Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-28

Wy dt NOIk dDu ifiC bcAt SESSION. OF III
Assembly cannot fail to be AN interesting
one, as it is To actupoutliis great subject.
May the talents which are delegated TO
legisln.e upon it, correspond with its i'm
rortance l--2d. The act "to amend the
Several laws concerning the arrearagcs of
taxes upon lands, houses and lots" ny
Which all The abo,niuabie features of the
i.tc udious taN-law a:c done away, lIcreaf-
ter, and ~ far, with respect 10 lands Hctu-
aliy SOIL, asihc Legislature could touch
them, consistently with good faiih.-;,d.
some useful regulations respecting the
Penikniiary.-4th The incorporation ct
two Banks for the benefit of our Western
Brethren, which deserve some praise for
the accommodation which they yield 10
the wants of the West; but still more for
those wise provisions they introduce in
to our banking system, which are cacu-
lated 10 make our ADMINISTRATIONS real
~ specie-f'ayins ddnhS.
I'VE come 10 the injndicicn3 acts of the
session-and here we are met by that
worst measure, beyond oil others the
most Important, adopted during this SEES
sion, the g act for arranging the counties
Into districts for the election of Senators,
and Tor eIualIzing the land-lax. Had
the l. Slslaiure passed The CDncsntion-biU,
THIS measure would never liave seen the
ilgbt.-l'ui, instead ofputting if into the
power at the people to amend all the de-
tects oi their own Constitution, a strange
horror of innovation prevailed strange
disirust OF the people over-rulcd every
thing. IN idea was inculca,ed, that all
the eAccllcniicatUreS of the Constitution
would be swept away; this alarm first
manifested itself III the provision of lin
tied Convention then followed Il test
oath, to hind up the Delegate from obey
ing the Instructions of his constituents.
Instead OF trusting the people instead of
leaving il TO their discretion 10 saw, whe-
Their they would have AN unlimited Con-
vention, or limited one, or none at all,
they were to be limited TO the two last al
ternatives, and then TO be told, that they
might do as they pleased--But even this
mockery OF power was finally denied
them, by the overwhelming horror of in
novation. The Convention bill was rejec-
tcd-the means OF reforming the ucq,tah-
ties III both branches of the Legislature.
and OF guarding against the abuse of the
power of taxation by constitutional re-
strictions, were cened-and i'm lieu of
these, the Senatorial bill, which reformed
The I, presentation in one branch, and the
inequality of taxation in one respect. was
pressed aud iinallv carriedEThis bill, too,
which virtually, if il does not literally,
tramples the existing Constitution under
foot. For, by. this law, many counties,
instead OF voting every fourth year for a
Senator, are TO vote more than once in
years, and of course 10 have more than
one representative on the floor of the Sc
nate. Thus, for instance, the counties of
Sussex and Southampton will in the wear
1919 have to vote for anew Senator, when
they already have one upon the floor-the
same double representation viii belong to
several counties. Instead of producing
tins lnonstrons anomaly in the representa-
tive system, would il not have been better
to iayeput II INTO the power oftIe people
to have amended the Constitution ?-Is it
not better even now, for the next Legisla-
ture To repeal the law, and submit the inc
quality in the Senate to the people, to be
cured, If they think fit, by The cali ola CON
veDtIon
Among the other injudicious acts of
inis session, is Tie act giving relief TO
the people of tins Commonwealth" which
Inc resumption OF specie payments has
made as absurd, as ii was originally i'm
proper.
Scarcely have we ever seen so much
time wasted, as during the last session, in
abortive projects.
The scheme of 2f new banks, while the
Whole circulation of the country was dis
ordered, and few only ought 10 be elan-
ted 10 the wants of the West, asionisLed
every rejecting man. Ii is idle TO say
the more OF these corporations. the bet
Ter, TO increase The spirit of competition.
because this was precisely the time when
the argument had lost It's force. as the
competition would in fact be anon the
banks for the deficient specie in the coun-
Try, thus retarding the return of the pre-
sent currency to lis healthy and regular
statc-Charter more banks next Winter
1t you please ; let them be specie-paying
banks and let their charters expire with
those OF the present institutions, that we
may review the whole system at once
and calmly determine the best we can a,
dopt. 1t is extremely probable, that If
VIII be found best tn grant no charter at
all (; but throw the whole business open TO
individual enterpr ize, limiting the num-
Der OF partners to very few, so as 10 make
each one responsible in his private capa-
city for the debts of the whole. I'm
large company, this regulation would be
impracticable.
of these u Banks, the Literary Fund
Banks were the most brilliant but obiecti-
onablc novelty. Indeed, il is much TO
be feared, that this is not The only scheme
By which the zeal of some offhe friends
OF the Literary Fund has contributed to
make that Fund unpopular. The mar.
niiicent, but impracticable bill, "For es-
tablishlnS Primary Schools, &c. whichtlIe