Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-05-04

functions, which fall under the head of Police !:
and to whom could they SO properly be Goa
fided, MS to the justices Of the peace ? They
impose ie,ies for County purposes of which,
when imposed, the Justices bear their equal
proportion :'and who so likely to be Gconom-
Ical, as those who share the particular bur
| then?
The justices Of the county courts are eIixi-
bic 10 the Legislature. Aud il they shall
net be continued SD if, in tho work ofrefutma-
tton, the paths of honor be shut to them it is
easy TO see, how many, who now hold the
commission ofthe peace, will decline that SER
vice, To which only small eventual reward
1.-THE profits OF the shrivalty IN roation) is an
nexed, and vhicl can bestow nothing of what
the world calls or csteems rcnown. The con-
sequences will be, that the county courts " in
be degraded; and then it will soon be found
wise to abolish them altogether.
| The county court system is the Oldest insti-
tuition in Virginia. The experience Of two
centuries has gradually Improved aud adapt
ed IT. to the genius, the wants and condition
| oil the people. These courts transact almost
all the ordinary business ofthe country. II is
the cheapest system of justice ever devised :;
and those, who are best acquainted with them,
bear testimony to the general justice and reg
u!aIity of their proceedings But il is the
spotiess purity, tie easy, uupretcnding, uncon
scious dignity, aud (above ALL the impress of
parental and neighhoury kindness, seen and
felt in the administration of all their powers,
that cndcar these tribunals to the people, aud
command universal respect.
This meeting is persuaded, moreover. that
every attentive observer Of practical politics,
must have perceived i'm this system another
principle of the highest utility, not perhaps
attalnable, il a country like Virginia, i'm any
other conceivable method. These courts
have the effect of assembling the people
monthly, and of disseminating all kinds of
information among them. The value of The
institution, IN general political point Of view,
is incacuable.
Sid. The objection to the want of provis-
ION IL the existing constitution, for the remo-
val OF snpcrannuated Judges, is, ESQ far as this
meeting is informed now raised for the first
time in this commonwealth.
This meeting distrusts Ill mere ~ Mco,ufical
reasonings and schemeAin politics: nor does
it know any thing like experience, to which it
can have recourse: as guide for It's opinion on
this point, except the example of the state Of
New York. And looking to her example, it is
,;rlously apprehended, that the principle a
dopted in that state, does there, and would
every wher ,oltener remove matured wisdom
from ths bench, than inibccie dotage. In N.
York, (it is believed, il has removed no Judge,
who was not as well or better fitted for the
Judicial station, when elected, than when first
"PPoh'iVd. u has icuuNtu, dulOUS OtHPTS, u
LANSING, SPENCER, and u KeNT. If it had
prevailed in England, MANSFIELD would have
been removed as early as 1766, who continu-
ed to preside for more than twenty years af-
terW ards, an honor 10 the bench, and to human
nature. lit had prevailed in Virginia, it
would have removed WYTHE and PENDLEToN
about 17e6, and it would have anticipated the
hand of death, in removing RoANE.
VIrg ina has hitherto done WELL without any
such nrinCIna and fhn nnlu # nc
} application that we are acquainted with, has
not been attended with any such good conse-
quences, as inspire the desire of imitation.
Ill. To the constitution Of the Legislature,
this meeting has heard four objections, two of
them vital, the others of no very material i'm
portaace 1. The inequality ofthe representa-
ton of the counties g. The freehold quaIiiica-
ton of suffrage: 8. The number of the house
3 of delegates: 4 The union Of executive and
, judicial powers with the Legislative.
J. 1st. The objection TO the inequality in the
representation Of the counties, is ject So
, large, that this meeting must content itself
: with selecting and presenting such views as
appear hitherto to have escaped general atten-
ton.
{ 1.-THE wisdom of political institutions ought
+ to be tested by the rules OF arithmetic instead
Y OF political expediency, BY the theories OF
philosophers instead of practical results oil
good or evil ii the Law-g yer could conquer
the oastlnacy of circumstances, bend them to
y his will, and square them with his purposes
c this objection might be admitted TO be unan-
D swerable. But no future convention, any
more than the convention Of 1776, can Ieve
the mountains ofthe West, or drain the marsh
es or lertillze the sands of the East the
I statesman cannot distribute tho free pupula-
: ton of the state, equally over every part Oh
: our territory, or make every portion of terri
tory equally capable of sustaining the same
e population ; he cannot distribute even the sldpt
5 population, equally among the different por
: tons of the country (; he cannot annihatc al
n conflicts of interest, arising from natural OF
: moral causes, between different portions of III,
: people ; he cannot safely take away rights
e vested and long enjoyed. He must take thing,
: as he finds them, and do the best he can.
n There are three great divisions of Virginia
: which are not to be obliterated the Eastern
: the Middle, and The Western cOuHiies.
: Iicenty- eigM counties M The E0Sitrn par
: ofthe state, and the two towns Of Norfolk and
:, Williamsburg, with an aggregate population
} of S42,677 souls, send .ffy-eight delegates &c
r the Assembly. Itcc,Ry fue counties west %
y the Allegheny, with population Of rs, 7Sg
: souls, send fifty Delegates. The aggregate
r population of the i,oeafy eight Edsiern and
u twenty-five Western counties, is 1873, 4lG souls
> and their aggregate representation one hundred
and eight delegates. The Middle counties snC
e the towns Of Richmond and Petersburg, will
J, an aggregate population of CSC, 739 souls sent
e ninety-Sir delegates.
It 1t is obvious at The Frat glance, that the ex
: cess Misrepresentation is in favor Of the Easter
}. and Western counties; and that comparing the
e representation Of tie Eastern with that Of thu
W. eff cnupfips tho 10 ~ Of n.