Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-12-22
CNNaiRESS
SEDi.EY.

we are happy tn iini our pager on the subject of
e'e :'?porionncnt OF M"Unbcrs of Congress 81 y,ii
,emr' y, 50 respectable al print the National
'"tch'schcer. suggestion OF some oft, corrcsnom
u't our estimates were iniccu has induced
-, ", =" ,ceN'n'ne our tables. They formed in
sret htSr, from ilpe. Zee, maicrin!s and in our ,
FER we only stated them as nearly correct h,,i,,
Ss''y seen the Censn, at IL States, aud in six Of
80 NOT na'ns seen the PREPARATION of slaves we
mercy "ie'tnt our tyes IL near approximation ia
''Nc"Tlcv- In rc-eS'tmnimg our tables however we
.'"'ot ana any error oimoment. And we feel pc,-
10Y .c"hhdr'l, that after the Census OF ali the
o'Ss Is completed, tl,cic will not be found in any
W ouF t'hics mn error IN the whole number ,moupi
ZIG 10 I'VE. Wnh regard, however, To The State of
~ G,,h we nave made mistake, not deductins
WV u''Ns OF the Slaves therefore there will lie no
Question before Congress OH fixing The nun,l,.r -,
Do''Vo. f1rii Congress determine 10 raise the ra
o u,uNe t"e present; 5000, then Delaware will
IA ~ events lose one Rcpi escn,atvs
we nave seen 50 much Inconvenience rcsuh;uy
from 100 large IA Representation in N,ssachuse,,.
u INA. we feel peculiarly snlic,o,s to guard our Ma
goh,; i'eE's 'are from similar evil When - L.
ss,u,e "''Y con '"s 800 nlGmbers, il ceases 10 he
ueine.ative body, ani is subject To all the, fucti
" uo's -. "i,u'r Assem- ". Thus, in 1,,r late.
convention, which contained that number NJ mem,
ef., tue. one '',. Vuie b, iL0 m;.ioiiy To fix the
r,S'9 o' u'e ot'rde VA populations, aud ON the ,lay
"","l's' u! aS large iinriiy, agreed. 10 place il
On ,'"',on' me reason 81 this lucuatiou is per
secuy obvious La a small budy every member is
watched 10y iis constituents and feels his own res
PonSo'iiiyj bat in large hny no responsibility
r;sts any where, and few popular leaders move i,
- "a
Standard OF qualifications for the ,ncnrr and rho
greaes the Responsibility he feels When n public
",s,i'oy Is very numerous, any body is lii for
nn,shoct, ani nubudy feels rcsDuusiiJc rs s,cb =
mere Is no precise limit for a wei, cous,;,,t.d n,I,
tc assembly. Any number tlat NAV he assumed
mus. pe mere arbitrary number, aud no eter tl,an
!, o", hnn, ,'''e 'arSer or less The best number
a. our n''nne OPINION, Tor i.!c popular branch of our
Sate Legislatures is 100, and the pper bran, h should
Ge about one third OF that number But hi, nnmI,cr
thousl large enoagh ior any of our States is ner
ts-Tr
as ours But surely, for 90 wears TO come. n Unnse
VI nci"eSe"ta'i'es oil 100 is large enough for this
,: "Hn'y Years heacc, when the country shall
e'n"'h ioh eighteen to twenty millions of inha.-
lti'S, and when the northwestern tcrr;to,y and ina
e'' uoy ocween the state Of Missouri and The Roc
ny mountains shall DO all divided INTO popmlous States
t'e" II wiz DC woi To Increase the number of mem
beFs 10 I'D. In 1860, when The populnon nj ,,,.
present territories OF the u States will contan more
u'''' % m'ilons G" niiaants; when the shores of
me facIhc ocean will be formed into States and
~anada and Mexico may have heen admitted into
oHr CnIon then 1t wal. become necessary 10 increase
,'e number to the Utmost limit to which debera-
uvc assembly should extend that limit we contend
should not exceed go members. For n larger nnn,
Der cannot act with uniform wisdom and energy
my "a "ei', on this subject To look to the OPT
mons o our Statesmen, and those of fol elm co,,,
lIes. From Asia, Africa, and the continent of I'm
rope: we have 10 lights 10 guide us The Connects
OF rance surely Will not be considered preceJen,s
l"'oinnie TO large popular assemblies But NAV
ne Sau that oar mother country, England affords Ms
an example, rs the House of Commons consists or
o23 members. Bat rarely more than four hundred
are eyer present, and this number ae not The part of
a ueii?eratiVe assembly, but thai OLA Hilary band
disciplined to move with the heads of their nort;es
Into oar assemblies placement and pensioners cannon
gun aomIlliance, but they form the majority of the
nfi,'sn iiois, OF Commons They so directly
Under the influence OF the Crown that they hordlS
deserve the name OF the Reprcse natives of the neo
PIE The old world therefore Cannot furnish us with
s,ch evidence as should induce adopt tho plan
Of numerous representation, and we n,rsI Int 49,
on most other political subjects, to our own States
for the best examples.
In Twelve OF the tweniyiour states Of our Union the
nlmhcr OF Tie popular branch is limited by uIei,
constitutions toa fixed number, and seven of these
ale the largest States of the Union