Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-12
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER ,.
MR.. NERCER's SpHECH.-co>rtx

regarding. as he proceeded the clam OF The former
10 consideration both as persons and property;
AMI exposed the inequality Of county representation
IL to ,Nan:inatipn of the only rrnlcIuinu
basis ihat witch hal heen adopted and recomuten
ded ~ the Convention ~ nc u ri .ative Couralftce
.h he uu NIB US II tie lrGe Wiil'r population cNcu
t,er, ai ,!llj, viii, view rive equal numbers.
eIi1 portions Of poh,lcal The CONSTITUTION
oi the p,pIiar branch at the government.
y ~ position il ti indeed 1aan subal't'ni to the
Couyem.,n by has honorable and c!unr-nt friend
ffo,u Nuritk, III he form of an amendment of thc
GI!: % HrGts, which asserted that ecu! unbers OF
loyal voleIs throughout rho II"ri-n ,nwrath shouid
nave equal political power vi hou rn nd 10 inc dis
tinctcN 81 Iurt'lu;. As such proposition nlirht
b regarded as of different char ctcr from that con
tancl III the resolution II the Leg <iaive Committees
MI. NJ said lie Would as the ncipent step towards
the conclusion he DESTROYS tn reach undertake
TO shew their practical il not theoretical conformity
Whatever extent may be given to The righ, of sut.
fru@e, he only important distinction between these pro
ppstons will DE found toconsst III the SUPERIOR In
clhty OF executing that which requires sinDlv nerio-
ulcli enumeration OF the white population Of tho
Commonwealth To compute all the ler3l v,ts,.
OF the Commonwealth, supposinY the extension of
suffrage TO be built upon tho present freehold qua
ication enlarged by the admission of othcr
classes OF cze 5, not freehodets to the same priy-
lego, would require the enumeration of all classes
Ii that lbour he regarded relation to the frcrhoI
ders alone, IL is difficult TO conceive It's mannfc
aud the delays winch mus attend its execution The
resolutions oi the Legislative cnrnntee assl,rn .be
practical enjoyment OF the right o! suffrage To those
who may possess ii.
lne computation oflegal voters, instead of active a.
gents competent DIT little axe census OF the
people learned justices i'll Eyre must be provided IN sui,
flcent number 10 traverse every county, CITY no cr
or election dis riot III the Commonwealth in order TO
enquire who have freehold estates and have been so
seized for the period required nv law Ito these no
dcd the cases OF cons ructlve cehods and of tcnants
III common whose names may not and often do not an
pear Oh the Commissioners lists, and should claimants
III rcverson and remainder, OF vested or contnnou,
ifeeiolds be empowered vote as some gentlemen
propose, many years would eiapse in making the no.
cessary enumeration and lists for the apportnnmeni
OF Delegates No would this painful and costlv if
hot InpTdctIcabe !abour lead to q different rasuit
from that OF tliH of free white populat ion
as We have good grounds infer under auv exten
sion OF suffrage The more ENLARGED II may be- ,ho
more nearly Will tile numbers OF those who ara
legal voters approach the number of that poDuInton
But If restricted To landed qualification or extended
TO all VINO pay taxes on movcab!e property, still the
aRportionmcnt To white population will yerr nearly
Ii not exactly conform 10 that which might be- found
ed on a computation of the number OF votes
As evidence OF tins, MIR. III. referred to three OF
the tables lately supplied by the Auditor of Public
Accounts
To the first OF these, that which protested to de-
Guce "te population OF 1929, In the several countless
IRON the number OF ut4ables voluntarily returned to
that officer AT ms eques, Mr. could not weld ,nrr;, o;
ence interchangeable faithful and Intelligent as he knew tSa
ocs' 10 DC ne G1ld not do more than materials SUP
p''u NM Mf w had seen that; III the district which h.
in part represented one Immediately below the Blue Big
Ierseced ny three of the turnpjke in H.
|oh'oh"ea!th ana having more of that description of i'm
provemen WITHIN ~ constructed by Individual enterpe than
'lus table manifested reduction in nine YEAR If rho
population of 1870 by 1881 fact which he Iao
hteOtly believed be He would ,,,o,,.L - '"i
that the county OF ioudoun had period sustained ~
loss OF white poPuation and Fairfax very little if an,,
Anoiher error OF almost equal occurred m M
statement in adding to the population of Augusta nub
Glua 10 ma winch nnd nsen taken from Ioudoun Abandon
lnI the conclusions to he drawn from table so naccr., NJ
Mercer ar Inc would 60 back census of c1o ~ -,
discovered that white population ,yr 81 V; I'D winch
bore very nearly the same ratio the white ,onuaon aI
that mountain that the number of persons in the o,n
charged on the landbook of 1928 with taxes nm Que
established by law bore the same Dissertation n n,yn
second 50 to 50 While s ' hi55 Of 20 to 49, and the
number of persons, Wes Of the same ronmrIp; I I'VE
charged with state tax on m1yoabIa nro l,o
for the year 1928, to BE- 10 079: and The number ~
persons, Eas' nf il, charged in the same year ,i.I
the same tax, to b" 55,5I4. ~
This ratio may b. expressed vi h sul1c Mt ,ccr-
Tacy, ~ 10 10 So, and corresponds so nnarI, 80
that Of 80 TO 53. the ratio OF The Dronric ~ WI
and lois IN these f1Ho dstrjc&g and of % TO 81 that
OF the waite p7Pua ion of the same districts fhat
with little error common measure may be assumed
for these three proportions. That measure would
express both the relative prDu1rt,n iii, ,,I.to
puiaoa above and below this natural di,i.io, ~ H.
Commonwealth. and Of the legal voters Of the sIa
oisiFcts ih'rih9 ron tie identity Of these three
proportions, between the free inhrbitaDts and tt,a
proprletors Of real and moveabe Droperiv in tbasa
extensive terri prles cF the Commonwealth The ill.,
identity throughout their minute subdivision. shall
consider myself, IN the sequel of my argument a.
sustaining az the time, tie position OF rov b
norabie frepd from Norfolk, and that Of the Leplsla
live Committee,
In entering upon the last which propose 10 en- |
slGer but, by far, he most important enquiry of tho
many. which have arisen in the progress OF this de
bate, into tine right of the majority Of onv sociefv
10 govern it. find myself embarrassed by the va;,
simplicity OF the truth, ina To ma ,fsi, W.,
obscure. may be explained what is UeT,Iexea 49,
tangled, may he detcc.ed, and GlIscLood ovno
SD But the mind is surprised, by the denial of q
principe universally admitted, aud at loss to prove
what for ages no ono ha had tine slnguarfy or the
lpHCTIty, to question