Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-06-08
upon which a! our republican institutions have beea

That portion f the State, which lie, West Of the
| h'ue trigc, cDn,siHs nearly me hifths free white
| population oI tic whole Stxt. ani more than one
.,st its territory. L, send, the Legislature four
| Senators -i'he other hall sends twenty. In the
south Western part OF the State, one district
tans fifteen coan;ieS borders upon fonr States oi
The cn'oa, contains fourth Of the territory the
| Whole Commonwealth, aud upwards OF seventy
! 'horaani free white inhsbnsnts
he District Of City, Warwick and
YORK, does not contain fourth al the terri
Dry otsome OF the Counties IA t!.s Upper Coun-
try AMI has about Cse seventeenth of the popuis-
tion Of sope of the districts. IL sends Senator,
ana ~ course has the weight ia the formation
OF laws, as a'iy oi the large Districts ia the State
lie t,st osn Justify th;s state of representative,
val not oyect TO Tue ruten borough system of En-
Siant II IS not merely the people on tbs sile Of
the 'nnuntain, who express their astohnent at the
! incorporation OF representation III or state IL
has attract q the notice Of enlightened statesmen "a
other rarts OF the Union. The eioirent author OF
the Di'se Brsnoh, IN calling the attention o lis
eohitrsn-n To the sbusss which are creeping INTO
,nr republican system. s,d which require reh,rina-
uln. npieestlie great Inequality OF representation
I'D t"3tnid lie rcma,Ss, tlat, taking into consul
|ih'on the ages oi the two governments, more
excuses be offered for the state az representa-
non IN Eagand than hat ia rgini,' l. the -cmark
be true one, (anh have 40 doubt of it, it will he
worthy the attention OF these who may feel IN
teresi in the welfare OF their Country, to lake a
look at the situation of England, which has resulted
rouse OF Commons is CONFUSED Of placenen ard
pensioners. The Borough Members are far times
rs numerous as the County Members. 90 y number
OF these boronghs, (sa,s rir Loeke) with the bare
name OF a Iown, o. which there remalns not
much as the runs, where there IS scarce 80 mach
hns'ag, rs sheep cot, more Inhabitants than
sh' pher'i, seal as iaaly reprs sentstives to the
Grand Assembly OF la. makers, whole eoua
Try numerous ia people anu powerful in riches"
Mr. Bureh gives LIST o. 2S Boroughs, in which
liz
send fits six members parliament. in a country
composed Oi upwards OF fifteen millions OF inhsbi-
tantS, few Thousand electors send in a maj GRITTY oi
their Legislature. Two hundred and itty-tour
members are elected by less than six THOUSAND yo-
ters.
Seats in Psrlias,ept are bought and sold as ar.ns
are in this couItry.
Nearly the wAole boiy has became contaminated
with corruption. aud is under the direct Influence
al the Crowp Instead OF having LEGISLATURE
composed OF Sriuous and enlightened men, who
should be the aitiiul guardians of the peoples
rights nn,ler al circumstances, the people oil En-
gland have avcnal parliament which obays with
vile ae4uissence, tue ambitious views and wishes of
their King
Ii is merely the haif.stsrved millions Of that
devoted country who have cslt the consequences.
Ihey have been elt III every part of the habitable
giube. Ihs sub5iies, which have feb the flames
oi war for the last twenty years On the Continent
az europe, are among thcm.-Ibe prosecutions oi
iceland, the ragases Of Ida, and the robberies
wnieh have been committed upon the unlhending
eonlmerce OF America, may be trAced TO tAe same
souree.
put tls question to your serious consiiera-
ton Do you believe, can any rational
believe, THAI the present disgrOpo-tan of repressr
ta,on in Virginia, is to continue Gl1rGys HoI w
admit t''at Il some time other change Dis5.
taSe place. Wells why not make the alteration
at Ouce, and put IN end to the complaints OF so
large portion of yeur fellow-ctzeas' Can any
time be more favorable ti'an the present? We are
at peace with all the world and would be in Il state
OF ?ryf0lnd Tranquility at home, il bare justice
rendered - the people Of this country. We are
respected abroad, end there IS scarcely speck OF
var to be seen "a the political horizon. BY delay
us 'hs reformation, which mast take place Mt
period, yoa are heaping up Injustice upon one part
OF the eountiy, w'ihoat dong ans benefit to the 9TH
er You are omentIns JEALOUSY, d.scord and ili-wh,
when you have it IN your power TO cXiingush them
Tor evvr. These feelings, irstesd osteng dmrish.
ed, will increas every year unS the alteration rakes
place Ii will Mt length terrninGte in spirit OF re-
sentiment, vnGiS;ve and implacablc, which will be
brought to bear against every subject which msy
have Tor is object the Interest Of the Lower country
Is not such state OF things be dep!ored by every
liberal and candid nan D .es L not stroEgly ap-
peal to the serious rejection Of every generous Viz
ginian
The preset proportion of representation has not
been altered since i776 There were then but six
iJ-one conntics ia the site now there are ninety
eight. Thirty seven counties have thea been made
since the adoption Of the constitution, and they Ill
ay in that portion oS the State which ms 50 -spilv
increased in populations X which complains 81 Justly
OF the inequality OF t4e represent ton. great por
ton o. this extensive Commonwealth was, at the
adoption OF The Conrtitution, bowling wilderness
II IS now q cultivated rcgiO1 tda home OF hardy,
healthy aud Industrious freemen, ard the % aboie
Of science, civilization and retirement 1t is pep
pied by q race Of men, Whu,e fathers. dur ng the
revolution, acq''ired reoOsE f,r iAe arIs Of Nir
GINA at the Cowpens, Kings Mountain, anil Point
Pleasant. Men, who surrounded tic Capitol of
their Country VIII N il was melaced by tie late
enemy, and a nunber Of wirse relatives met sick
acssspG death in a uOx'0us cline, without a muir
mur, whilst they were defeudng the lives and
property Of their brethren in the lover 90 IN
try.
II great defects have been discovered in orr re-
Preventative system, it can be easily accounted
ior, IL We take into consi cr,iion the tine and cir
c1mstsnccs under which IL was adopted. 1t was
Formed IN the commencement of tie revolution,
Wien the storm 81 wa driekening around US
when the foundations ~ society were broken up hy
the tsmptsiuous wave DfrevoutiUn--when an infant
country, without ;he means of var. was cngagingin
contest with nation that claimed the empire Of
The seas, and whose proves o. arms NANNY AGES had
atcsted II az 'mr, so pcrilous ard cn0arras sing,
and 60 full Of difficult, every rliag was no; done
rs It ought 10 have been, Il is with me neither
matter Of ceasiirc or astorishment Oar ancestors
obtain ii the great object for which they took 20
arms, VIZ. tie independence Of TIE country aud
Supposed ($ w'th grea, pr pri,'y) lha; minor sub
iccts which corrected with our Internal az
tdirs cpud be cn7iy settled &C prosperous pcrioi
o. peace and security. But for forty years, the
present detective syfern hes Continued without ony
Alteration. During this time tie tide of population