Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-30

Western county, with population OF less than
y 1900 Souls, would have one delegate; Wash.
ingtoh, with near 10000. would have. sir
Chesterfield, with above 10000 would have
nine; Cupeper, with above 10000, would
have ten; Loud"un, Fausuier & Norfolk, will,
above $4,000 each, would each have eiepen
anu Frederick, with above $4,000, would have
ldneire. IL is NEEDLESS to proceed farther
Fms scheme of equalzing the representation
OF The counties, is obviously impracticable, since
u would increase the house Of delegates, 10 q
number out ofaii reason. And if Rarpick, the
smallest Eastern county, having a population
Oh only 1903, should be taken as the basis of
toe apportionmeDt, the inconvenience would
be vet more aggravated.
IT, to surmount this difficulty, it should be
concluded 10 condense counties of small ppp-
uiauon Into one large and equal county , it
neeu not be asked, whether the small counties
IN the East co,itd endure such privation of
dear and vested right, so long enjoyeds il
must be enQuired, whether the Western
counties, OF large territorial extent and small
population, could endure it These counties
niusf be subdivided, ifthe benefit of civil go
vernment is TO be extended to them: il were
cruel inequItabie, and insnpportabe, to place
and leave men an hundred miles from the seat
oil justice. Our fellow citizens of the West
complain that the Legislature has not been
as prompt to divide their counties, as il should
nave been; those of the East think, that il
mas been unreasonably indulgent in this res
PecI' Impartial men will think the Legislature
has pursued the just mean.
Ii the other principle should he adopted. of
laying off the commonwealth into districts
oil equal population, for the election Of dele
gales 10 the assembly, upon the principle of
,he congressional representation; let us see,
how house of delegates so constituted
woulo cOmport with The feelings OF the people,
or answer the purposes of local legislation pc
cullarly the province of the state government.
rms scheme, too, would involve that harsh.
est OF all operatIons-the tearing away of vest
eel rights long enjoyed, and considered by the
people as their imprescripthe birthrght. -
But LET us for a moment consider the people
every where so enamourrd of political Justice,
or arihisetical proportion, as 10 forpro every
other consideration, aud To Danish every fec,
inS natural to the unsophisticated heart of
man.
lhs population of Virginia Is somewhat, more than
m'it1on Lei the house OF delegates consist Of one
hundred mcn,hers, (Which seems now 10 he consider
ed as the golden number j thai is one for every fen
ttoasdnd and Then, (for example the three conn
ties oil Nicholas, Pendieion anu Randolph, CONAN
ing an aggregate population or lii,. more tan f,1
th"usdnd souls, yet comprising u y,st ex,en, oI ,e,r
Tory, would oin, one district l. il conceivable ht
any one man chosen from such district, would he n
/ In fnr nurp
| OF state legislation That he could r,nrs.nn, L.;
'oca' interests, their peculiar feelings, wants wish
6 ;,, "se people would, or ought TO he salts
neu WIN such a representation
IN the state representations il is essential that ,rr,
snou'u ne close aud intimate come xion betwarn
the representative and his Constituents, Wboever
nas, u'a' Tue existing principle OF congressional
representation, can he applied to the reuresenatru
oil the people OF Virginia in he state ler,s,a,r. G
ge.s The essential difference between The nature and
oylos VI lne TWO governments Congress is charged
rel nj F.- H. =
the nation IN respect which large h,asses oGnon
ulation and territory have the same intcres, anJ ne
nsIaiy ,he same sentiments the stare eolcrnmeni is
Charged with the domestic, Internal lnca roncar.s
OF the people The federal convenf;on L.J IN &C.,
rhe government from its very foundation. had il
ioand the representation selIIed and vested il had
never disturbed il. ~
II has been already remarked that the re,ro,.,,
non oi The Western connIIc>, compared even viii
maj OF the Easern rs excessive. The W,ster, conn,
d. present atoni o"e:fonrth ofihe represent
'S"oh I'D me house OF delegates. Cumparine the non
a''"n OF these counties (about i45 5G with lia Of
.n ' whoie commonwealth (ahout $50 OCO) il is
a,', VIA, no pan can he devised fnr equaiizims The
representation, which will not reduce their ,ro,r
'ion 10 something less than setenfh He who h;nL
mal iie people of those cuuu'ies ougLt IN conso, ~
as OF 'he'r weight IN the Legislature
n"s no eho~-ieeling Tor them he who thinks thai
hey ever tniH, counIs the hear of man far no,In
10 nus political speculaiiOns. This scheme of enuai; |
i M"'cn ~o"'u woik snct consequences, could |
onn I've imposed upon them by force -
There is, indeed, one principle on which ,I,. .. |
tern people might consent TO such eo,,;y ,,;on '.'
on WHICH they would lose hone Of their relative |
strength W the Legislature. IT, is apnorto,;ng ,ho
representation, the Stare population so incons;3era
ME IN The Hesern countess SO LARGE in The 1j;iIi
anu E'stsrn shall be wholly .sregarded the western
conniies viii perhaps as eagerly .mbrac. a. L.
Middle aud isteIn will sIrenuousIy ,esst hi. iIss
sung OF equality. Aud let the airenpt h, made ,vhsn
u will, thus question, (Which seems IN lis ,Lo 800 |
found our peace. P ~ 'o"-
In the apprehension OF this meeting the very moi.
tauon OF Tins subject is Calculated t., do rreai ma
che u rs searching blast, which will End eye,y
I'm par, OF me oouy poliiIc. And we inplore
,hose, VINO are prosecuting this design, 10 bc,.,re
'es', wbie they mean OHly euut ,bie arrange,,n;
OF me representation, they he no, s,riki,g :, ,i
cIow al the integrity OF the commonwealth For we
ee' TIE most painful conviction, thai tLe ac,I an
tempt 10 execute the design, will arr NV in d,r.., ~,
pos'IonJ all the conflicting Interests Of Tho s,a,n
growing out oi natural diversiirrs in the face of the
py, anu OUT oi the moral diversiues Of our pnp-
u"'on' anu wake into action, all the latent causes
OF ciuI contention, which good men should ,y,sh |
anu WISE men should labor, by all means, TO alay
luz Convention Of ZIG, ~ leaving the Representa-. |
uoa oil unequal Counties equal, as j, G,nnJ 4, 60
uouoiess determined 10y regard ia tIe auc;e,, co.,
e9 order OF things, and prudent care moi 10 carr
reformation, even w the hour Of revolution beyoud
wa: necessay 1he immediate Consequences
lnsihcd us wisdom and the remote (which n, obnIv
1t ia MOI foresee) have, ia a wonderful manner mo-
Veu W. Cohonc' 70 nave been happy. The excess OF |
.rP's''s''on w the Eastern counties, has enabled
Tue Legislature To make those divisions and subJiv
Sous oil the WeSsrH territory so ner.ss,r. o., 49,.
Just satisfaction 10 The Ginzens Of it, go
The convenient administration of Justice and uol;cr
,;Is, "Im, 80 NECESSARY 10 give them mere
nominal, Dni substantial, resenralion of their
interests, without fear danger Of givnp lion, nm
unuue preponderanne The excess of ihe represent.
uon oi We UeSt, IS co"hterbalanced by thar of The
East All has turned out well aud iappily and eve,%
plan OF reform, that has been sugpested AR r,n L
culties. '''u' u'"-
(Ta i,o