Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-04-24


OF the senatorial! Districts in 1876 sanctioned Tie very
P'"c'pie, the operation at WHICH, tho gentleman so
much deprccates My opinion OF the proper basis for
representation IN The Conve ation although of no nm,
portancc IN OF this House shat, be cauirv x
pressed when the tine arrives at which l ouy;i 10
make il known.
o"t we have been ted, that we shall have :uniyer-
SAL suffrage II 4 convection be called: and Of all the
msChieis which vii! grow out of it, am at y loss TO
know how this conclusion is arrived at. The convex
o's are not ITS advocates, and for nv part SIR will
eXempy my ideas on this topic, by the statement OF
case winch might have occurred in Tie late war. Five
eeio'ders paid about SIX thousand dcliars tax sup
port the war, who also Liable To render personal
service This sum w"o'd nave paid one hundred and
twenty Tour non ireCioders for SIX months duty. OF
these one hundred and ,venty four soldiers not tie
owners of land, il is but reasonable presume from
our knowledge OF their condition al home, that not
more than one btlh had property TO Take then,
one NTH from the whole number, and the tax of the
h'e freeholders pays hundred reeholders for
her iour OF SIX months, or fifty, for entire year.
W Qua II oe just or polite, TO commit the rlou,ca ols
iues"on OF war or peace 10 the decision of those who
GEAR not us burdens? The inequality in the contribu
tons oil the teelode-s and non-freehoders is as great
throughout the whole State that which exists in the
case !ust stated And while the i've frecoiIers have
supported the hundred who have no land, they have
also rendered personal service. These facts, distinct
iy point ont the difference between the interests in
Voivcd IN the question of war or peace and seems
clear 10 me, that all the laws affecting the prosper.
'ty OF society, should be made by those whose welfare
Is indssoUbiy connected with it. II the freehold
or administers the Government he will not have that
guardian care over commerce. for be has Dct!Iiny 10
sell, Il speak in the aggregated which he will who IS
immediately 10 be affected b. the regulations concern
ing IT. Bot no objection be made to the interest
OF Tue treehoder IN him are united al! the wants man,
social or a natural being He can pass no law re-
ainG to the tenure of property which will not
ahec himself, aud against the enacon Of laws viola
ting the rights or liberty of person. ne offers the guar
ance OF ms own independent Of these considerations
how powerful incentive the freebooter has TO avoid
oppressive taxation; to make udc;ous application of
TIC pnoi'c revenues 10 improve the moral and social
condition OF his fellows and to avoid the awful caIa,n;
ties oi VA And, sir, at the moment when we are de.
n0unced by other States for this aris;ocrati feature in
our Government, every State in the Union reauiras
qualification for her voters. In some il is derived from
residence IN others from the payment of poll lax: but
in all ii is required And the argument thew 200 l.,
defence of the rcpub!causn theirs is that il is ca.
shy acquired our reply 49, that is also easily ac-
CURED Thus you see, they reduce question OF
eSpeHiency-"iat IS an interest in the Conmon,. cas
anu at that very instant, they furnish an irreabI,
reply TO their own accusation. beg leave farther 10
say $,r, that At the time give this general outline of
what consider TO be the best orEiation for the cleo
two franchise, You'd extend that privilege 10 many
WHO are nov excluded from the polls.
The length OF tine for which territory has been re-
presented, seems, in the opinion of the gentleman To
90 good reason Why it should continue. "Countv
representation has been established for fifty wears
Does 1t prove that it ought still exist although ound
ed IN injustice This argument ia reprmand on the
patriots of >G, who thrcw off the chains of onr LAT.
royal MASTER King George the Third ncaIly two cen
turtles after the Colonies had been planted by hi, PIE
dccessors The age Of this county right is not as ora,,
as that OF some members Of this House and is entitled
TO less veneraon Sir, the Revolution was RIGHT or
was wrong, on principle; and presume that the late
period OF our colonial existence at which il was Com
mcnced instead of destroying the right of the cople
10 eject 1t, showed that oppression could To Ion rer he
endurcd that all hope Of redress b. ne,i,ion mr.
STRANGE had vanished in the obdurac INFECTIONS of the
British Crown. To this gentleman as did 10 nv i,
;ei'igcnt fricni( Mr. Eash) on Saturday | emf ,;s
yIr Ipi 'p1U
hoo Poycr among the people the PROPORTIONS il is
now held undo! the county sy.tem? and if he wonJ |
should like TO hear his No man in VIRGINIA
would seriously make such propostou; II wo.. j be
looked upon mcnsrous May not assume ,h.n
that the gentleman would not advocate it. and il r
sonld not, hope he will OK plain the d..crance be-
tween the vice OF giving birth TO such an nerrai;,,,
OF rights and Of pcrpctuatinc III
Agreeing with the gentleman, fiat iii is not Iec;s
at'Ve act, but constitutional law which IS 90 las,
through all time" that trying 10 modify; il re-
mains ior HIM to demonstrate that the present Cos.i
'io Is The best in all respects, that can be made and
mat the amendments which propose ;ilro,;rh the
medium OF Convention, will not be Lo,toncd as near
as t"ey can BE- en- The true theory of Republican
Government IF the principles contained in the J:;iI
oi Rights, had been preserved in the Constitution
there would Dog be no need ior a change in some OF
ITS PROVISIONS This not being The case we are any
Ious to establish orc more closely rcrardo oeo
principles lii The distribution of power that IT man last
forever. All, both friends and foes of a Convention
admit that the Constitution has many defects; and
MINK we are authorised 10 believe from tie pure re-
publican characters ofthOSe who framed that IL vop
have been wholly dssinnr in many of IS feature. Is
lie present social condition of the people OF the State
had existed at the time of its aiopIiou No one auls
90 any member OF tins House the injustice TO believe
we we're now in Contention, that he would sd,
cate the apporiionncnt Of representation on THO o;
OF the Constitution Of today; and surely, gentlemen
cannot persuade themselves that can ~ will La. #
DC Shch one as they world not nai5e at this mo
nent.
VI all The arguments addressed 10 tie House b. H.
member from northampton HIr. Unsl,rr) there Is none
Whcp' at the i!Tst o!livh, !, likely 10 @eceiyc
me understanding tban hat Hscd on The s,-nnosi.u
mat we disregard IN tic constitution Tie comm
.atioh &" SaTes as part Of representative nuubcrs
u Slch should hc te case, hu concludes :,t we ,r,,
yleid up our CLAIM to have them computed in ,i,a NJ
OF our population emitting state TO he re;rcscn
IN ihe House u Representatives. Should The o'Lor
states ever stand IN the relation to VIRGINIA. IN
winch her c''i|ens DO to each other then, their RIGHTS
yiIbe The same Bot inasurch the states car, oDlY
act M thCIT corporate political characters: so all ,o9