Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-05


whole have recommended $4,000, which viii
give TO the nation two hundred rcpr, senta-
lives, and hc would ask IL this nuniber was
not amply sufficient for AL the hrncGcia pur
4 poses ofcorrect legislation? Is il believed
said Dir. 5. that the iar,Iy progress ofbusi.
mess in the House is owing To want of an adj
ditional number of members? Would a
greater increase than that pr .posed add eli
ther 10 the capacity or disposition of thu
House TO the dischafge of the public bust
ness Mr.. S. thought th:.: j, would
not, and he could not, therefore. sr,
| any Just grounds for such increase. TIE
House had been told, however, that the
Increase ought TO take place, as it would have
the tendency OF preserving to the old and
smdu states the power they then poss, ssrd
lie knew that power WAS as dear 10 the states
as To individuals, aud that thpsc who once
possessed it, would, on all occasions be very
unwilling 10 yield it. But have thesr states
any Just claims To the retention of this DOW
ler: Is 1t consistent with the free principles
oil our constitution That they should retain it !?
is not the constitution in its representative
system, as in every thing else, hav-d upon re-
neral principles? Aud if the small or old
states are so unfortunate, in point of their
! population, as not To come within the fa,ora-
hie operation this system, should il be IN de
w tilt.hce or ADVANTAGE I!
He, Mr.. >. thought not and, though he
came from an old state, he neither asked nor
desired ANY thing in its favour, To which its
wealth and popultion did not Justly cntite
1t. Was it due, asked Nr. 5. to the thirteen
old states, because they were the first L. pro-
claim us free aud independent rs nation
or was 1t not tn the three millions ri mn WIN
established our freedom To whom we wrr
indebted ? The obligation attached O The
persons. and not 10 the states. Where then
were they now to be found? Most oi them
MIR. >. SAID, had descended To their clay cold
tenemenis, and ofthf few that Remained he
was persuaded as many, IL not more, would
be found in the new as in the. old states. On
the restoration Of peace, many of them r.
moved TO the west, IN eaioy,in the forest the
lands which had been granted them as :, small
compensation for their yalor And there
would now b. found their Chr.n and their
offspring. On this srorc, th,n, Mr.. s. thought
nothing was due 10 the old states. Have The
small states then, inquired M S. any lust
claims 10 a favorable ratio Does mi The
constitution already secure TO them two Sen
ators and one Representative, lei their lopu.
iation he what il might : Aud. If the arr.
| states, had not compl lined of :his co,pprn
mise, OF which he, Mr.. :. was not 10 b.. tin
cersiood as complaining. he thought with this
advantage aud security they ought 10 be sa-
tisiied, or at least silou!d not complain at any
operation of general system. We have
been told, said Mr.. ;. that tia. increase nov
proposed to be made 10 the raiio, Was much
greater than what had hitherto bpcn made .
aud tine proportion of members 10 our pr.scp;
population was much less than il was suon AT.
Ter our government was FIRST put in operation.
But II should be rccollrctcd, in fha first ulac,.
iha' '",r f1rcl,Ithers did not rrvuIt so much
with view 10 tbs: esi .blish M: of Their free
] dom, as they did agIins; the abusive exercise.
at power That in The formation uf govern.
meat for Themselves, hey were Jealous Of
deieGnting this power 80 Others, heacr. ,hpy
retained as much a PRACTICABLE. in their own
hands, believing, as they dld,by having Il nulnr-
rous representation, They would have more
direct control over ;heacts of Their Legislature,
Du' experience had shown, and tha peoplc
themselves had become satisfied thnf thei,
control was not 10 be found in this way. They
possessed this control bat it was brought Ia
bear IN different way, than in the numbers
OF their representatives. Il was true, said Nj
>. that the constitution had fixed the mini
mum, though IT bad not the maximum. of on
repre- scntaiion yet he Thought Il was neces
sary TO stop somewhere, d.Id that SIC had. in
his view, attained this point 1t should
; be rrcoilrctcd, MIR. s. said, that during
tins session proposition had been made
: 10 limit tbsir body, and though gentle.
m"n might be disposed 10 treat this Il.
rather an "hlclous act, on the part of the no
n"rabe mover, yet he, Mr.. 5. conceived The
principle 10 be correct, and he cared NOS from
: whence the proposition came. il would have
: his support. And he, Mr.. s. hrsiialcd not IL
. believing that, ii we now went beyond the
proposed increase, The peopi" would, through
.helF respective legislatures, fix some point;
beyond which we should not hereafter "a
and he thought IL best To- fl!l shof Of This
: probable llnlt than 10 exceed it, E}nl If we
} were, continued Mr.. S. now tn increase onr
representation in The same proportion 10 our
! population, us heretofore, how soon would wa
have such body, that ii woIIi be next To an
lmpractchbility To do aDy business at ALL II
mad been said, by correct writers, on the sub
lect, that the population Of every country
would double itself IL every IS. 20, or 81
, years provided the increase fme.,ns of sub
slstence was adequate to support sach an ia
crease Of pmation-thaf, from the fartilif,
of our soil, and Use extent Of or territory
none could doubt bat the means here would
I always be adequate to any iucfcase Of pupu.
laton. lfso, and you continued To- increase
your representation in the same propnrtinn
f!r. >. thought in few more terms Of ter
years, we should have such Il nntiunaI legisla
turc as would he totally Unfit for every usefi
purpose.
We hid been told, however, Mr.. s. said, by
the geutlemn from Rhole Island, that W,
bad no data 10 direct and govern us ON thi.
subject Ii was true, said Mr.. S. ihi w,
could not consultthe history Of the Old Worlt
at the present day, because the true principles
oi representative government are there ms
where TO be fOund; and although the British
} House OF Commons MAS termed dcmocra
tic body, that it WAS veryrminrrOus. consistin,