The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-06-05

wife the attention of the General Assembly,
TO the expediency of revising tie Constltu
ton Of the State, By a regularly delegated
O0npen;ion.
We are web aware, that q majority of
the ee immunity, hath an indnbitable, uua
| Iienable, aud indefeasible right To reform
alter, or abolished" their form Of GOVERN
meTlt, "in such manner as shall be Judged
most conducive tO the public veal This
appeal 10 the General Assembly, Is dleta
ted solely by that respect which we feel for
| the constituted authorities Of our country.
II proceeds not from any doubt ollre right
Of the yeopie, IN their sovereign capacity,
| rs hentyer their viii can be fairly ascer
tanned. to'call aiOnvenion, Wtihout The
iaterpoSitton ofthe Legislature. We will
ever contend for the principle, Chat " IA
majority OF The community al0ne, have the
right to call a Convention. But 1--WE believe,
that an appeal to the General Assembly, to
pass such laws as may be expedient to pro
mote the views aud wishes of the people
upon this subject, is the most regular
most spectiul-and probably the most
expeditions mode ofaccompshlnS our Oh
jet.
Your inemorialsts deem ii unnecessary
tn enter into a detailed exposition OF what
they conceive to be defects in the Consti
tuition Of the State They will, therefore,
coufne their observations 10 such points a s
in their opinion, are most deserving of
consideration.
However fair The representation Of the
people of this Commonwealth in the House
Of Delegates, may formerly have been, it
cannot be- denied, thai the present lnequa
Ety is so great as to require new ap
porionment, Il the attainment ofjHstce and
quail rights be at all desirable And even
were the representation at this moment
fair and equal, we believe periodical ap
portlonmrut, upen Just principles, would
be desirable amendment. The trainers
eftne Federal Constitution, well aware Of
the fluctuations in population, which must
necessarily he expected in the process eff
Time, have wisely guarded against the con-
sequences Of such fluctuations.
Your mrmoriaiists believe that a similar
provision in the Constitution of Virginia,
would be attended with the same advanta.
gcs. If Etn and Just representation be
desirable, we can see no reason Why the
Counties Of Warwick, Tyler, aud Nicho
las, continuing an aggregate population
according to the last cpnsus) of 5788 souls,
and paying taxes amounting in all To Sl532,
should have an equal weight in the House
of Delegates, with the Counties of Lou
doun, Frederick, and tapquier, which con
tain, according tn the same census, oil
souls, and pay taxes 70 the amount of S27,-
81 and 95 cents.
Your memorialists cannot suppose that
the representatives of districts would not
be as faithful to their Constituents as The
representatives of counties. We believe
That our Delegates in Congress who repre-
sent very large Districts have been, and
ever will re as attentive IN the iocot intr-
rests of Their Constituents, as the lcpre
srntatiycs OF Counties IN the State Legs
I1tura. It is the pride, aud indeed the
foundamcctal principle of Republican 60
vernmcnt, thai the viii of the majority
should govern. But the present system of
allowing two Delegates to each county
Whatever be It's population, is calculated TO
PROSTATE thiscardnal principle, &. to subject
the M iority to the will ofthe minority. This
evil is destined to increase with the pro,
gress tf time It might result from Tire
,he os S,, han,a p",o ,'". a az" % o %
trJ ths fay ;nhab;tarts ra . : y, nr r !, wv.
dns,,tnd ..ciinn vn,'IJ nat,n r. :" wv
nol,,e ,a it "m ,l n 1,p 'o n a",,,
i,',' - a '.'0'' 'oGa p"p"t
a "9o"I '"a'p, ~
lard - ,,''' =, , 10; oI,' 'ae ,a''.
tbe Inris,.,a ana ba ,"1a ,hd o1;t ~
c.I a.isbt af ,,a ,,,.st 'a '"o p",,.'
~ IN the Observation-Disclosures M p',, "d ;n Sna
'; - ann ,,aaa'.t a,..na H., 1 us .
serve when Ne too NAV ~ sr,a,,,e . ay'
49,. - .,.,,' , , ~ -
have &c Wv. e, ,o or rY, ,nny1s .a. y,
L,.r thi. .,ta 81 tI;ara = ,,rao;anI., H.,
0'''' VI '',o'' % r 'N''0'J nv