Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-26

cIhNse NUtNh Wastt u uthCffHOuHff WIN III
: Leg stature and after some further opposi' ion
on the part al Mr., Stanard. the resolution wa {,
at the suggestion OF Mr. Cooke, pass d over
for the present, 10 give the gen lemao from
Brooke a better opportunity ol diges,lng his
proposition.
The Committee then proceeded TO the con.
sideralion OF the third resolution reported by
the Legislative Committee, IN tho words fol
lowing:
i" Resolved. That the Right of Snfiage shall
continue 10 be exercised by all who now @njpy
II under the existing Constitution Provided
TINT no person shall vote by ,rlue OF his free.
hold only, onless the same shall be ass ssed In
the value Of nj east dollars, for the pa
ment of taxes, IL such assessment b. iequi cd
by law. and shall be extended, isi. TO every
FREQ white mule ciilscn of thu ComncnN cath
resident therein. above tie age OF 1, only-unl
years who owns, aud has p ssessrd Tor sn
scent or devise freehold estate, assesseo =
the value of moi less than dollars Tor the
paymeni of taxes. fsueh Assessment, snail b.
required by la" 2i, or who shall osna eestf1
estate IN lee, 10 remainder, or fevctsinn, IN
iahd, The assessed value of Which snail be
dollars 3D. Or who shnll own aud have
posse sed leasrhqlh estate With the evidence
OF ute recorded, ola Iern originally mi less
than five years, and one of which mall be IA.
expired. Of ths annual value, or rem, OF
doliafs 18th, OF who for twelve months next
| preceding, has b en- q house keeper aud head
ot n family mithln the county, city, borough,
or election district. where he may ofer 10 vote,
and Who shalt have been assessed with part
| OF The revenue Of the Commonwealth wi hin The
preceding ear, and actually paid lhe same ::
! Ptovided, nevertheless tnrt the tight OF suff
rage shall moi be exercised by any person OF
ms 'und mind, OF who shall be pauper, or a
| NOME commission, offic.r soldier. sailor, or
marine, III the service oil the United States, nor
by any person convicted OF any infamous of
fence nor by citizens born without the Com
| monweelth, unless they shall hive resided
| therein for five yeats imme lately preceding
| the election al which they SIN ohei TO vote
and Two years preceding the snId election, in
the county, city, borough Or r,eehon di'lficl
where they shall offer TO vote One mode al
proving such previous residence, When disputed
10 he prescribed by Jaw and shall possess,
thefeover, some one or mo- of the quahGra
tons above enumniated.
MIR. Lion pointed out nm Ell which he
presum II WIS moi serious nlendsd bun which
would arse from d RESOLUTION, as IL INV
stood. According 10 tho pro'iso, no frceho'
der wa allowed 10 vote u7ess his flet,al
WAS Of ceftaD value tnoI W, hsed upuu )
but, according 10 snhs"qu,nt claus, any
housc.keeper who has paid " any part OF iht
revenue of he Comm onwealth = IS allowed 10
vote. Suppose the value of the freehold be
fixed at any given SON, say 70 dollars, and
suppose n fl ehold'r owns a louise worth ~
dollar; add oppose, further, iha ~ ihhi hOnsf
acre resides trDau "Eo owns n sIngle horse,
tae result Will BE-, ~ I the landlord who owns
ihe house, fJrfiddeu 10 vote, while the ten
ani VIM pas tn # cents on his horse, Is
admu,cd e tbc pole. Could IL DO seriously
4 .l.YA 0it..f "A
qua III cation bul - make il ic5s qualification
lh1n the payment of the very smallest tax
Ialtag u Tor granted, that this could nol be
tie purpose ofthe resolution.
M LrIGH moeed to amend il so as 10 make
| the fourth qual6r alton read " OF who for II
months neYi preceding, has been house-keep-
| or aud head ola family, within the county,
| city, borough or election district, where hr
may offer 10 vote aud who shall have been
assessed with part OF the revenue ofihe
Commonwealth 10 The amount Of within
the preceding year, aud actually paid the
| same"
Mr.. MvDnLPH said, that he rose simply TO
make u suggestion TO the gentleman from
Chesierfeld and one to- the Committee.
believe, said he, that shall hardly be contra.
dicted, when | state that the great moving
cause " hich led TO this Convention has been
all the out-cry that has been raised on this
SUI jeGt, Judge my surprise. WHEN found tn al
a proposition coming from the l.. Committee
aud which extends the right ofsnflrage almost
dd inde funtum, to many entire class OF per
s0Hs within the Commonwealth. contained
blow at the elective franchise ofthe Freeholder
The presen, sovereign Of this land. We arc
met TO extend the right of suffrage nobody
can tell how far under the out cry that il is
a A.. Eat
take is 10 restrict il stu further. glload the
Freebooter. DO geniem'n suppose the Free.
holders will be blind TO his 7 What becomes
OF all the considerations Of philanthropy Of
| which We have heard 50 much What becomes
OF all the genilemens distractions Sir, the onl,
good | ever knew thesr abstract ions 10 do, is 10
abstract money out OF The pockets Of ono great
division Of the country, TO put II into the potk.
cts Of another, species Of abstraction the least
of all others 10 my taste.
Sir demand. as Freebooter, in behalf Of
the Freeholders, on What plea you are to put
III, M, aud them only, 10 the ban Of this Con
veniion Other and large clnsses Of persons
are selected TO be drawn within the range Of the
elective privilege, while the poorer classes
ofthe FreeboIders are TO be DISTINGUISHED. SO
after all, this great and iuslrious Assembl,
are met 10 make war on the poorer classes OF
the Freeh olders of the Comnonwe alth. You
are not only TO extend rights, ba, yoa are 10
take away the rights, the vested rights, Of a
large and respectable, however tllay may be
poor, class OF your fellow citizens. SIR, | viii
never consent 10 depriV. tns Freeholder of his
rights, however trivial in the view of assessors
or Patricians, his humble shed may appear.
| saw this measure IN the Legislative Com.
miiee, and thought saw, what think now
see, (here Mr.. X pointed with his fugcr.)
snake in the q ass. | will never consent to be
the agent in taking away from any man the
Right of Suffrage he now enjoys
MI. MERCER observed, that the Proyso, was
not chargeabie upon the advocates OF he Con
vention, having been moved in the Legislative
Committee by gentleman, (Mr Green,) who
had always opposed il, Mr.. NJ. explained the
object OF the mover TO have been the pre- ven ION