Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-10

their say, therefore, that the plan is at war
with the first principle OF representative government
and u II prevail. must destroy ithow soon, depends
ne, on the wre,ched finite wisdom Of man, but on the
providence Of God.
The Resolution Of the Legislative Committee, pro.
pose, TO give the West power Of taxation over the East
tho be apparent, that, ia respects
ne well the objects ofAx-s as the subjects Of sppropria
'lon. the West has not only common interest with
the East but contrary different interest The in
terest OF the West /. contrary to ours in regard to
sdces considered as subject Of taxation certainly and
obviously The unavoidable inequality Of tax alton up
all subjects, and the unavoidable equality Of benefit
from the revenue. give the West interest to aug
ment and the East interest TO reduce, the amount
OF taxes And as to those internal Improve me mt.
those roas and canals, which the opinions Of
many, to be the only objects Of governmc let apv
man the face Of the country, and deny IL he
can, that different more extensive and more expen.
ve, works OF the kind wanted anil even project
ed in the West and in the North, than are wanted or
have entered into the imagination Of the East and
the South They would expend thousands where we
would expend hundreds that il. OF orr money; for If
the expenditure to be Of their own, cannot doubt
they would grudge il as much we do or more But
this has been already fully explained by the gentle
man from Fauquer We are asked, graveiy and i'm.
fortunately asked, AMI in tone az if they thought
the request the most asonable in the world to give
them power TO tax us three times Ne much n, them
selves when their great object only be- TO appv
the revenue CATER providing for, perhaps snting the
civil list TO those internal they have so
much at heart Let IL he alw avs that :.
the East has never hitherto imposed any burdens
which have not horne more heavily ourselves than
10
sblc for the East If the taxes be uniform asunform
they must be- 10 levy any exsc,ions the West which
will not be more grievous to ourseive so long as we
hold so much larger mass OF taxable property where
a. the West may. by uniform taxaion, impose Oh.
pre,sive burden. the East which its own population
will hardly feel the weight of should be sorry to
say any thing offensive to gentlemen from any quarter
but must follow the lights OF my own mimi and de.
clare az opinion, that the cunning of man. or Of
the devil cannot devise more vcxaions and grinding
tyranny Tor any people, than TO subject them 10 taxa
ton by those, who have not the same interest with
them much more who have interests contrary diff
ferent from theirs.
The resolution Of the Legislative Committee pro
poses TO give full representation to the iabonr of tn.
Yves, with an exemption from tayation. while the
labour Of the East will be subjected to taxation de-
prived Of representation.
The complaint seems 10 shock rcnlem.n-I shall
repeat my words Gle repeated them)-I every civil
lied country under the sum- some there must he who
labor for their daily bread either by contract with or
subsection TO Others, for themselves Slaves in the
Eastern part Of this State, fill the place Of the
~ oil Europeof the pcasantry daylabourer. In the
holding States of this Union. The dener the
population, the more numerous will this class he f..
ven in the present state Of the population beyond the
Allegheny, there must he some peasantry and as the
country nils up, they will scarcely have more-hat is
men who tend the herds and dig the SOIL who have
neither real nor per'onal capital OF their own. who
earn their daily bread by the sweat Of their brow
These. by this scheme, all to be represened-but
none Of our slaves Aud yet, in political esconon,y
he latter hll exactly tn. place Slaves indeed
are not and never will he comparable with the hardy
peas'nrv Of the mountains, in .teIlectua power i'm
moral worth, in all that determines mans degree in
the moral scale and raises him above the BRUTE beg
pardon. his Maker placed him above the bru,e-above
the savage-above that wretched state of which the
only comfort is the natural rights Of | have as
siacere feelings of regard for that people as any man
who lives among them. But l ask gentlemen to say
whether they believe. that those who are obliged TO
depend on their daily labor for daily subsistence can or
do ever enter into poitic, affairs, They never do
never wiii-nsver can. L ucated myself TO a profess
sion, which in s country has been supposed 10 1T the
NINA Tor the duties OF the statesman, have yet
hal aaiOn
OF politics without feeling the effect of proes ona
habits To narrow AMI contract the mind. II others are
more fortunate, congratulate them. Now what real
snare, so lar az mind ~ concerned does cup
pose the Peasantry OF the Westtha pc aantry which
IL must have when the country completely filled
up win day-iahoirers as ours is Of slavescan will
take IN affairs oil State! Gentlemen may say their la
bourers are the most elligent hone
rue-hat they will rise TO political intelligence But
when any rise, others must supply the place they rise
rom What then, IL the practical effect of the scheme
ot representation in question. simply, that the me
property OF the West shall be allowed
Tor all their daylabourers, without contributing an ad
diional cent OF revenue and that the of property
oil the East shall contribute in pie rtisn 10 all the
ave-labour .hey employ, without any additional repre-
sen'aion Sir, ag inst all this-I am for repre-.
sen'aion oil every interest in socieyfor po-ing and
balancing all inerests-for saving each and all from
tn" sin OF oppressing and from the Of being OPP
pressed.
Sir the amendment offered by nv honorable friend
from Cupepcr, i. a scheme for balancing the various
interests OF the Commonwealth with exact and equal
uePINWR NUMBERS oil tner due weight,
Tor 1t allows them full repre,entaon-yet allowing
property also that fair due and just share OF representa-
ion which is essential TO its protection and SECURITY
IL proposes 10 build government on the i'm ercss of
society," with due regard the rights both of persons
ana popery and TO conIe power those whose self
love will forever prevent them from abusing it, II
gentlemen prefer the federal number as the basis OF
representation, | shall be content II they prefer
count" representation, founded any fair principle
peculiar interests and balancing thu powers
oil government according y-tho' I am sens Bile that f
q De cpn 'ent
Blu, must forever contend, that principle which, in
government professediy instituted for the pro;e ciion
ni security oi property well personal rights
dscains all regard to the interests OF property and
allows representation TO numbers only dangerous and
vitions contrary TO all the dictates OF prudence and ns
iice, and Incompatible with the nature OF representa-.
ve government, its wholesome operation and all its
ends
To reconcile us 10 scheme so revolving gentlemen
tell u.s. In The rst place, that the has been
tied by precedent-that il il res adjutiieafa said
that to found government (neaning the whoie govern.
ment) numbers alone, without regard whether the
numbers qnadraied with the interests society or not
was new principle in Virginia, and perhaps unknown
IN any other government. did not say, that no part
or single branch OF government had been laid
on that ioundatonI did not say, that individual had
ever maintained the prncipe-I learned at school,
Ofom fully. thnk) that there is nothing so ab,s
which some philosophers have main aimed for truth;
AMI ii might have been added that there is nothing so
unjust, which politicians have not supported a,
right. The presidents which supp ,sed TO have set
tied this question, the of the Staunion Conyen.
ton IN 1885, orsooh, insisting that repres nation in the
Legislature ought 20 be equalized the basis Of white
populations and the act Of 1916 equazing and arrang.
ing the representation in the Senate, upon that prnci-