Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-07-17

and Warwick enjoy the same weight in
the Legislature, though the former has
fifteen times the population Of the latter, =
child viii perceive. and boy of ten years
of age, will calculate the inequality. Bat
when the Senatorial representation is byo't
into view, one can scarcely restrain our
establishment at the forbearance with which
the monstrous disproportion has been borne
More than two f,hs of the white popnla-
ton are represented by four Senators, and
less than three-fiiths by twenty. The for
mer have six IS than they are entitled
to the latter SIX more, making a difference
| OF TWELVE vot, in small. body OF TWEEN
| ty-foar persons. Such state of things
"cannot and will not came to good" Pc
ter Plymiey had scarcely more reason 10
complain Of lhe disabilities of Irish G tho
| lies, and the Wing reformers of England
have not more justice in their clamours
| against the rotten boroughs Of old Sarum
and MelcoIab regis. And yet We have all
| with one voice joined in reprobation of the
British system--forgettiug the maXim OF
| our holy religion, which enjoins upon us to
pluck the beam from our own eye, be
fore we esPy the mote that is in our broth
er's."
know that some have advanced in pal,
| liation OF the inequality of which we com
plain,the opinion that repres- niaiion should
oe apportioned, not to the nuuber Of mia
bitants alone, but to numbers AMI axaiion
| combined am at a loss to conceive
notion more utterly subversive of every
| principle Of republican institutions than
this. As t,Xation (Wien properly rvgula-
ted) is in proportion to property such
scheme OF representation would apportion
| the weight in the Legislative boy to
| Ueaffh, as well as to numbers. Upon such
| a principle, it woald not lie difficult To ius-
| tiiy the worst features IF the British Con-
| stltution. The Dukes of Northumberland,
and OF Devos shire, and of Bedford, and OF
Rutland, with revenues amounting To two
millions OF dollars. and estates exceeding
fifty millions, might well challenge to
themselves righC to representative in
Parliament, upon principle which is the
basis OF an aristocracy of wealth We
acknowledge none such. The mcj07ffv with
us must govern.-1he majority of men ::
| OF intelligent beings, not the majority CT
acres. nor the prepondcrance of gold.
The people Of the Low Country, in their
| turn, complain that the land tax presses
with undue weight on their shoulders, and
that no disposition is manifested in the west
to correct the dSproportion. Perhaps in
some future letter, may trouble you with
| my crude speculations on that subject. Suf-
| hce 1t now to remark, that while you
have commanding majority in both hou-
SEES, 1t is your own fault if the evil be not
corrected. The failure to correct it, can
ON your part. proceed only from an aversion
to enter upon system of reform that must
| terminate in surrender Of the undue
weight which you possess in the Counci S
OF The State. And yet cannot but hope that
the spirit which has dictated this narrow
and iiliberal, and unwise policy, is passing
| away.-A policy that spreads discomfort
| throughout the laad-that leaves to the
lo~ lander 10 complain of his burdens, and
20 the mountaineer to fret al his derrada>
ton a policy, that saps the found ton
| or our liberties, bee use it sets at naught
tie principles we affect to reverence a
| policy that, instead of drawing closer the
bonds Of attachment between the remote in
habitants of the state, throws among them
| the sppl OF iscord, and adds TO slme dis
SINH ,rIty ofinterests a principle of disun-
! ION, far more powerful than those to which
! natural G us have glvsn siso.
Instead ii strengthening the cement be-.
tween bodies already sufficiently indisposed
to unite, we are infusiag INTO the mass the
elements OF dissolutior. Should We not ar
rest this fatal career we may live to la
ment the partition of Virginia, and TO look
back with melancholy regret upon her
former weight in the confederacY, before
her power shall have been broken up, and
her territory divided, through intestine
feuds, and fatal and short sighted policy.
| ! am, my dear sir, yours, &c.
PIP.