Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-12
GDMW@YfIIOMs
(Debate CONTINENTAL.
IIt""'N CWF1VtNFU y
BASIS or REPRESENTATIONS
.NncGcl Of Lli.LL - u IL aLi

Mr.. LEIoH of Chesterfield resumed-NI, Chair
man. yesterday considered the examples of sister
states and OF the Constitution of the u States so FAR
az they have bearing the proposition Of the Leg
:iauve committee, and on the niment OF the gen
lehman from Coipeper, with view to shew, that repre-
'en'a'ton based on taxation AMI population combined,
and representation Of persons an property and OF slaves
as one or the o'hewere not in the general sense OF
America contrary to the principles OF republican gov
eminent, or AZ oil obnoxious the imputa
cracy Gentlemen may think it strange. that should
take any pains to clear proposition Of that
ton. But, have lived long enough to know tina,
words are things, and potent things tooand that f an
o'ious epithet be fixed any proposition or inca
snre that will suffice TO enlist thousands az ns It, aud
i'm the end, generally TO damn forever In truth the
question we are consieriog is question OF State poll
cy, unaffected by any theories. Democratic republican
or 'ristocrsuc-it is simply this: which scheme of
presentation ought 10 adopt for the House OF Dele
gates-tha reported by the Legislative Committee or
hat proposed by the gentleman from Culpeper. Which
"he more polite, wise and just, having regard all
circumstances, and TO the rights and sis Of each
and every part Of the Comnonwe alih,
The COMMITTEES must pardon me, il rseur, for a
oret space, To that provision OF the federal constitution
commonly called the federal number. Its history il
somewhat curious Originally, under the articles OF
confederation, each State 10 contribute quotas in
proportion 10 the assessed value of its ande
nut ula principle icing deemed inconve nien in prac
tice, was Thought best to substitute principle OF con-
'rbu,ion apportioned TO the population of the sever
states In the Discussion OF this proposon-parl Of
me debate ha' recently been publshed-the Northern
States insisted that slaves persons and that we
ought 10 contribute in proportion TO our whole p,pua-
iion bond and frec anil the Southern States
that they property and ght be taken
the estimate Of population, in settling the contr
button; each party anaiung that side of the cues
ton which. in that aspect OF it, their INTEREST," law
No wonder! all mea do o.-avavs have done and
ever will do II was not till 1888, that Congress a
greed TO propnss amendment, by which the States
were 10 contribute in proportion To their
DE asceTained by adding 10 their free citizens three
hi'hs OF their slaves. Whether this rniin nj
was ratified by the States, I do not certainly know:
but this was the origin OF The Ftdcrai number have
of uf,r lion,
accessible 10 10 ascertain how that pr proser
lion oil the slaves Hyee.tDhs anne 10 be ahopted-what
mode or principle OF estimate led il. Some reason
Tor II, there must have beenand il is remarkable that
II the Federal number he taken the basis OF repre-
,entaon, any where believe, certainly in Virkins
II VIII give result pretty nearly the the COM
blned basis OF white population and taxation-n Vr-
ginia, the difference, in house of one hundred and
twenty would not bs more Than delegate, 10 any
section (peakng in modi-h phrase,) division of the
State divide il viii. by lines east ami west or
north and south. The Federal Conven ion of 1877
had. Tor the first time. TO arrange of he
people in Congress. The Statesmen of the north and
south now. doubtless changed sides with their inter.
ests IN the view oil the former, slaves were now pyo-
Terfy in the view of the latter, they we re
However, they made a compromise, and agreed on
the same Federal number which had been proposed in
1893.
II is contsn!ed that there i. no connexion between
representation and taxa,on that representation can
iy he OF psrsons;hat property has claim represen
taon; that mere property, for which, there
fore, we are entitled To representation il has
been gravely said, that the provision of the feieral
number in the Constitution of the U. States does not i'm
fact and was not intended by lis founders oppugn any
OF these propositions. On what ground, then, do gen
tensn imagine, that the basis OF the federal number
was adop ed? They say, ii compromise. And
now lar does that carry them in the argumcnt? The
question sil recurs, what the ground of conpro.
mise! and what were the interests compromised! The
Constitution provides that representation AMI direct
ation shall both be apporoned the ratio, the
federal number; that is that repre- and
shall be proportioned each TO The other. And sir !
shall affirm and that without fear of contradiction alter
the proofs shall adduce, that This provision was adopt
eel anu defended on the grounds, that there ought 10 be
the same rule Tor representation as for contribution
that slaves persons well property-and that
whe her persons or property or oil mis- ed character
pariaking of both, the south was entitled TO
ton fr them.
Sir, | efer the Committee to the 9Th number Of The
Federalit q know not who the author ofi'') in
winch tins provision oil the Constitution of the Unit
States is discussed, and in which after maintaining that
the Southern States rightly claimed representation
ior their slaves persons, the author proceeds"I il
agreed on all Sides "that numbers" (neanng gross
numbers, bond and free) the best scale of wealth
az they are ihe only proper scale of repre-
Would the Convention have been impartial or conss-
Tent they had elected the slaves from the list of in
habtsnts when the shares Of were TO he
calculated, and Inserted them the lists hen the IA
riff Of contributions be adjusted! Could il be rea
sonably expected, that the Southern States would con-
cur in system, which considered their slaves in some
degree as men when burdens TO be Imposed, but
refused to consider them in the same light when advan.
tages were TO he conerred"In the sequel of the same
letter, II is said: "After ALL may another ground be
taken which this article OF the Constii ution NAV adj
nit Of still ready defence? We have hitherto
proceeded the dea that representation related IA
persons only, and not at all 10 property But is thi.
just iCea! Government is instituted, not less for the
protection OF the property, than of the persons Of ni-
viduals The one, therefore, well as the other IN
be considered represented by those who are charged
with the government. Upon this principle il H. tiat in
several Of the States and particularly in the State OF
New York one branch of the government is intended
especially to be the guardian Of property and j.
accordingly elected by that part of society, which i.
most interested in this object OF government. In m,
Federal Constitution, this policy does not prevail The
rights Of property committed TO the same hands W tn
the personal rights. Some attention. therefore ought
be paid TO property in the choice OF those hands"
Again, sir-i presume it will be agreed, that no nan
better understood the which the various pro-
visions OF the Federal Constitution grounded, than
Cen Hamilton. Allow Inc, then, TO rofer the Commit
tee TO what he said. in the Convention of New York
which ratified the Constitution, the subject Of this
JedeTd number"The first thing obi ced to (aid he)
10 that clause which allows representation for three
hfhs Of the negroes.Much has been said of the i'm
propriety OF representing men who have will Of
their Whether this be reasoning or defamation
will not presume to cay. Its the unfortunate sifna
ton OF the Southern States have great part Of their
population, we'll property in blacks The rsgula-
lion complained OF result Of The spr If accom-.
mediation which governed the Convention; and without
this indu gence union could possibly have been form.
ed. But sir, considering peculiar advantages we
derive from them IL is entirely Just that they should he
graiied The Southern States possess certain staples
tobacco rice indigo SC. which must be capital objects
in treaties Of with foreign nations and the
advantage which they necessarily procure in theso
treaties, will be felt throughout all the States. But the
justice OF this plan will appear in another view-1he
hest Dricrs on government hare hed, that TSpresen-
fdfi0n should be compounded NJ peJsOns ana property
This rule has been adopted az far IL could be IN
Ne III mill he M me ne he Omit