Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-10


new interests sprung up In each The pioneers aud al
vanced guards Of the society, must have hajvery
ny wants. aud wishes. and necessities, different iron
their former associates in the county. The al
vance OF the one, in exposing them to perils
diihcuItes, gave peace aud security to those they lei
oehind and The peculiar interests Of the frontier in
haoitsnsof Northampton, and York, and Isle Of Wight
and Hsnrico. must have been very different from those
oil their brethren in the ether part. Of these counties
resting as the latter did upon the interior 'hras Thus
II came TO pass that within the county, whore al
hr, single interest only existed, two dferen, int
ests arose IL both these interests TO be repre-
sened by those chosen by majority Of the two il wa,
very certain, that OF these two would be neglect
ed; and the necessity for dividing the IRON
tier counties, by such lines might allow each
eres its proper representation. In III manner, We
went regularly dividing the frontier counties as ne
Interests sprung pin each, until the whole Territory Of
| Virginia was thus distributed.
Nor did this process Of allowing repro ,cnatlon TO
every peculiar interest in the commute? stop here -
whenever an inter Tor county became populous or
territory was found wide spread to justify be
ife either that different interests had might
within It, such county was always divided, wh-n.over
division oft asked for-nay in nv cases where
neither the extent OF territory, or the number of pha-
bants was so great TO render probable that differ
ent interests would arise yc, il the county was found
nter'ected by wide water rapid torrents
rugged mountains, or IL any other existed caicu
lated 10 inerpose permanent obstacles in the wa Of
tree end frequent intercourse between the nhabt nts
OF different parts oftte same county always divd
ed upon the application Of either part, where particular
convenience (Which must always be considered as its
peculiar interesD required such division.e
Nor Is this all-Our history will further inform us
that alter the first division Of the into shire. or
countless peculiar interests within the bodies of
some Of these counties, which Interests were not of a
character TO justify or to require the dsmebe of
the county, in order to provide special
oil them When such Interests appeared, they were
incorporated, and by their several
OF Incorporation were allowed representation differ
cnt from that which had always been given to the pc
cuiiar interests existing in the counties
such most probably was the origin of the
allowed TO jamestown, and afterwards 10 Ina, which
| certainly allow ed q the of 10
the Borough of Norfolk. and to the College of William
and Mary. Neither the comparable population n or
wealth or extent OF either OF these corporations. at the
time their several charters obtained could posi-.
bly, have entitled to representation il
had then been erected upon either of these bases But
the interests oil navigation, of trade and Of science
which were believed TO exist in these corpora,ions
were each important TO the community, and being then
peculiar TO these interest. were ctivey allowed a
representative, as all other interests had been before
Such was the basis of representation es, bi.hed in
the colony of Virginia at the when
ts,ive Legislature wa: first introduced here; and upon
this basis was every thing OF that sort
upo the period Of the revolution OF l776 1t rested upon
me peculiar Interests existing In particular districts,
the limits Of which districts were at first accidental bur
were afterwards deineatea and marked out bv the CON
venience OF the inhabitants within them.
When the Convention who formed the existing Con-
sttution OF Virginia assembled, they found
ton established the bass Just stated; and being de-
sitous Of preserving all OF ancient institution,
Which they could preserve, consistently with tn. prn
cipes OF the new government they about to cre
ate, they continued to each county and alton
then existing, the same right Of representation it then
enjoyed. No departure from this rule occurred .xcep
IN two cases. and these exception. prove strongly the
existence Of the rule itself James -town, the ancien,
metropolis OF the colony had become much reduced
IN its population that IL inconc that any De.
culiar interest could abide there; and the College of
William and Mary no longer the peculiar re 81
dence OF moot OF The science in Virgins. and
ne longer entitled 10 representation that account
jamestown and the College were, therefore, deprived
of their particular representation, while every thing
else preserved had before .tood and the same
&c civ In he UisIa
always been exercised by the former, of dividing the
existing counties, and OF establishing corporations.
whenever in its opinion the general interest of the
whole community ami the peculiar interest of any part
OF il, required the exercise of such power
Such is the basis OF representation in Virginia now
This basis probably just and perfect when first es
tabished, and would yet be regarded in the same light
but for single circumstance which none here probs
bly, are ndisposed TO apply the proper Corrective That
circumstance IL his-IO the original distribution Of the
counties lines Of demarcs ton necessarily dra wn
within which limits peculiar interests did then abide
although these limits circumscribed in instances
very narrow spaces The Convention Of l716 acting
upon the opinion that il would he unwise change any
thing then existing except when such change
cessary to prevent practical mischief, had regard the
existing electoral precins and intending TO preserve
10 each precinct, the rights OF representation then
had, inserted provision in their Constitution, that
each county should continue 10 have two representa-
lives. The object was wise and just at the time. But
while they prudeny provided for the probable case of
new Interests thereafter TO spring up in the existing
countess and, therefore, gave to the Assembly the poe
Of dividing counties and OF creating al
will, they did not probably foresee and therefore did
provide for the event. Of any county corporation
cea-ing to be the abode OF interest peculiar to it,
self the existence Of which peculiar interest was the
sole Of giving 10 such county corpor aon any
particular representation at first. In providing for the
birth OF future peculiar interests, they omitted pro-
vide for the extinction OF such then existed; and
while the Legislature by this Constitution, autho
rzed TO give representation to interest, by di-
vidpg the counties creating corporations with
in which il might appear, the mandate Of the Constitn
ton that each OF the existing counties should have two
essnstives deprived the L. gssture OF the power
of taking from such counties any portion OF their
OF representation, after the which originally
gave to them such rights, had ceased TO exist
In consequence OF this provision in tho Constitution
il has occurred, that after OF the smaller counties
(Wrwck for example) have ceased to be the ode OF
any interest peculiar to its inhabitants sii retains
right OF representation equal to that enjoyed by Shen
andoah, the largest county in the Sa,e-nor is IL com
petent 10 the Legislature 10 remedy this inequality
without producing much greater miscbiefs, than any
which have ever can result from that
Because. ifbe larger counties should be divided and
cut up give TO their respective parts equal 10 War
wick in any thing. right Of representation equal "a
that which Warwick now enjoys; the Legislative body
must become much toe numerous, unwieldy, and eI-
pensve, to he any longer useful; and the people Of ma
Of the subdivisions would be most grevousy Cypress
cd by the necessary burthens Of their mers mm.
uicpa police. Thus II happens, that while the
FOR allowing equal representation TO all the different
counties in the State, have ceased TO apply in many
stances and while the effect OF this is medyless TN.
der the provons 81 the existing Constitution the inca
pacity OF the lie sature to provide the proper for
this conf sseh evil has become the Of all the
nnurmuring and complaint we have heard, and IL the
true cause Of the assembling Of this Convention. IL IL
not that the East or The West the els montane or ultra
I nontsne regions OF the State, have too much OF
too little political weight in the assembly--It Is that