Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-06-01
CONVENTION.

| sinia:
The memorial of the undersingcd, inha5i-
tauts oi the County of Shenandoah, respectfully
calls the attention of your Honorable Body, 10
the subject herein mentioned.
| When Il people have long acquiesced under
Constitution, or form of government wherein
| the outlines have been deuominated republican,
and the practical administration of which, has
not heretofore been opposed by open force it
might be implied that prudence and their own
welfare would ask 10 change. But, custom
and a kind of reycrcntial feeling for the work of
virtuous and intelligent ancestors, have i'm the
opinion of your meinorialists, been the principal
! reasons why the voice of the people has not been
more loud and frequent on the subject Of n re-
| form OF grievances uuder which they have long
| laboured. Your Incmorialists state that the
present Constitution of Virginia was formed at
an epoch when the science of self government
was not SO well understood, as at present, and
when the nation was about to put on the armour
of war against the mother country. In such
a crisis, and with no experimental knowledge of
the blessings of free government, it could not
be expected, that orr ancestors would ordain
and establish Constitution which should
secure to their pc terity equal rights and privi-
leges, and provide for their numerous and
diversified Interests in perpctuity. Your
memoriilists, in common with their fellow -citi-
zens, willing to bcstow, on the trainers of
the Constitution, all due praise for their undaun-
ted courage, grea, wisdom, and sterling virtue;
but they cannot believe that they were perfect,
nor that form Of government, when once es-
tablished, IS not to be changed, when the evils
growing out OF it, are in the opinion of your me-
morialists, rcpugnant to their natural and poiti-
cal rights.
These evils your memorialists conceive TO
exist, T. ist, in the great inequality of the repre-
sentation in the House of Delegates. Your
nemorialists nLabit county, which, accord
ing TO the last census, contains the largest white
population in the state, but which under existing
provisions ofthe Constitution, has no more politi-
cal influence than the smallest county. This
glaring defect in the Constitution, admits of no
adequate remedy by the ordinary legislature,
and therefore calls aloud for reform. In the
second place, the Senate Of the State is too
small in proportion 10 the number composing
the House of Delegates. That twcnty-four
men should be considered competent to check
and controul the acts Of Two hundred and twelve
or fourteen others appears TO your mcmoIasts
an anomaly in leg station, especially as the Sena-
| tors are elected in the same manner as the Dele
gates and the only actual difference between
them Is, that tho former are elected for lon
ger term ofservicc than the latter. This dis
proportion, without an alteration in the Con-
stitution, will continue to increase as the
number ct the Senate is fixed at twenty
four members, whereas tic number of the
House of Delegates is inaetcrminate, and
increases with the formation of new counties
A H,ird defect in the practical administration
OF the government, arises from too large re-
presentation in the Lower House. That BODY is
now composed OF two numbered and twelve or
1eurtcen members, each of whom receives pe,.
dsem compensation of four dollars; added to
which the other expenses of their sessions are
considerable. reduction of this important
item in the civil expenditure of the government,
lii times like the present, when the pccuniary
wants OF the people never were greater, would
certainly be desirable object. A dininution
OF the representation in that branch of the 20
vernmcnt, would produce corresponding dimi-
mutton IN the revenue of the State, and YOUR me-
| rnorialists are convinced, that the business of
Legislation would also be transacted, with equal
If not superior wisdom and dispatch. A fourth
defect in the Constitution of the State is, that
the Senate have not the power to originate bills
from winch circumstance, that body for the first
two or three weeks of the session is unemploy-
9d, and compelled to wait until bills have been
prepared by the House ofDelcgates. WHY the
negation OF this power to the Senate, should have
been made by the trainers of the Constitution
your memorlallsts are at loss to know. In
Withholding the power from that body, to origin
ate, or amend any money bill, your IncmoriaIists
can readily perceive the motives by which they
were actuatcd, and your mcnorialists do not con-
denim them but in all other cases, your memo
rlaliss are ofopiuion, that the principle is wrong
and only calculated to produce an Improbable
consumption of the time of the members of
the Senate, and thereby retard unnecessarily
the business Of Legislation. A fifth defect
lii the Constitution of the State, is in the
Executive department. The Governor has no
voice IN the formation of the laws, and what
appears still more strange to YOUR memo
rlalists, IS, that he can do nothing without the
advice and consent of the Council of State
He Is therefore mere cypher The powers OF
TINS oiiicer, should, in the opinion of your memo
riaiists, be increased, and those of the Council
abolished. If the Governor, in the opinion of \
convention, required a Council of State. il
| might your meHoralists presume, be composed
| OF inc Attorney General, and other necessary
officers OF the government, or in some other mode
less Objectionable than the present. The s;rta
and last defect which your memorialists beo
leave to call the attention of the Legislature OF
inc state, relates to the limited exercise ot
me right OF suffrage. Your memoriaists are
aware that this subject has hitherto been d;scue
scd In every variety of form in newspaper es-
says, pamphlets and orations, and that the pub-
lie mind IS considerably divided in relation TO il
but your memorlalists, Notwithstanding. cannot
torbcar the expression Of their opinion that This
right might safely be extended to a meritorious
class OF Citizens to whom it is now denied.
For these and other reasons, which vour me-
rnorlaiists deemed it unnecessary TO s,Irrest as
the better wisdom of your honorable BODY will
readily supply them; they ask of your honorable
bohy, to devise plan during your present sess,-
on oy winch the sense of the people of this ON
rnonWeaIth, may be taken in the course of the
ensuing spring, on the propriety ofcallno Con
vention, and lift shall be acertained. that tbcrc
IS majority of votes IN favour of such measure
that the Governor of this Commonwealth bc re'