Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-03-22
CEaARH.OHvTs1ss VALE.
SATURDAY. WARCn ~.

Conrrntioa. What good is 10 come OF Con-
tcn,iouR What are the specific acyan ia rcs which
the state Is to derive rom this Important uaas,i.cf
These are enquiries which the advocates OF a con
vention are challenge. to answer We think they
may be answered to the satisfaction of every can
did mtnl Let any man Tor amopeDt divcst him.
sell oil the uilfe ,Snna)e ana ulmauly terrors,
which have been excited by the dod IN faces auI
goryon heads w.licl conurad up to ;.rri(y u,
ON t,iis subject, approach its consideration aim
~ let hun contemplate the structure Of our 90
Vrlnlc:t IN the three essential deplttm OF its
legislative, executive and judicial functions and
say II he can, that it is without riarint and mon
strous detects IN some one or all OF these Was
there ever Il more unweliy--iaeti :icnt-ispro-
poftionate political mass, than the Virginia lcyS-,
iature! Ofganlzed without regard to any rule Of
eqhalty It's members represent some twenty
some thousand constituents -numerous almost
beyond precedent presents the mere norcant of
legislation, multitude OF lawgivc,s destitute az
oody, OF wisdom, energy, consistency and all the
practical qualifications to direct and control tho.
destiNies o an extensive and populous common
wealth bdt, we are asked, what htu'm has this
department. OF our government done us! We
would answer by asking. what g0oi has it done
Was government instituted to d. no harn--or to
perform the mere negative offices of abstaininr
from violent entertainments on the fun,larnl entail
rights ana privileges OF socicty-or was it insitu-
ted TO cherish and husband the national resources
al wealth happiness and glory to advance the pros
tue general public veal? Are the people taxed for
no other purpose than to hang a lelon or punish
h:eaches oil the peace? The destnies of man in
us ihd'inuai anu social capacity, progressive
lie must advance or rccede in the pursuits of life
ne must become more or less prosperous as he i'm
proves or negIccts the advantages with which ma
iure has supplied him. In what is the moral or
physical condition of Virginia better now, than at
me period when our legislature first convened
Inc people OF Virginia cannot be Justly charged
with indifference to any of the important objects
OF national improvement. On the contrary they
nave always been distinguished for high spirited
anu prompt aaclity i'll seconding every national &,
tcas'oie scheme OF improvement. The fault then
mas not Deen with the people for having failed to
Improve the extraordinary natural resources OF the
commonwealth. Where, then is it Our legisa-
tune have hied our statute books with resolutions
and cnactments to meorate the dccayed and de.
caying condition of this ancient and once rcnown-
cd uohiinion Scheme after scheme has been at
tempted to establish systems of public education
and internal Experimentation of dollars
nave been drawn from the pockets of the peopic
ana ilvishcG IN ruthless expenditure upon these
OBJECTS. we nave had our fund for internal inn
proVenent, and our tand for education both re-
pcnished and exhausted again and again--anG
where are tho monuments which will remain to tell
future ages that these funds ever existed There
IS radical fault IN that department of our govern
mont OH which we must rely Tor aid in ATTAINING
these great objects. The legislature of our State
WIN the exception OF few, land very fcwl of the
enactmcnts which distinguished the earliest years
OF our independent existence, have been only the
SeIvIle copyIsts OF British Laws and the authors of
abortiye schemes oil public improvement The bad
management OF our public concerns I've mean
eaose concerns which beyond the controul of
TIC county courts has become provcrb of re-
proach to US, and source of exuItation to orr
eatous neIghbors. Virginia now looks with al
most hopeless dependency on the superior wealth
ST. Int,
were wrapt In their swaddling clothes by her pa
'Satai hdndS. Inns proud mother Of nations is be-
como the iln5echc jest OF her own offspring by the
approach OF premature and unnatural old age
t nnt the incfhcacy OF our legislature is not all
la2ra arc stronger reasons Of objection to the le-
gIs!ative department of our govcrnnen, than this
&c Is unequal and therefore unjust We are aware
that the ineiilcacy of legislature arises chiefly
from The gross inequality and excessive Numbers
81 our representatives-but, If it were otherwise
thoic areoticr sufficient reasons why this branch
oil our government should undergo revision II is
fundamental axiom Of free representative 90
'rrnnchts, that the right of legislation belongs to
majority "i those who are represented This AK
'on, which constitutes the basis OF our govern
nent IN theory, ls totally disregarded in practice
Il majority Of our legislature represent minority
81 the people--nay minority even of the free
holders. The present constitution apportions re-
presentation according to counties without re yard
TO their unequal population and wealth There are
many counties in the State tour own among fheml
which contain twenty or thirty times IS many cleo
-toEs as othcrs-aud yet the legislative poaccrs of
tnese counties are equal though their legislative
rights arc so unequal. Can it be thought by anv.
that this is tritIjng defect---a mere want of SYM
n2try in the artificial proportions of orr constitu
lion 1t we have not yet had more frequent occa.
SION to lament the practical evils of this feature of
our government, it is not because the means of
producing these evils have been wanting. rbev
are at hand, and will be exercised whenever =
shall become the interest Of the minority 10 obuso
TIE power with which the constitution invests
fIicm. Our argument, however, is against the in
justice as well as inexpcdicncy of this state of
things Why was it thought wrong by our ances-
tors for the King Of Great Britain to claim author
''y over Virginia as colony, by tbc hereditary
succession OF the crown Because that authority
belonged by natural right to the majority Of the