Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-15
CONVENTION


wocic reply 10 some OF the arguments of {ser,je
men. lie would not so into their political crceds
Sut coSine himself to what had been said Oh .bs,
housekeeping, 80 and bis constituents did n
ceiuFai position In the State, they were not ekpos
ed 90 the cause OF excitemen, which seemed IN
operate upon others. They owned full share nj
D,acSs ana paid t.eir full proportion OF the taxes
mat All men were equa that all power was de-
skcni the people; that man nor SET of men
were entitled 10 exclusive privileges; were great
'undanentai principles acknowledged by all He
considered u auti-republican proposition thai
properly si!niiii be represented 1t was one of
tne principles, on the contrary, on which nonar-
chy was founded. No well founded, apprehension
could exist, that the rights OF property would he
IN the least danger, from the exclusion of p-oner,y
from representation. The WISDOM Intelligence and
Virtues OF Tue people were the safeguards IL had
been argued ,hat If the principle of eguaIitvamone
men be Carried 10 its full extent slayea woulI
he entitled 10 representation. In reply 20 this ar
, Gument lac contendcd that slaves were never in
'euen 10 DC embraced by the proposition; that il
applied exclusively 10 white people who alone had
connection with governments. Did il ever enter
INTO 'he minds oi any body that slaves or Indians
were 10 have any agency in governmental matters.
Caves were not regarded persons, but as pro-
perry 1! they were regarded as persons ,b.,
there might be some ground 10 contend dat ill.,
were entitled 10 ieprese ntation in the Convention
i'e had heard IL said that the reason for HAVING
'esehta'iVes al an was, that the people were moi
competent to do their own business. hut Tho ,r,,
reason wasu was inconvcnicnt, nav npracticablc
Tor them 10 assemble person. and therefor. ,bey
sent agents or deputies 10 act for them P,t !,
property was, an any shape, TO be represented tb,t
representation ought TO be in the egisa,r-n ,,,S
not in the Convention. a Conven,ion nre 80
poses State OF Nature, aud was antecedent IN
rights oil property. The latter were regulated bv
Jaw. and grew out of the ordinances of society and
tIe consent OF the whole people
he principle OF taxation had no ronn,c,;o, ;,l
representation; but rested ON the abiJ;tv 10 U.s.
,a&es-Aience he denied that representation and
taxation ought 10 SO hand in hand, as had been
.ohlehded Tor Since the right TO all property was
80. ron; ana secured by, the government,
property holders might be fairly said 10 derive
greater benefits from Government than those who
&c norhoid property, aud ought 10 pay more To-
"druS us support An individual residing on the
tecesses oil The mountain, and holding little or no
ploPeFty,was very little interested in royernment
lie deuied the proposition that slaves added IN
the strength Of pdticn. In time OF war 10,
many per sons had 10 stay home 10 keen them in
subjcciion They, therefore, weakened the country
IN the late war, tie people from the ,ne b,
TO come below 10 defend both the masters and The
slaves 81 the East paid more taxes than the
"es'. they ought TO do So for the expenses of ar
were incurred mainly for their defence No such
expense could occur for the protection NJ the
West. IL tie small counties should be enabled ~
retain NeT pTeponderancc, he thoucl,t there
"oulc be reason To fear the conseuueuces lie
referred 20 the comparison Mr. Old had made he
tween fo"Aatan and Preston, and insisted, tina,
the government they ought TO nav more t,xos.
Out ,hls ought not TO give 60 that tounty more
weight in ii'e government. IL had been said tia,
tue Revolutionary war had commenced on the
SFounc, that taxation and representation should
20 hand In hand. This was right to so,,e o,,.,,
Inc prinrV'e. az he understood IT, was. dat The
people should not be taxed without their consen,
ih reply 10 The remarks that had been made. in |
~, 10 Tue Luf'"'ic Hospital, the Arsenal and
=" estern improvements and the share Of the Lite.
Tary Eund distributed in die West Mr. NJ 70
marked that tlic Western counties paid beovv
proportion oil The direct tdXeS while they were i'm
Iose'. ne single county OF Rockbridge pail |
more blan The whole Eastern shore The lsrge
sums OF money expended for the fortifcation =,
iu tolnt, sc were drawn from the whole peopI.
He denied that the people Of the West lad beer
CRYING Tor a Conventon-they cried for nothing
trey bent the knee 20 no human ro,vcr r.
great body OF the people wanted Conye,,io,
and he would tell gentlemen .bey tooud have il
~ all eYcuts
powerful appeal had been made 10 the inter !
es's OF the small counties 1t was The ar,fuI con.
80 VI persons III oihce IN the small counties
,ha' mad Kept Ola Convention so long The time
he trusted, had arrived, when these interests and
Pff9uHices would have 10 he given up Something |
han peeh SAD OF tie vested rights Of the small
rou"ueS' nat term rested rights, was odious 70
nun, 6 particularly when resorfed to 10 perre,uatc
abuses. In reply to the question, what rigbt The
AeGisatu'c had to change the basis of representa-
uon'he would only say, that the Legislature had
nounHg ~ do with IL. u was matter for ,l,c
Convention. He thought THAT the exten.ion of
'''e Isht oi suHage, was matter of great lin
portdnoe, and demanded by the Fundamental prin
ciples which declared the equality of mea.
MT, Williams Of Harrison, said, that lac repre-
sshteu county that had given 1000 votes for the
Convenion--ihe subject had been agitated for sew,
rai years, {. he had been silent. He reerett d th,t
MI lerrills modesty had prevented him iron,
showing TO The Committee why they should agree
70 M. plan oil county representation For his
part, Mr.. w said, lie should vote for ,ronosi
uon that Gid not place all th people upor a foot
ing oi equalify--lie had no personal views IN an
s~er But he thought that some gentlemen were
looking prosPectiyely. He thought thew were
above suspicion; but they must excuse nm, C,r
admonishiDg them Of the danger of eYno.ina
themselves 10 tlIe suspicion of wishing IN qet in
the Convention. He commented on the Under
standing which he thought had been had a,uoup
the lower county and the small counties in The
west. lie couten1ed Tor the basis of free white
popuIa'I0ni but feared the operation OF local in
, 1Sl'S'S "uu Se!nsh views. tie protested against
compromising his principles although he had been
20 eioquentiy asked 10 10. Policy was variable.
ON lncipies were not. lie Loped that ,h, ,,.cs,
NoulA rot be invited 20 enter into any comma.
| ms on 'hcir principles. If they were poor. i,
""s pec'use tney resided in new country-had
Deeh engaged IN clearing their jiuGs and stbda-
| ing the Wilderness Of nature Rat thc, go 80,
| 20 be bdbed or brought over nv anv i,ras e..
ther settled principles. In alusion 10 fine ,en,,,t
OF Mr.. Parker, that he would vote for lie Jis,,;
button OF the funds for internal ia,provr,rco, -;
the west prOvidedi was 90 be applied oiesifiy,ofe
purposes what was meant by this! Had not
gentlemen always voted upon fhat principle? He
thougn' that all The small! counties, in The west.
I except pg5hsps, two, would soon be filed 10
WIN population and assume their pfoper RANK. ne
replied - .h- s.'us'5rS .hat had bsen ,o,da a