Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-19

ves naueneI A4s hoa,l mti hqse become By experi-
nenftg the rights IF mrn, 10 osee' tain hoo large
dose q French principles might be administered i0h
mt cnusin, their desirurfiOn." Il means RIGHT of
suffrage exercised by all tho free men Of cornnuni.
~ And precisely this extent was the right ex-r-
cls ID III the colony OF Virginia from tho year 1921 III
tho 1855. The ordinance of 1921 secured bbe
right Of suffrage all the free 'ahabtaa,s'' of the
colony. And defy tho gentleman from Chesterfield
with oil his constitutional lore to show by a refer
ence to the Legislative history OF the colony, that it
was taken away, even assaed before the passage
of the act Of 1865. In that year an nc, was passed
declaring, THAT all houseleepers, whether freehold
cis, leaseholitrs or otherwise tenants should only
''be capable 10 elect Burgcsses Provided tina, mi.
sword housekcepcrs repealed in tins act extend no
"rrthcr than To one person IN fainy."(i)
And here, Sir. we have presented to us, the curl
Gus discrepancy between the statement made by the
gentleman from Chesterfield and the real facts of
The case; and not discrepancy, only, but absolute
contrarc'y. His statement is that universal suffrage
originated IN England, with the military '.agi; atcrs
IN the time Of Cromwell, and Was thence and al that
perioc', transpanted mo Virginia, where il was
before unknown. The fart is that it had existed in
TIE colony from thl ear ST period Of it's legislative
hs'o'y. aud first Hss1iied in the time of the
'agltatcrs' and OF Cromwell VIM, in 1885 was at
he height OF his power and the sovereign of Vrpn-
IL. Thus, Sir, these crazy "agitatefsS These Eng
isN republican enthusiastic s, deYtFOyLH, instead of III
ltroiuclng, universal suffrage. They wee the first
iin Introduce rainnaltg mlo the hocofnrc rrntlon-
at reputation "t the RIGHT of suffrage. shy ration
Ghty Sir. because ! am 40 advocate for universal
spii age --Gud forbid that ever should be.
The act oii6j5 was repealed, however in the fol-
/ low mg year. The repeating art decllres. III Tie
qHamt language Of the age, THAI 1t H. conceived to
''bc something hard, and unagrrcube to reason,
that any persons shall pay cquul taxes and yet
"haye 10 votes in elections and that so much Of.
"the act for choosing Burgesses he repealed, as
EXCLUDES fres0en from votcs."-,1)
With the exception of This interval GA wear univer-
sal suffrage prcvniied IN virginia. from 1927 Till 1870.
liz the year last mentioned, an act was passed de
clariHg that "nonc but frcehuders and houseecpcss
who uniy are un,weraLlc to The public for their le
Nins, should thereafter have any voice in the cleo
ton OF any burgc scs, (J.) This liniato of the
right oil sun age was uupilia5le the cclonists
and was set forth as Of the grievances By which
the popular nsurrectun Of 1916, was justified. ca
popular nSNTTcct"n, because the phrase is more
agreeable TO my republican notions than the word
"FebeAion," used By the gentleman from Chester
hc!d TsbcHon, sIf! them what were the men ~
l776, but rebels against the Royal authority! Ma
thaniel Bacon rcbei, who perhaps wanted only
wider theatre OF action and moro .ced span OF
existence to he the Washington of his are he rose
III arms az INST oppression, and dcmocra' lrrisa-
tnte,"r one under lis control Will it rcdrassel many
feaf grievances, repealed the limitation of suffrage
imposed IN 1870 HIS democratic code was repealed in
ITS turn, IN 1871 and tworcgme of British soldiers
were sent by his most gracious Hacs,y, hi"e Charles
II! whose government the grntlcnan from Chester
field calls by way o. dis mellon ".tc lawful govern
mcnt,' to disseminate NJ the Colony more e,rr,r,
worthless tYrEnt-!hc most worthless that ever led
the Throne of England.-did not conIescend to ask.
~ 30" '-""'h''"r RurUessrs whom he assembled Mt