Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-05

Amlted and exercised. Is unequal aud unjust, aud
that ought to be extended to all, whether free
holders or not, who have sufficient evidence Of at
tachment to. and coS,mon interest in the CON-
monwealth."
"Rcsoived, that the present representation in
the House OF Delegates Is too numerous, and IN
equally apportoned among the people; and that the
numbers Of that House ought to be reduced; and
the members thereof aPPortioned among the white
population in the same manner that senators are
now apportioned. This Convention, maintaining
that no spportionment can be defended, either in
theory or by approved prect dent, but that which
will mpart to equal portions of white population.
equal portions Of political power"
Other resolutions and memorials were submitted
by Mr.. Chapline from Ohio, Mr.. Lewis Of Spott-
sylvania, Mr.. Cook Of Frederick, Mr.. Thompson
OF Fairfax, Mr.. Perrow of Nelson, and by Mr..
randolph OF Albemarle, all breathing the same
sentiments. All these resolutions were consider
ed, and among the resolves Of that Convention it.
sell, are found the following, viz:
"That the unequal representation Of the people
OF Virginia in the House Of Delegates, is gross
violation OF the Fundamental principles on which
our free institutions rest Of itself to Justify and
demand a revision of the constitution
4" That the right Of suffrage ought to be extend
ed TO all free white male citizens above twenty
| one years Of age, whether freeholders not,
toho are capable Of furnishing sufficient evidence
me't 10 the community, in such manner as 10
guard against universal suffrage"
! AND, THAT in any apportionmcnt Of represen-
/ tauon to numbers, regard should be had, exclu
siveIy, 20 the free white inhabitants of the COM
| mon wealth"
| After all this who will affirm that the friends
OF reform have not, from the session of 1915 to
\ the present moment been as explicit in their de-
I fhands and principles as men can possibly bef In
VAIN nave the journals OF the House Of Delegates
been searched for the evidences Of any discrepan-
cy, or even the shadow of wavering.
But the gentleman from Northampton, says, the
| otaunton Convention itself has given the prece-
| dent Of acting by counties. l answer that that
| meeting considered themselves only as a body Of
| ciIzeDs assembled 10 compare sontiments-ascer-
| tam their strength, and to make public their po-
| hucai opinions: not body of men who had
| power to bind their constituents; and, evil
dence oil this, their journal shews that PROPOSE
| ton was made to uofe by counties, which was
| overrued; and that the members voted as individ-
| uaIs.
lay out Of the question the statistics Of all the
| gentlemen, as every argument founded on,these
assumes principle wholly inadmissiblet and
| which is the rea! matter of controversy. The
gentleman from Northampton has candidy ad-
mitted that this is controversy for power and in
| such case fear that some of our western
| friends suffer their judgment to be seduced from
an adherence to their true interests. II is TO me
astonishing, that in such controversy. the coun
ty OF Cabe should bind itself forever 10 the coun-
| ty Of Warwick or Williamsburg.
The gentleman has, indeed, given TO the men,
1
OF the benevolence of the tide water government,
as it has been termed. He tells them that the
tide interest has given them new counties, roads,
bridges the literary fund and the fund for internal
Improvement. All these, he says, have been Civ
en- in the spirit of iberality. Not only this, but
the Bank Of the Valley, was given them also in
| pity for their pecuniary embarrassments. That
gentleman has more than limited that in future
disputes about the application OF the fund for in
ternal improvement, that the tide water will hold
4 the balance nd he would himaef hav no ohspc-
ton to favor the west in the Of the whole of
that fund, provided he should be satisfied with the
Intended OF it, and the west should not dispute
among themselves, as they did about the location
oil the western arsenal and the lunaic hospital
But where is the bond 10 secure the fulflmcnt of
| these hopes? 1 would advise the members of Ca
bell, to examine the journals OF this House, and
see how the tide country voted on the act erect
| ing that county. would advise the delegates Of
Scott, Pocahontas, Allegheny, Nicholas, Logan,
| and the other small counties TO do the same. Let
them also inspect the journals for the votes the
! erection Of both funds-on the establishment Of
primary schools; the Bank Of the Valley, the
western hospital, the srmory-in short, on the
passage OF every question materially interesting 10
| the west, and they will find that this same tide
water government has invariably been in opposi-
| ton to them. Not that every member living on
tide water will be found to have acted in that
but the weight Of that country will be found to
| have been invariably opposed to them. For the
success OF western measures, we have been gen
| orally indebted to the Valley, the counties over
| the Blue Ridge, on the Potomac and Eastern
Shore.
If any portion of tn west shall assist the tide
country to fasten themselves, their constu ents
| and neighbors, the yoke of the eastern borough
stem, they will have given constitutional sane
ton to the despotism Of which have long
complained. The hopes now held out to them,
, neither can nor will be redeemed; the gentleman
from Northampton will not always be here to ad-
vance western interests, nor if he WERE could he
| be successful. The Kenawha road bill which
was rejected the other day, may, indeed, pass, but
that will be all. The vote to be given by the
west cannot be recalled in moment, until il
may have driven the people into state Of reyou-
| ton.
Reply Of mfr. Miller, TO Mfr. Doddsidge.
MIR. MILLER OF Powhatan, rose and said, that
| he would not respass upon the patience Of the
committee at this late hour of the day, after it had
been so much exhausted, but for his peculiar sit
uation. Being an administrator of the late Jerman
Baker, he was obliged to attend the sale Of his es-
tate on Monday. Indeed, he should have left
| Richmond this morning, but that he had waited TO
hear the reply Of the gentleman from Brooke. Mr..
M. said that the concluding remark Of that gentle
man. would entirely change the tone Of the OBJ
servations which he (Mr M y should submit 10 the
committee-nevertheless it was proper that he
should reply to some personal illusions which had
been made to his political course. The gentleman
| from Brooke had said, that il was reported that
Mr.. NJ. had belonged to different political sects.--
! Mr.. Nj. said, with the permission Of the commit
tee, and in justification Of himself, he would give
brief history of his political life. Mr.. NJ. said
! he was educated at Princeton, and returned from
that institution in the fall Of 1909. While there,
| he was hard student and had no time TO attend
TO practical politics. He did not recoect having
| heard but one subject of the kind discussed and
that was the constitutionality and policy of the