Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-08

| mockery has been practised in Virginia and
within The positive knowledge OF her egisla-
| ture, ever since her independence, the very
| essence of which too, makes them an accom-
pieces in the shame, and therefore they have
never felt 1t their interest, with any efficacy or
| spirit 10 call FOR reform. Ifso great sin of
| omission can be charged home upon them
with such irresistible certainty, how many sins
oil commission might not be laid at their feet,
In enactiDS bad laws, perpexing their phra-
seoloSy, obstructiDg the channels Of Justice,
misapplying iabour and treasure, and multi
plying Offices, TO rob the people oFtlpir hard
earned profits. If these men came directly
from the fair majority of the people, we should
have fewer public grievances, or we should be
better contented with them knowing they enc
nanate from our own act. | say, volumes eau
not point out more clearly why the people i'm
their sovereign capacity should vote by ballot
than do those two lines of the Pennsyl, ania
Constitution: for, are we not told in the same
breath that persons in their representative
capacity shall vote liUa roce 2" and why this
discrimination most assuredIy because the
people owe responsibility To no one how they
vote, therefore they have as much right to
cherish this secret in their owR breasts, as the
secret thoughts of their religion or their do
| mestic affections. Quite the reverse, is the
case of the representative he is responsible
To his constituents for every act he performs
in that capacity, and this responsibility would
be mere dead letter, brutum fitlmen if he
We're not required TO proclaim his vote To the
world. But how is il with Virginia, again, in
| this branch of the proposition After requiring
the people TO he brow beaten under a VIVA
voCE vote, the representatives vote BY l. Hot in
all their elections of other officers Of govern
meDt thus reversing the natural order of indie
pendcsce and responsibility ! If this he not an
| HriStocrdcy there is no use far the term. Yes.
/ 4 nT hp al int =,
has all the specious externals of a representa-
! tive form of government, to deceive the I'M
Outstanding of the people while lis admins
tration Is as exclusively for the benefit of the
minority as they dare practise, without en-
ldangeilng the destruction of the mask that
cOnceals the inward deformity These, fell
| luw-cliiZens are few otthe abuses orsuffiace
At home, which gentlemen have been willing
To pass over 10 silence, while they have en-
deavoured 10 dccoy your attention away In
imaginary abuses elsewhere. I vii! now shu,y
you that they can be remrdpe and VIII take
the Pennsylvania method for the perfect
model.
In the FIRST place the Constitution of Penn
syiranla declares as follows:
| ART III. Sec. l. In elections Law Tho c;,;,a,,-
every freeman OF the age of fwsniy-one years hav-
| ng resided IN The wears next bpI;re be o.
lection, and within that time paid a stale or county
TAX, winch shall have been asSesscd az least sax
months before the election, shall enjoy the rphIs ol
an elrcOr Provided, hat the sons of nersons
qualified as aforesaid, between The arcs nj ,vcnt,
one and twenty Two years shalt bc eniifucd TO yotc
| although they shall uoi have paid taxes
SIC All elections shall be by ballot. cxcep,
who shalt vote rirG roce
Sec. g. Electors shall in all cases excep, treason
eIo"y aud breach of scFe} Of The peace be rrivi-
h%h'i itom arrest during their attendance on ,cc.
'Ions, and ~ gong To and ming IL ON them,
Sect. 5 Elections shall he free aud ro,,I.
The principal details OF the aw ON this sub
cct are as follows:
A a.o OF 18Th Feb. 1893. d alas p. 33e. 5 Bio.on
Sect. !. The general elections within This com.
monwe"h, shall be held and conducted by Judges
inspectors and clerks, 10 be chosen and ,,,,,i7I
| as ~ hereinafter directed, &c.
Sect The inspectors OF The general tectinn sIal
ne chosen by ballot, on The Saturday ncN preceding
tue MS tuesday III October in each and y.,v o.,
nj such place IN each town, TO yynship ward -, ~
ric rs The ci'izens have generally net Al for tla
purpose; public noce OF which shalibe g,e nv tI,e
constable or consiahles, Ivy six or more wtilIen n,
printed advertisements, aaixcd ~ many OF Inc
most noted a"d public places therein. y; Icasf onf
week before the said day and the erciiua Shall he
opened Ivy the said coHstdbes 60 he assis.e 10,
| qualified citizens, &c. "
Sec 3. The courts Of common pleas fn, tl,e sevc-
| raj aud respective counties in Ibis comp,.,, i,,
sh" IL heir Tern held next before the third AinnI
IN September, in each aud every wear, spuuin, f,n'
JUSTICES OF tie peace or other qualified cilizens tesi
ing 10 each eiccinn district, as agents whose i,y
shdil us 10 attend AT the place appointed Tor hodin,
tie election for the district or county for which, ti
are appointed al nine O'Clock in The forenoon of H.
Gay ni election, TO receive from the several cons,.
nes the returns OF tie persons chosen insDsri,rs =,
| swear or affirm the said Inspectors iuJscs of cir
TONS, aud clerks, aud 30 read or cause to lao r.,t
me hrsi, ht', seventh, and ninth sections of dis ,
ana SUCH nlher parts thereof ms IN their Js.ent NJ,
necessary for the information of ,tf ij,as ;,,c,
tors, aud clerks, previ1us TO the otier,g ,,a 80;
election and shall also deliver To the sid ;,s,,
tors me list OF thNables, and blank furms or rc,r,
winch shall nave been delivered TO them mr. e;,,o,
OF them by the county commissioners asreeably 70
| he directions of this act &c ' "
| Seer. Tho inSpscfors chosen sc .r,.es.:t u (,
meet at nine O'clock IN the roI enoon of ,ls = -, az
eiSction, at the places respectively arpuin,ed ~,
hOiuIng The same for the district or ccinv I'm ,L;c
tney belong, aud fhey oi maj1ruy If fleu, si,,,
ana take ~ Their assistance, fpi the CITY al
| tHli"de'PiiH; sever nrd for any ot,e, J,s,fio, 49,,
less ilian three, more than five res,scIaIis 90;
Zens, quHlhed to vote, who shall ie inJoes oC ,h,
erection ~ the sad riy districts res1eryclv AMI
ne Judges ADD inspectors shall he forthwith sworn n,
'iNImed ny one OF the SAID agents aud shall aunnni
| Such AMI so many clerks OF election as tIex sb,u
"een necessary, who shall in like manner he s,yor,
or affirmed agreeably the directions of tbis ~,
| &c. " ''''' act
Sect 6. the commissioners or the several counties
"IhIp ihlS state, shall at least three DAYS Le(rc tlc
second Tuesday in October in every vear ,cI,,or -,
cause 10 be delivered, 10 uf the ae-Ets ANIMATE,
ior 'ne proper county district Tie case may he
separate alphabetical LEI Of the nnn,es aud sur
names OF all the male taxable persons of each va,d
! noToughj aud township uhliuting within the same
w"u nave beeo assrssed for or county lax a
] ledsl SIX months before fiat day and aso a s,G
csni number OF blank forus aud returns mode an, -
proper mapner, aud headed As the nature pf III,
election may require, which lists forBs and rsf,,rD,
Sl"ll be delivered aforesaid, under Tie penaltv nj
neglect thereof, &c '1
Ssci. g. ln receiving The ticket Iballo,s1 finn, ia,
electors at the place OF election the unubs, ar ;,s.