Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-28

estimated by gentlemen, II would take capital OF
three millions of dollars to supply the 10000 now
excluded with the qualification. He then reviewed
the proposition by gentlemen on the other side, dc
nyng that the laud qualification was necessary. The
people who lived In Shepherd state, had other
property besides land. and that was considered quite
us perrnaaent and ess initial as land. Was 1t neces-
sary for him to direct tho attention of gentlemen to
England Is not the fixed capital in that country as
important land.--ls 1t not here in the low land
country, where labor is capital and is an essential
ingredient in the wealth of the country? Imple-
inents of trade essential, and every one will thus
perceive that other property is essential as land
If this principle be true what becomes of the founda
ton of The argument which the durability of
land? The right is not founded on the land, bot the
relation in which tho proprietor stands to IT, And so
is withother CAPT al 1t is the relation of the pro-
prietor to itns II Is between the feehodcr and the
SOIL Personal property Is an essential ingredient IN
the wealth OF the country, and the title to It is good
as that OF the land owner TO the land BY shutting out
the sixty thousand free whites who lack the qualii
cation OF land,wc shut out not only the majority
but the increase OF that majority. He referred 10
the time when tenants for life were every where to
be found-when all that part which was now called
the back-woods and the part where he lived were
cultivated by tenants for life The practice had
been discontinued because of its eff CT the indie
pnpdence Of the tenants. and COMPLETELY mad this
class disappeared that twenty wears he had known
but two instances of tenants for life. Suppose men
of fortune found 1t thor interest divert part oil
their capital from manufactures to land would It moi
be better to introduce the tenaIltry system again
ond to supercedc slave labor, In his part of the
country teuantrv for years had superseded slavery
Gentlemen Imagined that 10000 non-freehulders
might be easily converted into freeholders He re-
questhd them to look n the consequences of this
Suppose sixty thousand persons purchased frceholds
OF nifty dollars each three millions would thus
be expended merely for the right of suffrage.
lie took view of the diff rent value of land in
different scctions of ,h" country, und resisted the
idea, that qualification could at any time be r,ur.
chased at moderate price. In the distinct Inc repre-
sentcd the non freehoIders greatly outaun15er the
Teehoders, and he supposed. that all The non eeho
ders there, desired To purchase freehold each anc
taking this for his basis asserted hat it would take
len millions, to purchase freeholds for The non free
noidersin orner to give them The qualification &c
vote You would make all these men hrmcrs He
repeated, that the basis Of the qualifications was no.
the land, but the relation in which the owner stood
to bis land
II adverted to the assertion of gentlemen, tina
this question which We now settling was of liu
ted Importance, only embracing the Commonwealth
1t was forgotten that tlle United States had repro
sentation from this State which would he affected b.
our measures, and which taxes productions to the
amount OF SIX times our whole State revenue He
oid not behave that his venerable friend, g. colleague
(mr. Monroe) intended to exclude housekeepers
who have an inteFes in the soil
Mr. e. JOHNSON moved to amend the amendment
by adding to the proposition, the words mot less thai
cents -
The amendmentto the amendment vas then neg
atlved-Ayes 42-Noes ST.
MI LEIGH said he did not intend to say any thing
as to the prncple of this propositions but he merely
washed to point out what had not been noticed by tn
friends OF the amendment The circumstance T.
which he referred was the probability, that Will
the owner of a house might be precluded from givn
his vote, because the property did not come np t,
the limitation OF value provided while The tena.,
II he pays but 10 cents tax horsp, is permit e.
to vote. - f
Mr.. MERCER said there was necessity for goip
INTO questions, which did immediately bear on ii,
question before the Committee.
The amendment was then carried in the affirma
tive--Ayes SO.
MIR WILSON moved that the Committee no,
rise-Ayes. SO.
The Convention then rose, and reported progress
the Convention then ad journcd to meet to, NOR
row atzll o'clock