Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-06-05


Titled to nine senators instead OF four.
On the other hand. thirteen senators.
|a districts On tide water, which contar
ia white population of only one hundred
land sixty two thousand seven hundred
land seventeen, and are therefore emit
itIed to but seven senators, have actually
ithirteen--that is to say, majority o.
one branch Of the Legislature, wmcf
possesses negative on all bills passed b5
The other. And thus, the representa-
ltiyes ofone hundred and sixty two thou
sand OF the people can prevent the pas
sage of the most important law, tho az
lvocated by the representatives CT nearly
liyur hundred thousand.
Of the thirteen senatorial districts OF
hide water, eleven contain fewer white
Inhabitants each than the county OF Ere.
derrick and one of the eleven contains
iscartely more than one fourth of tkt
lwtite population of that county.
TO cap the climax of inequality, tn
~hite population OF the smallest tide
water district is, to that Of the largest
nountain district as one to seventeen
md half.
| these results are derived from the
census of 1910; and it is matter Of
,erfect notoriety. that the population OF
I've west has, since that time increased
with greater rapidlty than dat of the
least and south, if indeed the latter have
creased at all-The inequality OF re-
Presentation is, therefore, at the present
lay even greater than has been here
stated.
| fit be asked why so gross and hag
mt an inequality Of rep esentaton III
the senate has been suffered to exist SO
| ng--why law has not been passed for
Inew modelling the senatorial distrlcts--
che answer is an obvious one. The re-
fesrntatives of minority of the people
have the whole powers OF government IN
Their hands. and they will consent to no
measures which has tendency to trans
fer tbat power to its rishtlul owners, the
majority. We say the riehtful owners ;
flor we presume it will not, and cannot
oe denied, thatt is fundamental prin
Icipie OF our government, that the will O!
tine majority should govern.
The practical result If this inequality
If representation has been, a systematic
disregard, by the legislature. of the in
Iterests Of the nerthern and western peo-
|pIe, too notorious to require proof or H.
lastea son, ard too severely telt to be
'Idweit on with temper.
| And is there n remedy for an evil OF
such ala ming magnitude fare the
Imajority of the people to lingei on, IRON
year to year. in state of hopeless poll
|tical bondagei
|. There is, fellow citizens. but one re
|medy-it is pointed cut by the declara-
ItiOn OF rights" a recurrence to iunda-
mental principles" From change OF
circumstances operating on original de-
Itects, the constitution Of the state is no
longer Efficient to protect the rights OF
he people. Its practical results are at
ar with its elementary principles. Pro
Tossing TO guarantee equal rights to all
The citizen, it leaves the majority OF them
subject to the minority, and in slats OF
Virtual acknowledgements.
The obvious remedy is, such SIN amend
ment Of the constitution, by convention
of the reople, as will bring it back t.
its original principles. But how to Ell
feet convention ofthe people ls the great
difficulty. The legislature could afford
great facilities for attaining the object !:
but it pertinaciously refuses to doso, be-
cause a majority Of both its branches, re-
presenting lean minority Of the people,
are interested in perpetuating state Of
Things which secures to them all he pow
Iers of government, with al its bonors
and emolaments. 1t turns a deaf ear to-
1.-The petitions of the people praying it to-
laid in assembling convention. 1t has
rejected petitions Of this SORT without
number. A bill providing for this object
was rejected al the fasr session. although
lit was actually voted for by the fepresen-
ltatives o! large majority of the people
Iof the state. From this quarter ii is idle
Ito hope for aid.
There is, then, presented to the people
THE alternative. of submitting to an NJ
definite continuance of this monstrous 81
unnatural state Ct things, orol endeavor-
ing, without the aid ofthe Legislature, toI
effect a full and free convention OF theI
people of this commonwealth.
Their right to do SO who will bic hardyl
enough to DISPUTE F--Their right to ash
,semble in convention is not derived from
the legislature, but from higher source.
1t is derived from the Almighty sovernor|
of the universe. who created them free.