Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-10-22

From The Enquirer Of Oct. 10.

| stNh'ipbf dhu "HNhB thfi hfpOits Nc tbu
} vention, are busily engaged in executing thu
: duties OF their appointment. Various projef
: have been submitted tn them by diiTeren, mem
bers, which have been ordered To he prinied
We submit brief Sketch ofthese various Pro
positions, which nothing but the extreme curl
osity of the public would induce us 10 publish
in this immature and und,gesied form. We
must, n the same time frankly caution he rea.
der against involuntary mistakes or hasty con
clasions. OF these various propositions, many
| are destined 10 the " tomb OF the Capulets.'
There is scarcely any ofthem. which the Com
miitees will probably accept IN the shape IN
| which they are presented. Several OF them,
indeed, are thrown out by their authors, with
an express declaration, ,hat they do not cons.
der themselves as pledged ultima ely 10 vote tar
them !; that they are presented for the coHsid,
Grafton Of Others, and that they hold them
| selves nj liberty TO reject their own PROPOSE.
| tious, when they are satisfied by the argumcns
Of other members, lbat they are founded IA eI-
ror. We beg the reader, therefore, 10 receive
| them rather Ms mere proIeis TO he modhrd by
their own authors upon lurthet rehedhon) than
as the final results of any one member, much
less Of the Committees. and still less OF the
| Convention itself-Wuh this caution, we sub
mi The following sketch
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE,
| Mr.. Mndison Chairman.
On Monday l2M iHa-Ihe following Reso-
lutious were submitted
b, Dr.. Leigh (of Chesterfield. J." That re-
| preseuia ion IN both branches OF the Legislu-
turs. ought TO be appor'oned among the Seye-
| raj counties, cities aud towns OF the State, &c
| cordlng Ia The compound ratio Of their white
| popula ION respectively. aud of the amount Of
direct taxes imposed ON them respectively by
the Legislature.
By Mr.. Doddridge That in the apportion-
| mcnt of representation in both branches OF The
| General Assembly. regard should be had ex-
| clusively 10 he number OF whie population y
| And i" That the right Of suffrage ough, TO
he extended, generally, 10 all free white male
| cliizeus, twen,y.one years Of age mud upwards
| who shall have resided 10 the county, city or
borough, where he Offers 10 vote,
| shall have been assessed for, and shall have
paid land or property Iax, aud NJ the Time OF
| voting shall be liable TO such assessment and
| shall neither have been convicted of crime
| punishable by imprisonment III The Penitantia-
| ~ house, or amy other infamous offence and
shall not, at the time Of voting. be a pauper
nor an officer, seaman or soldier ia the land or
sea service Of the United States"
| BY Mr.. Chapman" That The number of
members in The House OF Delegates ough, TO be
| reduced.
AID by Mr.. Joynts--" That the number OF
members in the Senate oil thls Slate ought 10
| be incIe ased.'
! Tuesday, Oct 13.--Various propositions were
| aid before the Committee ON this days meet
ing, ia the same spir, in which tho previous
oues had been submitted:
BY M. Doddridee-" That all the member
| of the Senate ought 10 be elected al the sam
time, and go out of Office N the same time, and
that Senators should hold their Offices four
! wears from The close of the last election IN their
! districts re spoctvey- va and thai ennmerations OF
| the population fthe State, for the purpose OF
| apportioning representation, ought To be- made
WHATSOEVER the General Assembly deem the
| same e1pedient."
| BY Mr.. Summers-" That The Lee islative au.
| thority OF the Commonwealth ought 10 be ves-
| ted in the General Assembly. consisting u a
| Senate and House of Delegaies--the Senate To
be composed of thirty members-the House ii
Delegaies'of one hundred and twenty members
tho Senators and Delegates 10 be appointed
| among the several counties, cities, towns and
districts according 10 the number of free white
| inhabitants in each, so tina, every Senator aud
| Delegate shall represent ia their respeci live
| Houses, as nearly as may be- equal portions
| Of the free white population OF the Common
| wealih-lhai provision ought be made for pc
| rodical enumeraions Of the people and re-
| appointments oi the Senators aud Delegates,
as changes may arise in the relative population
OF the different paris of the Stat"--that wbene.
yer il shall be necessary to provide for the sup
port of the government, by direct taxation, such
taxes ought 10 be levied in just proportion to
| the value the entire property held within the
| Commonwealth exemptisg from taxation the
poor, the value OF whose proneriy shall he less
than 800, and adding to the taxes on slaves
an amount sufficient to defrsy the expenses Of
| The execution OF transportation of convicted
slaves, and such charges as may be essential for
the safety and security Of that species OF pro-
| perry"
| The Resolutions offered by Mr. Cooke embra.
| ced Series q Pprinciples, calculated 10 sup
| port the plan which he submitted. They sta
! ted that " the great truth on which all Tree
institutions res, and that which may be consi /,
| dered the primary postulate in the science OF
government. is, That all mon, originally, are
| by nature, equally free--Ihat when commu'
| bity Of men uniies to form government, this
original equality of rights resolves itself into
| an equality of right in the formation OF the go
vernmeni--Thai the universally of this right,
| however, is limited by that law ofnsture, which
has given Ia men. Of mature age, dominion
| over uomen aud shiidren, aud which has thus
drnisd 10 both OF those clnsses, the free agency,
while il has withheld from one OF them tina
intelligence essential to the exercise OF election
or choice either betweeo forms of government,
or magistrates TO administer them.-lhe es'
| sential character of this right, moreover, ~
wolves the necessity Of submission by The M
nority 10 The majority For, tho right OF election
necessarily involves some decision between the
men, or the measures, which are the subject
Of election, &c.-Tbat the majority Of the men
Of mature age in community. have right TO
adopt such form Of government, and such a
fundamental law, as 10 them seems best. That
the majority have perfect right to prescribe.
by a fundamental iaw,s'ii further LIMITATIONS to
! universally of the right Of sufsage that they
have right to exclude, by fundamental law,
from the exercise Of that right all those, who,
in the honest and deliberate opinion ofths ma
ioriiy, cannot solely be entrusted with the
exercise ofit--or in other words, all those
whose exercise Of this right would be, 10 the
honest and deliberate opinion OF the majority,