Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-01

Sec !. That il shall be the duty of the s,ys,,,
sherihs and Other officers, authorised 10 conSnc.
elections '.ithn this CoIurnonw ealth, at the time
ena pace OF holding their respective elections for
Veiesaies to the General Assembly, in April nex..
10 open separate poll for the purpose of tai ,
ing he sense of the people upon the question.
whe'her they desire convention or NOT 'Tha
pom so 70 be taken, shall contain two columns !.
one Tor the names OF those who vote in the affms
'ive' and the other for the names of those ,,yh,
vote IN The negative, and shall be headed thus:
ohaii there he convention to amend the
constitution OF this Commonwealth,
MENTION NO CONVENTION :.
4 be sheriff or other officer as aforesaid. shah
lake the vote upon the question Aforesaid. of everv
person lawfully qualified, who shall come forward
curing such election, TO give his vote; and he shan
VII me names ofsl those who vote in the af
hrma'ire IN the first column under the word.
{" convention" and the names of all those who
yo'e IN the negative, in the second column, under
the words, No Convention.
II will here be observed. that III. foy,or,;.
word, the sheriff or other officer "a .foreo,;S
snail take The vote upon the question aforesaid. OF
every person lawfully qnSIiftd, ,cho shoU rom.
joTDaTd during such election to eiue his psfe.n
impose mandatory instruction upon the voter
me word :" shall, as applicable to the voter. ;s
mandatory term; and although in the sentence
In which II is here used, il might be ron.,,.d a.
N.
;er' OF just Interpretation in the smallest depre.
because, The sole object Of the ena cnent is. fhnt
mere shdH De uote upon the o,.esf;onA-
. Conoention" or " NO Conventions, - And i
mai effect be not produced by the enactment
'hen u mas no eject at all, and becomes rerfec,lv
Useless ard migratory. Here then is seen n COM
ple'e nv esion OF the order of the ereat nr5,;nI
OF instruction. The servant ins,ruc,ine i;,e n,ss
ter. This General Assembly, in lis deriva,;,,.
corporate Character, insructng the people in their
oi!einaI sovereign character; and that too with
dis'fusi add reproof Distrust in this--,bat ,b.
enacmen's are evidently grounded upon the f.,,
tnst unless the people of Virginia are stimulated
% ms vote by an act Of the Assembly, they viii
give no vote al all. And reproof in IN. III,
those who have expressed their will are be,a fnr,,
as an example for imitation to those who haya
Ho'. whereas. 1 believe, thar those who baxA
not expressed ibis will, hare failed 10 do 40 N
cons' quence OF their not wishing TO do so. Th..
p"i proceeds in the same spirit of dicta,ion ana
'Hsluc,'oh' goes on 10 say, every person
sra" oe permitted TO UOte upon the Question
aioresaid," &c. Here leeislatire rer,n;t :;
granted to the individual voter in his snvs-a;,s
character; whereas, the voter derives his r;obf =.
pose from pre- eristing, paramount aut5oy;fv
suppose, IN carrying into effect this nroy;soIS
formal permits were 10 be granted to each ind;
'hlnai yoer, onghi the voter not 10 ref,se IN w.,
under tae permit, but to vote under his v,oro
monnt risht! The bill does not stop here II
goes On to refiise this permit 10 another desc,;
ton Of people. This will be seen in The fo,,o.r
Ing words" and no other person sboU 49,.
n1fted TO rote thereon Now, sir. as much A..
tached as am, to the freehold right of suffrage
deny The right Of the General Assembly Sto
make this exclusion. Yet, if this bill were TO mass
ana should De called upon to strike out these
"o'us' - should refuse to do so. Because, hay-
,ns ieSislaively usurped The power of cairioo
upon the people 10 give this vote, would oive
all Inc provisions OF the bill Legislative charace,
~ should be unique grounded in usurpation !.
shou'd continue IN nsurpaiion. If, on the con-
nary, The people were left at liberty TO exercise
'heir own wiil' IN their sovereign character, I
contend, Ina. non reehoi3ers have as much right
10 Psu'ioh me Legislature 10 amend the constii,-
iion, as The feeholdeis. Indeed, all nersons :,
The community have an equal right 10 petition the
LeSisiaiuie--rsehoders, n-fIeeholders. women :.
adults and iAiants--aDd all are in the dailv e,er
| else OF II. But ! conceive, that The right of ne
tilon Is one Thing, and The proper qualification Of
voters IN framing fundamental laws, a yery differ
ent one. From all these considerations, il SCENE
70 me- i"t 'he Term, :" grant of legislative fa~
cIlilIes," as used IN The preamble is mnnla,ory
instruction Of the people, in their original
egn Character; and, of course, en unyarran,ahI,
usurpa'lon OF their rights. In the farther p,ooress
OF Tins oIl, wih The view OF granting them lerjs-
IaiiVe acEiiies, u becomes converted into nepal
statute; and after assigning new additional dus /,
TO orr ministerial officers, without compensa.ion
IL aIneIces them with heavy fines fo. the non-ney
torrance OF these new duties:-- in one instance
one hnndred dollars; and in another not less N.
one, nor more han five hundred Thus maxine
another addition 10 the questionable code OF
y maIa prohlbIia."- u is here readily admitted
that the term grant Of legislative facilities ,,
may be construed TO mean, the rnero lending az
our ministerial officers TO the people clerks and
sheTiiis- Tor the purpose Of enabling them 10 ex,
! press their will. But such cannot be its meanjno
when ieste,lby the enactmenis OF the bill; and. in
hst sense, u would be utterly useless and inef7-
! cacious The people want no such facjli,ies.-
They have better facilities themselves than this
". Assembly has 10 grant tbeIr Every day affords
! evidence OF this fact: and neither The extent of
territory. nor he popuousness of the country.
DIS The sinaes obstacle to iheir exercise. In
I deed, tie people have almost reduced them 70 a
manuals andi they pass through them with almos,
as much isciiny, as a well drilled Company of so;.
dIers passes through their manual exercise. There
/ -, at ibs moment, an election going on for tLe
Presidency, between Mr.. Adams and Gen. Jsck-
soa; snd the people, throughout the whole IJnited
siaies, notwithstanding heir exten, and populogs-
uess, have not felt the least difficulty without n
aic Oh legislatiY facilities in expressing their
WI upon 'hd question, whenever they have been
disposed to do so. The members OF The Legisla-
iufe Of Pennsylyanis have recently left the lees-
laiive chamber, appointed their ow President ana
/ Secretary cap Cd resolutions 10 be prepared tx-
pre-sige Of their will upon the occssion--srd no.
/ minated Gen. Jackson the favored canf istc
wiihont any "iegfsiatire faciiify'' whatever.
i 50 may any other collection at people do Win
have The viii to 10 20, whether the expression al
iha VII be for the call Of a convention. or an y
Thing ei'c think, upon review Of this arrn-