Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-07-02

representation has been equalized and
apportioned according to the wishes of
the most jealous reformers, by ma
jority Of two votes, representing about
10000 free white citizens. Here is e.
violence enough on which side the ma.
iority lies. But this is not all: for |
believe there were other senator's, and
know there was one (for be declared
it publicly in debate,) who voted for
the bill to submit the question to the
people, and who would not have voted
10 call convention.
In the third place, I would gladly be
informed, how the meeting at Stanton
is to make manifest the fact, that it is
not small minority but decided ma.
jority of the people, who now call for
the reform. Considering the plan on
which that convention is proposed to
be constituted, see nothing which is
to prevent any thirty, twenty or half a
dozen persons, in any county in the
commonwealth, from appointing Just
as many delegates as they please. And,
in point Of fact, as the business has ge.
nerally been conducted, it is wonderful
how few persons have taken any part
in these anomalous delegations; the
friends of the constitution can take no
part. / admit, that the sense Of the
people of Loudoun, Shenandoah, and
some tel or twelve other counties, has
been, in one way or other, pretty well
ascertained; do not include Fairfax in
the number, for if my information be
correct, the sense Of that county has
not been fairly ascertained. In Lou
doun, learn, the delegates were noni-
mated to the people, not chosen by them;
and Mr.. Chiffon demonstrated against
it at the time. Even in Frederick,
where the proceedings have been con-
Quoted with as much attention to de-
cency, fairness and dignity, as the case
admitted of, the delegates, see, are
nominated to the people. In Fairfax,
they are said to have been nominated
for the people, after the greater part Of
them had dispersed. There has been
no where any thing like election. Now,
waving the obvious consideration, that
even those who acquiesce in nomina-
tons thus made, only express gene
raj opinion that there ought to be some
reform, without intimating ,ohat re-
form they desire; how is such delega-
ton to make manifest the fact, that a
majority of the people call for reform'
cannot conceive any method but enc:
to require every member Of the con-
vention, as preliminary to all pro-
ceedings, to state, on his honor, how
many persons were present and concur
red in the act Of delegation. And, as
both Mr.. Mercer and the Friend Of equal
rights declare, that the object Of the
proposed convention at Stanton, is to
elicit an expression of the real opinion
Of the people, and thereby to convince
the Legislature that there is large ma
iority in favor of reform, hold them
bound to adopt some method like that
I have suggested, to show the real
number Of constituents represented in
that convention.
The last observation l have 10 make
on this part Of the subject, is, that al
though the inequality OF the represen-
tation is the chief ground Of objection
to the legislature on account Of its pre-
sent constitution, yet, in this instance,
the complaint is levelled, not against
the House Of Delegates, where the repre-
sentation is unequal, but against the
Senate where it is equal. If it were
true, that majority Of the people were
in favor of reform; and if it were true
Gas Mr.. Mercer says) that the House OF
Delegates has twice in ten years admit
ted, and the Senate denied, that the
constitution is defective; and true also
las Mr.. Henderson supposes) that the
House of Delegates voted for a conven-
ton at the last session, and the Senate
rejected the bill; we should then have
the striking commentary on all these
theoretical objections concerning the
inequality of the representation, that
the House of Delegates, where the re-
presentation is unequal, is yet comPe-
tent TO represent the sense OF the peo-
pie, and even more competent to re-
present it than the Senate, where the
representation is equal. But, in fact,
the House Of Delegates has not, twice IN
ten years, admitted that the constltu-
ton is defective; and it did not, at the
last session, vote for convention. In
lsl6-l7, that house sent up to the
senate two bills, designed to propose all
alternative; one for calling a conven-
ton, the other for equalizing the re-
presentation in the senate. The latter
was passed by the Senate, and the o.
ther was dropt, with the appreciation OF
almost every man Of all parties, and
especially with the appreciation OF Mr.
Mercer, warmly declared on the floor
of the House Of Delegates. At the last
session, bill was first brought in Tor
.,lI;nc- , convention with very Jealous