Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-04
FOR THE ESeulRER,
= No. III.
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.

Urrat Britain, nor call our own the palladium
Of liberty. tn. Parliament Of Great B.itain
IS omnipotenf, SO is the Legislature Of Vir-
ginia. The British Constitution il nothing
more than grants from the kings tn the peo-
pie, and fewsacis Of Parliament. The insIi-
tuiion Of the trial by jury, in the reign of Hem
~ sd-the Charta de Foresta, and. Magma
Charta, forced from king john, by his Barons
the representation of the people in Parlia-
nenf, effected in the reign Of Henry the Sd,
by the power of Leicesttr-the ratification
at law passed in tho reign Of Edward LIST,
declaring that no tax shall be levied without
tl,s consent of Lords and COmmons.-T
Petition of Rights signed by Charles ist, aud
two acts in the reign of Charles eI, granting
writs Ut Habess Corpus, and abolishiug f-o-
ual tenures. These acts. though passed by
the ordinary Legislature Of Grrat Britain, have
baen respected by subsequent parIiaments.-
The Constitution Of Virginia, improperly SO
.called,was formed by the ordinary Legislature
OF Virginia but subsequent Legislatures,
though acknowledging the constitutions, as the
paramount law Of the land, restrained by
any constitutional check ina sc not hesitaied to
violate II, whenever il suited their conve-
n.enre. A constitution pre-suPposes the want
of all government. Ii is the creator Of go
vernment, and The people, previous 10 the
formation Of the constitution, must be sup
~ ~ 80 SUR VI Hdtu'iy rs IcSprCtS
equal rights and liberty. Then. by what au-
thority, could The freehoIders, as they were
pleased To cal, themselves when there was no
ia's, declaring what was freehold, take up
on themselves TO exclude the great majority
OF the people, and elect representatives TO
form cons.itu,ion-fOr the government of
themselves and of these very people, whom
they had excluded from all participation ia the
formation of the constitution
DILL OF RiGHTS.l
Sec 5. "That the Legislative s. Executive
Powers of the state, should be separate and
distinct from the Judiciary"
-(CONSTITUTION OF vIRGINIA.l
Sfc 5. 1.-The Legislative, Executive s. Judi
ciary Departments, shall be separate and dis
tinct, so that neither exercise the powers pro-
perry DeIonsing 10 the other: nor snail apy
person exercise the powers Uf more than one
OF them al the same time, except that the
Justices at the county courts shall be- eligible
10 either House of AssembIy."--'rhe con
veniion declares, that the Legislative, Execu-
tive and Judiciary Departments shall be srpa-
rate and distinct but nevertheless takes care
To blend them.
DILL OF RIGHTSl
Dec. .. "'fhat the election Of members ia
serve as representatives, of The people in AS 4
sembly ought 10 be free aud that an men
having sufficient evidence of pei aIanent com
mon Interest with, aud attachment TO the
community, have the right of suffrage, aud
cannot lie taxed, or deprived OF their proper
~ Tor pnbiic uses, without their own consent,
or Thai OF their representatives so Ell, a;ed, nor
bound 10y any law, 10 which they have not, in
IKE manner assenied, for the public good"
CONSTITUTION OF VfRGINIAa
Sec. 7. THAT the right of suffrage in the
election OF members of both houses, shall re
main as exercised at prescnt".-Let are ask
what did tiSr non frceholdrrs gain yrhe re-
voluiIon Bforethe revouiiop,i hey had gen
orally the tight of suffrage after the reyolu-
Ton, they are drnipd The right IF sufTisge.-
They are taxed without their consent, one of
The very causes assigned by the convention
Tor declaring Virginia independent of Great
Britain.
BILL OF RIGHTS.
Sec. 10. That no free government, or the
blessings Of liberty, can be preserved 10 NV
people, but by firm adherence To Justice.
moderation, temperance, frugality aud vrtne.
and by frequent recurrence 10 fundamental
principles" The people are fully convinced
Of the necessity at This time, of u recurrence
10 idnddm'nta principles, as recommended by
tins ection Of tie Bill Of Rights. The al
tempt now making 10 alarm the people b,
peisuading them, that they have not the yr.
tue, or intelligence 10 he trusted with the
nendDent OF the constitution, must terminate
IN me dlsgracc of The demagc CUES, who fear
tu leopard Zr their own political Standing, b,
an appeal 10 the people, Is it not ridiculous
III tlie extreme, to tell the people of Virgins.
thh' II Is dangerous to trust them with thej,
own liberties Is ii so soon forgotten. tha,
Their virtue sDd intelligence bore them vicio
Iious through tine var Of the revolution. and OBJ
sained Tor them, the blessings of free gnxe,n.
ment Z Liberty has she'd liz light of science
on ms happy land, for near half century !
but suddeoly, Our political hemisphere Is o.
sershadowed by clouds Of dcpraviiy and *
n"raOce. We are no longer sufficiently en-
lightened 10 govern ourselves, and mu, sab
NIT our necks TO The yoke of the Lycurgus'.
OF our day, who feel So seusibly for the ppo.
pie, that they are unwilling 10 trust them with
The exercise OF their mental facuItirs, lest per-
CHARGE, they might make some political blum
der, fatal to. their liberties. Having contrasteh
The Constitution with The Bill Of Rights. and
painted out some few Of the many infracions
OF that Instrument, by the Legislature, will
now examine the constitution Itself yisW-
cd by game enthusiasts as The immaculate
work Of The sages of The resolution. By lhs Sd
secii0n OF The constitution, the Justices of
the county couris,sr eligible to either house
OF The Assembly; union Of the judicial and Ie-
gIslaiive departments, which has been long de
precsfed by oil writers on government, ADD de.
monstraied by practice, to be dangerous TO
the liberties of tho people.
ny Sec. D. Constitution OF Virginia, the
House OF Delegates consists Of two represen-
fs''Ses fro zach county, one delegate from
the city Of Williamsburg. and one from the
Borough Of Norfolk. INSTRUMENTATION and di
rect taxes should, in Justice. be apoor;ioned :;
So al least. Thought the sao., s,.s 'Cor,,cd a.,