Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-05-12

France, England &c. until, by n regular g,ah.
ou ...'Ve through our Virginia Constituted =,
.,'.s =. our sister States The people arc mo-
A"achea to Governments in which tbev h,vsX
cauai agency in the enactment of all I.v. -h;.h\
.,,;S 'neIr persons and property. The RIGHT of
Cs Soeuec's' IN amanner, the voter with HE
~, the s"e;n ana he is necessarily more informed
OH tue subject OF his rights '-'-
The irseholiers Law claim n 0,....,..,s
power, oecause they pay more taxes. Without ad-
hitting the truth Of the proposition. yomr ,rs,no-
,i wouIo simply remark, that the most essen
ual difference between a free and an .rsI.ras
people, consists in that equality of no,,;..s nae
by which the poorer part Of the Co.nmnn;,s a..
protected nom the influence and povvsr ~ a.
wealthy Our Government is one or uerscns .s
well as property; and II is moro comp,sihi ia,
freedom, that those who have but ittIe rrc,".s..
should have an equal and just power with the westi
tiny TO pass laws affecting property than that ,f,s
wealthy should exercise the exclusive conroul ove
persons aud property There Is no instance upon
record OF the poor expressing the rich; but on the
contrary, every act Of oppression proceeds frou,
the rich towards the poor. Therishts of person.
tue dearest OF all, not safe in the hands Of =
, minority Inc law has made no distinction be-
tween persons a. yet The Constitution .1the srt
oil majority, forbids IT, The minority have ae-
stunned the sovereign power, to alter the Consti.
'u'ion; the security is therefore destroyed Eve.
~ CnaSen should contribute towards the support
OF me Eovernmenf,In proportion to his menus The
limitation OF his means should not affect his poliff
cal rlghts;that would be an abandonment the rs-
publican principle. The non-freeholder contributes
more IN proportion to his means, than the free
no,ue,' upon all articles of consumption from
abroad, such as clothing, tea, sugar, coffee. and
the like, he paysa heavy tax; he has no agency
IN imposing that tax;-hs political duties are com
Prseu 10 the one standardization. Your NE.
mor,aiists would not be understood as wishing tfe
Right OF Suffrage to be extended to every pauper
or vagabond, who strolls about the country.-He.
who lives by the charity Of another, should NOT
prescribe the terms upon which il is offered; nor
should he pretend to interfere in the affairs Of his
beneactor. But all male white citizens, above
the age OF 81 years, who regularly contribute to-
wards the support of Government, by paving their
taxes and county levies-and able to furnish
sufficient proof of Citizenship and permanen Mt res
idence, have just claim upon their Country; and
to them your Memorialsts would have the RIGHT
OF Suffrage extended, as of right it ought to be.
and to none others.
In proffering this Memorial to your BODY. vour
Memorialists owe it to themselves and to their
cause, to disoaim explicitly, on their part, any &C.
acknowledgement OF the right of the freeholders.
separately from the of the Community ~
make any order binding upon them. Any Consti-
tuition which may emanate from your body, can
derive its validity in no othe way, than by a ma.
joriy of the suffrages of all classes freebolders
and non-treehoiders; and your memoralists claim
the right oil voting thereupou.-The unhappv
course which events have taken has rendered Il
incumbent on the non -freeholders of this Conn
monweaith, together with those freeholders who
feel that their own safety is identified with the
principles of our Bill of Rights, to resist the
march, which portion of this Community il bro.
gressively making to undue power. No feeling
OF false pride or fastidous indeps Evidence, shall
prevent them from accepting voluntary justice at
your hands. They, therefore, adopt this pacific
mode OF Memoralizing your body, should This
their Just and reasonable petition, be rejected
May the sin Of its consequences rest upon the ae->
gressor. -