The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-21

divifon ahfnrd as fnch demand would be.
It would plead the anetion of example. There
IS one circumstance which 7 will take the H.
berty Of Rating TO the homie fusgeacd by a
gentleman OF this body, from him learn, the
form Of AInherit SIS obIong, and the diagonal
contemplated rs the time of partition, i,nn,ed-
atcly every gentleman nluf perceive, aud inme-
dIately great part OF the people will remain
equally remote from the feat of iuil;ce, nothing
can be more evident than that we illall next be
'mporsuned to convert thcfe two tryaueular
counties into fquares by additions from other
d'ftr1cts. Indeed this, meaiure feems INTENDED,
TO derange fome Of the incidental ditriets, aud
may be coDiidered merely a. .he prelude, after
winch We hall hear the fine pathetic COM
plants and reiterated. Ihopc. Sir, for the
reatons init aiiigned the bill in your hand will
ne rejected.
Ms. CARLfND, of II sher,e,
MIR. Speaker, 1t is with extreme difficulty
that can prevail upon myfelf 10 deliver my
ientitneuts to this houie on any location. But
coming from that part Of the country which is
immediately inters fcd in tine paiIase of The DILL
now in your hand, will ak the Indulgence of
TINS houte while l recite thofe facts which gave
it exitence.
The county Of Amherft ia apwards of XIV
miles long and about thirty-6ve mics wide,
forming nearly anobong fqrar-, founded on the
one tide nv James river aud on the other by the
Blue Ridge, paying into the public treafiiry
revenue of upwards Of 5000 dolls per anrum.
and containing population OF 10000 fouls,
with docket containing of upwards of 1900
cauies.
Mr.. Speaker, was it not for the great hoti!ity
which the Lesii lture Of t...;s Rate manifels for
the divlion of counties, I fhoulti fet myfeif
down in confidence of favourable iH+ue. But,
Sna l. \ n Oh r
my county have prefented their humble petition
to this houfe for upwards Of twenty wears with
out ilccefs, fhould be wanting ~ my duty To
all injured people, was To omit any one cir
cur,'tance which Could give additional force 10
the preient application.
Mr.. Speaker, prelune that three things on
" arc neccflary to warrant the Legislature in
dividing county, TO wit: territory, revenue,
and population. Having all thelc republics in
pre-eminent degree, & the whites Of the people
OF that county moi fully exprsiIetl, that out
of two thoufand white tihcs, fourteen hundred
are nnlte'! in the prefent application, and many
Others woc!d have united in pettionipg, had
there have been an application made to them.
But in county 10 ex,enive, petitions c,nrc, I've
pretended TO every perfon who appreciates the
meaiure.-With majority thus fairly rxpreT-
cd, VIII the enlightened Legislature of Virginia
refute to extend to IN injured people, the relief
which Is now fought for? prciume they viii
not. But, Mr. Speaker, before cave this part
ut the iucjeet, mutt notice a report tha, has
found ITS way into this houfc, and has had An
untavourabie effect, upon the minds of fore Of
its members, which is this; that the obictt
OF the petitioners is to- divide the county, by
diagonal line RAINING from the two extreme,
points OF the tounty, thereby leaving each
county as long asthe prefent, and only reducing
width h1r -
abfurd TO be entitled to much weight will this
houfe give credit for moment TO fuch an inf.
nuatlon! will this houfe believe that three
tnurths of the people of that county could be
70 lolt TO their interea and convenience as To
teek for divifion 70 derogatory to both? No,
Mr. pe'ker, the prayer of the petition, and the
prov!ions Of the bill in your hand, i. in contra.
dIction to that idea. Had this been the cafe,
MIR. Speaker, your table would have been
crowded with county petitions; but on the pre-
tent oct ahon, not a word is faid in oppofition
to this rsafonable application. No man, Mr..
Speaker, can meet this fuhie9 fairly, and con-
trout the claims of the petitioners; they fand
upon pre-eminert ground Int t!iofe who are
interehed IN the prefcat order of things, have
relied much on the hoaility of this houfe to the
dividing of counties; and by making mifrep, e.
tentatioDs difficult to be confronted, have hro't
into the held many opponents.
Bnt, Mr. Speaker, hope that dav is pat, :.
when the fltcments of intercfed individuals
Nall obtain, to the excluGon Of The great ma
lority ofthe people thefe people have too long
been the victims of INTERPRETATION and o.
preifion, while convenience es have been extend
ed to all the surrounding Country. Mr.. Spea-
Eer, the prefent application is highly reafona-
bic the revenue paid NY thar county amply
jntt'hes the meafure and when divided, each
county would pay revennc Of upwards of
5000 dolls. which exceeds the revenue of ligty
of the counties in the fate of Virginia. Not
a high fossding name OF revenue, extinguilhsd
by infolvents and new rehden,s. No, Mr.. Spea-
ker, il is paid into your public Golfers, in a6tn.
al fpecie, with punt'uaiity equalled by few &
furpaiTed by no county within the common
wealth. Will not the Legislature extend Juice
and convenience, to people who are thus con-
irbutiug to its fupport MIR. Speaker. the
fate Of our docket ia one which calls alosd
For Legislative interference. Nearly hx hundred
fuits have been infituted in that court within
twelve months pat, and any gentleman CONVEX
FAINT with the bufncfS of county courts, will be
tatisfed, that Que court could not difpenfe wit h
more than half that number in that time there
by producing comfortable addition annually
to docket of upwards of twcle hundred eau
ies. This amounts to denial OF iuitice, or in
other words, denial oft the means. This re-