Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-06-05
To the People Of The Commonwealth :
Tirgtnia.
r,.,y NyW ri CJ2ENS.

truth IS more forcibly Illustrated by ex-
perience, than one contained IN the de.
cIaration of rights OF Virginia, !" Thai
no free government, or the blessing OF
liberty, can be preserved to any people,
but by frequent recurrence TO fahsa
me ntal principles Tie entire neglect
of this Invaluable maxim has produced a
crisis in the internal Affairs OF Virginia
whose novelty. and importance demand
the earnest attention and conslderatlo!
of every citizen of the state.
Forty years have elapsed since the a.
doption of a constitution, watch, though
liable to just ahinadversion IN somelni'
Dortant particulars, conferred on us the
Invaluable blessings Of a tree representa-
| tive form of government. Although TIE
right WHICH the people undeniably possess
to be equally represented, was very con
siderably inlringed by that provision :.
the constitution which conferred on eacf
| of the counties, however differing In slz'
Spopu ati'n, the same weigh in the mos
numerous branch OF the legislature h'
evil consequences were, for considers
BILE time, perceived to result from IL,
Imf,inpement.--I'here existed, then, con'
ipara ively, no western population; ant
an identity Of interests, III the popuia
ton east Of the mountaiDs, secured eat
particular norton Of it from oppression.
But this original infringement of IL,
rights of the people to equal represent
ton, aiaed BY course OF conduct IN TIT
legislature. which las greatly increase,
the inequality, and stili iufther, py tue
operation Of natural md accidental eau,
es, has at length produced a state Of
things which We are narranted IN saying
is an absolute mockery Of the principle.
of free government.
Permit us, fellow citizens 10 lay De
fore you a briei detail Of lacts' "hic'
will shew hat this assertion Is SCI ape'
lousy correct.
(, In proportion as population diaused 1t.
self over the Western part of the state
large counties were from time to time es'
tablished by law, which, under she pro
visions OF the constitution, were entitled
to two representatives each, and IL
more, in the most numerous branch o
the Legislature. Some Of these counties
in consequence Of their great extent ant
fertility, and the salubrity of The climate
have attained free population fee time:
greater than the average free population
! of all the counties in the state, and more
than t,ceniy times greater than the iret
population OF TIE smallest county on thu
tide water while on the other hand, The
population of, many Of the tide wate
counties, from tie operation OF yaliou:
well known causes, has dwindse,s away
in very remarkable degree. If repre-
sentation were equaized and NarwiS
county were taken lis the standard By
(which the number of Representatives
from all the other counties should be re
guIated, the counties of Loudoun and
Frederick would be ent tied to forty frt
idelepates each = II a still further Illus
tratiUn OF tlis INDUSTRIOUS inequality OF
be necessary, it will be
found in the fact, that tu enty cosnties
ION tide water, containing only fifty three
Thousand four hundyed and forty three
white inhabitants, and twenty counties
in the upper country, containing two
hundred and fifteen thousand three hun.
!dred and twenty three; have the same
in the house of defes ates.
But if this inequality of representa-.
ton affected merely the relative weight
of few counties. in the government of
the State, ii might be considered a mat
ter of comparatively small importance.
Unfortunately, the evil is not thus limit
I'd in its extent prevails to such degree,
that the government Of the Commonwealth
is actually in the hands of a minority ;
and, what is still r.ore pernicious to the
general interests, in the Lands Of 4 MI
|nority inhabting particular section OF
the State.-Forty nine counties, adjacent
to each other, in the Eastern and South
ern sections of the State, including three
Of the bo,oushs situate in those counties,
have r:ajority OF the whole number of
representatives in the most numerous
branch of the Legislature and these
counties and boroughs contain only two
hundred and four thousand seven hum
dred and sixty six white inhabitants,
which Is less than one half OF the popu
lation ofthe State by seventy two thou
sand one hundred and thirty eight souls !!
SO much for the inequality Of repre-
sentation in the house of delegates.
In the Senate, it is even more glar-
ing. The constitution directs, that the
different counties shall be divided into
twenty four Districts from each of
IL. 4 Il