Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-09-03

! MT, TltLhuSl iletl tte e"hiiAi''Ne T.
pointed under two resolutions YESTERDAY
adopted by the house to draft memorials
reported resolution and memorial as fol
lows.
(RESOLVE J
Resolved that the following memorial.
to be signed by the president, and attest
ed by the Secretary, be presented to the
Legislature of Virginia, as expressive OF
the sense OF this convention on the sub
Iiects therein contained.
MEMORIAL
Memorial Of The stounton Convention, to
the Legislature Of The State Of Ia.
The convention of delegates held at
Staunton in the month of August 1916,
for the purpose of devising the best and
surest means of ohtaisins such amend
ments to the Constitution of the Common
wealth as will secure to the good people
thereof, all the rights and privileges to
which they are by nature entitled, and of
which they have been deprived by the
early adoption of princles, which if no;
Originally and radically wrong, have De-
come so by the subsequent F" operation of
natural and accidental causes" beg leave
to lay before the Legislature Of the state
such an exposition of their grievances as
will establish at once the certainty Of their
Existence, the extent Of their operation
aud the necessity of their removal. Pas
sing over many lesser evils, connected
with, and inseparabIe from the existing
constitution, they are satisfied on the
present occasion, to confne their atten-
ton exclusively to one, not doubling that
The same remedy which will be applied to
III, will at the same time be ex ended to
every principle in the constitution.
|inimical to the rights and happiness
Of an independent people. No doctrine
has received mere universal assent,
than that in republican government the
will of the majority should be the law #
the land. And yet in state Boosting OF
the pure republican character of its in
Istitutions, this first and fundamental pri7-
Iciple repubIicanism, does not exist; fol
| to borrow the nguage Of a late eloquent
lappeal to the people Of Virginia F" the
government of the commonwealth is &C
tualIy in the hands of minority ana
what is still more pernicious to the general
Interests, in the hands Of minority. in
inabiting particular section of the state.
10 counties, adjacent to each other
| IN the eastern 4 southern sections OF
he boroughs situated in those counties,
have a majority of the whole number OF
representative in the most numerous
branch Of the legislature. And these
counties and boroughs contained in 1910,
only 2O4,766 white inhabitants; less than
one half the population of the state, by
I72.158 souls"
In the other branch of he legislature,
THE inequality is still more apparent. In
credible as it may seem, it is nevertheless
"a fact, that while the country west of the
Blue Ridge, constituting three fifths OF
the territory of the state, and containing
according to the census oil 1911, Whlte
population of 2l2,OS6 souls, has but four
instead of nine senators, to which it is en-
Titled; thirteen senatorial districts on tide
water containing. according to the same
census, a white population of only l62.
717, have thirteen, Instead OF seven sena-
tors, which would be their Just proper
ton.
These facts are respectfully submitted
to the Senate and House of Delegates of
he state of Virginia, with the hope that
they cannot fail to produce an impression
favorable to the cause of republicanism,
and the just rights Of SO decided MAORI
ty of the white population of the state.
This done, the convention look with con-
ideuce to the legislature for such aid as
hey have the means to grant. They
know that the power of extending to them
immediate relief are not within the power
Of the legislature. They therefore do not
askit. They know that the several coun-
lies are entitled to two representatives on
he floor of the House of Delegates, and
that a mere legislative act cannot prevent