Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-28

been also sad thut certain animal proycrbal for its
stupidity laden with gold, could find adinittoncc into
The best fortified town-The wheels Of government
could not move without money. IL there was an in
equality in the size population in the counties that
had been compensated for, in contrasting them with
each other, by the fact that the small countless gene
rally possessed wealth, and paid large share of the
public taxes. lilo here presented comparative
statement OF the taxes paid by various countless and
insisted that this unequal share othc public burdens
that was borne by the email counties. was eui-
Vacnt Tor the inequality III the representation. The
whole Revenue Of the State was Sie3 500, of this,
all the anti convention counties puid sl29 OsJ--and
those West the Ridge in favor of a convention,
paid S95,693-and those OH this side in favor of a
convention, paid S99,772. 1t wns his fortune or
misfortune, tn have been member of Congress- at
the time when the Missouri Question vas auitatet
in that body-ie had gone there with the most de-
voted attachment to the Union. But that question
reused the most angry feelings mnginablc. He had
never conceived any thing like the excitement IL oro-
duced--ln fact, the sacred bands which united this
Nation, were on the point fbcing broken asundcr.--
And we had seem TINT the agtation of nearly the
sdmc question here, had produced exci,cment-iTc
called on the members from the Eastern Counties to
give up proposition so Objectionable to tho West.
lie said he did not like it more than they did
He contcndcd that the county system had the nd
vantage over any district system whatever because
1t took the representative immediately from among
those whom lc was to represents and in that case
there was familiarity and intercourse between them,
which enabled the representative to speak CORRECTLY
the will of the people. His responsibility was in
creased by the greater vigilance that would DO used
by the people, i'll looking into his conduct This
could not be the case in the district system in consc
quencc OF the greater distance end less in.crcours
that must exist. In fact, the people, by such system
would be represented in too many instances by pcr-
sons, of whom they knew pothinr. but by repori or
with whom they had had no intercourse, except what
would take place In the transient visits drincr the
canvass for their suiirGgcs. II WIS impossible That
such representative could either krow how to re-
present t. feelings ana local interests of the People.
or that he could explain and justify TO them the
proceedings the body to which he had been elected
In procf ofths he referred to the operation of the
present senatorial system of Virginia Was it posi-
nlcthat the Senator, representing the Eastern Shore
Who resides on this side of the Bay, could, know
much OF the local interests of the feelings of the peo-
pie on the other side? When n bill of a local III
turc went up from tho House of Dcleaatcs he mus,
necessarily have to seek explanations &C. from, tho
immediate representatives, of the people that floor
Tins, he thought was the case in relation to all the
other Districts to some cxtcnt.-It was n nrincp,c
IN our politics, that the representative ought to srrak
tho VIII OF the people; how, he asked was this pos
sioie' when, from his situation, he had not the
means OF sufficient intercourse with them TO ascertain
that wiR On the contrary, when the representatives
come immediately from the people, this will not hap
pen He mixes among them them Mt the court
house aud other public places gets their sentiments
and can falrly represent them. He feels his respon
sI5ility to them and they feel the power they have
TO control his public conduct This, he thought
was one of the great securities we'll beauties
OF Tree representative government. II approached
nearer 10 democracy than the district system and
was III every respect preferable, both in relation TO
convention and 10 the Legislature. In the district
system, 1t might happen that al the members would
be elected from one county, and in that case the
people would have to dance Attendance on their
agents, If they wished to npatt to them thsr wishes
or opinions The removal Of the representative from
the view and immediate contact of his constituents
was tending daily to subvert, not only the cH Of the
people, but the great objects of government itself
10 mace in fact, tho nj,
inc people. lie might produce many illustrations OF
this iSea but there 30 familiar to the coun
try, and 40 remarkable for its results tlai he would
content himself by abiding that alone In recent
conflict for the Presidency of the L. States. the
people OF neighboring state preferred particular
candidate rs their second choce.-Th,s preferences
was not only knoen to their representatives i'll Com
grcss but they actually ins,,uted IN vote for
their favorite. Whatsdid a majority do, CoronIv
with t':s instruction? No. They voted, from consi-
cTaions OF some sort, for another and an obnoxious
candidate. lie repeated, that it dangerous TO
remove representatives from the immediate contact
with and responsibility to, the people If We CON
ii.ire to DO we shall soon be governed, in fact by
the odas oligarchy described by the member from
Brooke, (Mr. D01dridge)
There were still other objections 10 INV district
representation. H. produced ncrhorbood ,;ri,;.s !,
arraycd county against county, it lnado men enemies
that were friends before. III proof of this hook IN
tho late congressional election in the district of
Frederick and Shenandoah. lie had seen tho noyso
nalitics; the general abuse and county denuncn,ons
to which TINT struggle had given rise with feelings of
disgust and adherence. In that case, each county
had ITS candidate, and supported him through thick
and t'in.-Be had known of another District clcc-
ton III which there was the same array of C0uolty
candidates; and, in that instance the popular excite
ment went so far, that gentleman. who wished to nd
dress the people was actually deferred from doing so
by clauior AMI menace. Mr.. Parker commented
Oh tue iinpropriety of any plan that should lead to
these evils. We have district systems enough al
READY III ri conscience. Do not Introduce more
There was yet another objection which gentlemen
representing the small counties, ought well To CON
slder IL you 60 into Convention on the District
system 1t would b. sort OF previous sanction of the
people To the establishment OF that same district sys-
TEN IN the organization % tic legislative departments
OF tho new govcrrmrnt And what would be ito
effect on the small countless Why, that they would
be almost virtually annhilatcd! Mr.. i. here compa-
rcd several plans of district representation to show
how This might hoppcn Take, for instance. sal he,
the imposition for ossocioting Harrison with Wood
Lewis, and Randolph-IiorrIson has within 100 as
many votes sthc other three counties. Wos il not