Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-05
SEAT OLE GOVERNMENr

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
We publish by request the following peon I,J toC,ro
the H. OF Delegaes.-It is taken from ,,nfed conv,nd
there are Others of the description from few other
counties We omit the signatures hich are ~ in nn
10 the honorable the Speakers and Gentlemen of
nom Houses al Assembly the memorial of number
oil inahilans OF orcenbrer county respectfully shew
eth That, as has become apparent from the late
census 'hi me seat OF government not i'm the CEN
IRE OF the white population OF this commonwealth il
now hecoaes subject of enquiry whether IL ought
nor 10 oe changed In examining tins question: If it
'""o "ppear tIia MS distance ION The central poi int
- NOT considerable, and that in the progress of ur
population rs likely To continue so that the civ of
Gchmonu possesses extraordinary advantages over
o'"e' SUES "Mch are more central, and would he
greatly injured by its reno, nj that The rne,s,ra
would be attended with great Inconvenience nL ,x
pense your memoriasts would not farther press this
subject They, however, have been led TO believe
mat the distance complained of is considerable-up.
wrusi one hundred miles and ila, in the progress
Oh our population the centre is likely To- on further
weS as the now uncuIlivatcd lands in that quarter
-, "c c'pan'e oil supporting greater population than
ho'e Oh me east than central site, and one likely
10 remain permanent would he found ii the MINER
country possessing all the advantages of n pure mir
ana nne water that it would produce little or no eff
ect ~ retardng the growth of Richmond /: tbat the
puhlic property there would he more than sufficient
10 erect the necessary public buildings eewhere:
iotii memoriaIsts take deep interest in the pros
perty oil the city OF Richmond, they are desirous that
us population should increase, and that its nero an
NE capital should become adequate TO all tb CONNER
ca' purposes OF the state and they do be We tina, lis
prosperity will he slightly, If at ALL affected by the
measure contemplated but should that he the case
too great saciitice of the public convenience Tor
!h's object, ought not TO be expected, or made A
'"S proportion OIL our citizens are agricuturalists :;
anu should the legislature he permanently located in
PoPuous ana commercial city, there is reason To
dPPrehend tla IN process of time, an undue infu-
ence might be felt perhaps unconsciously by that bo-
uy present, indeed, il is believed that large por-
ton OF the population of Richmond are native Gill
ISfc
are identified with those of the stale but this will
not long Continue To be the character of The MACE
te mercantile class collected from different quarters
OF 'e giobe, viii possess the feelings of citizens of
the world, rather tiian those OF the state in which thev
reside and II may truly be said, without offence of
any class OF men, that they seldom lose sight of their
particular interest, and will often be led 10 seek its
promotion, at The expense of other classes and even
al the expense OF other citizens of their own class in
other sections Of the state
Lei II not be said that these apprehensions res
Pec"S our agricultural interests, visionary and
uhouhded, because the evils may not have been ac-
t"aiy iet In other parts of our union where these
opinions could better he tested in the more advanced
Stages oil their populous cities either actual exD.r-
ence, or causes such have been urged have in
u"ccu many oil the states 10 adopt the policy your me
mOrialiss recommend = 49,
The foregoing remarks apply to state of peace ::
Du DIS we ought TO anticipate every attitude in which
our country may he placed, we beg leave TO call the
attention OF your honorable body to the fate of the
capital during the revolution, and the public APP
W S'bcty, udfiu1 lNc late war. In the
proportion that Richmond increases in population and
wealth VIII We the temptation pluHder in the time
o. war while the destruction Of public property will
furnish the pretext, particularly to savage and bar
Darons enemy. An attompton the capital by an enc
my might he successful without any great military
ehort on his part /; while ours, we might sustain
an immense loss of public and private property, in
Guiding our public records we might lose reputation
abroad, and seli-confdcnce at home our government
might lie dIsorganlzed, and our efforts paralized mt
a''ne wnen 'hey were most required Add TO these
considerations the effects which local partialitics, in
'Ime, may produce OIL the allegiance Of our fclluw
ctzeps ~ remote sections of the state and how far
hey may he made subservient 10 certain projects OF
ambition, winch your mcmoriasts sincerely wish
were not within the range Of probable events No
doubt pride is felt by many ~ seeing the metropolis
large and ourlsing city, containing an enieiitcn-
ed population, of highly polished manners but your
memoraliSts are not prepared say, that these cir
cumsiances will at all contribute to the wisdom or
dispatch OF public measures or that they will con
tribute more to the perpeluy Ola republics tllan fru-
sally, economy, aud simplicity of manners
our memorlalists therefore pray tliat your homo
rahe body will take this subject into serious conside-
ration, and adopt such measures as you may deem
right and proper and they, as IN duty bound SC