV, why NAV not OtherarrsuPcfnects hs adon4.d