Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-23

IL. Conrad, Esq. the Attorney for the Common
wealth in the Superior Court, at the conclusion of
charge, which he delivered to it in the absence.
and a, the request of Gen. Boyd the Attorney for
the Commonwealth. The Grand Jury acted upon
the suggestion, and unanimously made the present.
meat which our readers will find below Com
posed OF highly intelligent men-.ummoned from
every part Of The county, without the slightest
reference 20 tbs subject, its act 10 undoubtedly
Out an expression oftle public voice of this coun
'y- moderated, perhaps. by that respect which i'm
teiisent men will always feel disposed to shew
10 Others, in all cases where ID claim to j, is not
believed TO be ab-olutely and totally forfeited.
we would Tain hope that this preseniment NAV
be published in the Richmond papers and we are
authorized by some Of the Grand Jury, to request
that the editors of the Enquirer and the If,hig
will lay it before their readers. GGazeffe.
We, the members of the Grand Jury, convened
IRON the different sections ofth county of Berke.
ley, in making the following representation sof
grievances which we sustain in cbmmon with
oiner parts OF the upper country; conceive, that
we nefeoS represent the opinions. and feelings, of
large mai 'rity OF our fellow county men,
We deem it fit and proper in their name. to ex-
press our unqualified disaPprobaticn of the course
pursued by majority OF the members of the pre-
sem legislature, representing minority of the
iIeemen of this Commonwealth, in rejecting as
.hey dld. the bill proposing that the sense Of the
reeholders should be taken, on the subject of a
Convention.
! We are not disposed to enter into anv elaborate
argument 10 prove that the people ia this Com,
monweaith, are the legitimate source of power
an" tha' the majority of a republican community,
nave ugh To form, TO modify and TO amend that
system OF Government. which defines and con.
trouls, their rights. Because, we do not choose.
10 prove ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, we do not choose. to
make question OF primary principles, which we
nave always understood TO be the very shirt os
our Republican institutions And we apnrebe,a
as corollary TO these truths, is equally unc con-
troveribe; that to throw obstacles in the way of
! iair enquiry into the wishes of the people. Tin
stead OF afording facilities to ascertain their time
senfIments) Is anii-repubIican, unfair. and on
pressve That this is more especially rrne when
Is done by men, who profess 10 be the delegat ed
servants OF free people; By men, who by so do.
ing, retain in their O,Un hands an undue share of
poh,icai power; by men, who call themselves our
brethren, but by such course would make them
selves masters
we affirm unhesitatingly, that this obstinate dis
regard oil our rights, as it is politically unjust so
isH morally unkind and unmerted: We have
been taught to look upon the people OF the low er
| country, as the worthy descendants OF those HIGH
'p""ed, ana Tree hearted men, who while they
retained the sturdy virtues OF their ances,Iy super
| added hatred and scorn of political oppression
that prompted them to hazard, without blencbine
! u" the Cause OF freedom, their lives, their for
'unes, and their sacred honor" That we looked
| upon thein as brothers worthy of our affection
was proved, when we left cheerfulIy, our mac
cess'o'e mountain homes, to protect from the
"r'ses OF the enemy, their towns, their property,
and 'ieir families The bones of our st,,,dv vso.
many, (the victims of an unfriendIy climate are
sill bleaching on the plains of Norfolk to attest the
ruth OF this.
But brief expose of facts will best illustra te
our meanins and support our good cause
we assume II as fact, that needs no proof
from Us, that the people of the county of Berkeley
nave not their due weight of representation in the
legislature OF Virginia This is equally true of all
ou' 'ee"oh o. country having a common interest
"A population alike in character, and like .eil
and pfcduce-in all these, however. differing from
the lower country. The result has been, that the
legislative majority, which with the increasing
prosperity o! our fertile country, has become more
and more disproporfioned TO the relative sy.oun,
oi the tree white population, in the upper and
lower counties, as might be expected, have legis-
i]ted cheny, with view to the welfare OF mart
OF the STATE, whose wants, not our wants From
lack OF knowledge of the character of ,he,. our
wants, and sometimes perhaps, becsuse ihe.. con-
iiic'ed with their otCn interests, they have fol-
lowed course OF legislation inmical to our wei.
iafe ana nave denied TO US legislative aid in many
cases OF urgent necessity.
1t would be endless to pariicularize alIthe cases
IN which we suffer from the present state Of tb;p..
we know and jee( thar there are instances nj
iee'sia'ion' affecting materially The in,
OF the upper couniry-cases that come home to
the bosom OF every man, whatever NAV he his
station IN society. We will. however, confpe our
selves without much comment, 10 some matters,
| OF general import that demand as we believe
consideration and revision.
L. The Freehold RICH. of suffrage the Sb;bbo
ieth oil the tide-water party, is a system xvb,rl,
Cannot be assumed, perfect as not TO admit of
examination and without pronouo cling needless.
! y and premsturely, any opinion for, or agains
the present qualification - this much we declare
mat when 50 many OF our respectable fellow -cit-
izens (and some of them freehoIders) esteem i, a.
oppressive there can be no gonJ reas,n ,ro.d
against fall end free examination of lis merits in
convention OF The people land we believe this
because we conceive tat the people may always
De safely trusted TO discuss and to fix principles
IN which their own interests are so deeply in.
volved.
| z The Rosd Iaws-are oppressive upon n Jar-s
class OF our population --nea in humble circuw
stances. ihey unite to the injustice Of a cant
io''on TAX, The invidious exemption of The owner
OF two slaves, from working at all-and besides
are mieerably detective in their Operation upon
our deep and stony soil
D. The Militia system--as organized we con-
sider as useless, onerOu-, ard demoralizinp
| 4. The recent rejection of the bill to Constitute
another Judge Tor the 10Th Judicial Circuit, while
It is FELT in every county in the district. rs mos,
serious injury, is only cited here, as ano,ber
example OF the spirit OF egislaiion exercised to-
wards The western and upper country.
D. The toae assumed by the legislature towards
the General Government. in relation especially 10
7 or nj fnper