Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-21

IHfFH u Inc NnHt IfpDuiotioH IiHOueDt per-
ceiysd the injurious operation Of tins inequal.
| ~. On questions of local concern | had often
seen the Interests of the East arrayed against
those Of the West, aud controversies thence a.
rising, attended with much excitement, and
sometimes with great asperitl, aud angry feel.
| ing. II had occas ionally been my goud .ortune
70 interpose between thu Coniendng pat,ies
aud reconcile their differences. But was sat.
| isfed that settled discomfort was arising
that jsalousies were daily increasing, which
threatened to foment discord, 10 ALLEVIATE
brother from brother aud To countenance the
! opinion, that there were impnrian' differences
OF interest in the different parts of the State,
which the same Government would no, equally
protect. When the Western peope complained
that they bad rot a Just participation 10 the
power of the government they were often re-
preached with their poverty, and almost always
reminded, that they did not contribute :heir
Just proper ion Of lis revenue. The act of 1872,
made for fqualizing the land tax, had thrown
the State into tour grea, districts, the counties
| into four classes, aud had fixed a standard, in
each class, the average value OF tho laud per
acre. The first Glass comprised all the tide
| water counties, with several OF the large mid
land counties, add the standard value Of lis
lands per acre. was ten shillngs the second
class comprised the other midland countins
except Piusylvania and Henry, aud embraced
the two Valley counties OF Frederick and
Berkeley, ard its standard pr acre was Is I'd ;
the third contained Pitey ivania aud Henry.
| with he Wales counties, MOI included IN the
| second and the standard vslue OF its lands was
IS do thu fourth belonged the tran. Ale
| qhaey oua lis. rated al this standard value al
3s per are. This standard ia obably just aud
| far at the tune wh-n il was adopted, had in
nd "A
| iajmiousy. The relative value Of land in the
several ,isricts had .sseutia Iy changed, those
of he Western di.tr'cls ,asing risen, and APP
ptoached mucb more yearly TO equality with
those Of the Eastern. But the taxes continued
| &c he imposed according the same andard !;
| 10 consequence whereof, the tide water district
! WAS nnduy burtheued, and the other districts
espet ally the bird and fourth, paid less than
| they ~ught These inequalities. IN the imposi-
| ton I'll AXIS and IN the representation, IN
the na = mad been the subject OF frequent
| discus on and was into, med thai ). veral in
efTrcrua attempts mad been made 10 correct
them ~ an ordinary aci OF leg station. These
ruthless efforts we'd Only 10 increase The gen
pral discomfort, TO inn me atimosities, and by
| eiying 10 the discontinued solid reason for
ohj"cllng 10 the organizatlon IF the govern
| .nent nabled then, with more success to seize
excitement and uirn them to the purpose of
rouSine spirit of needless reform. Thus il
happened that IN 1916. the people of The larg"
dis riot. beng disappointed in some iavor'te
measure. aud NJ en- disoa ished with the pro
| ceedugs ofthe Leglsla ure, they were persuad-
| I'D thar they nad been grossly Injured. that the
| cause of tneir wrongs was TO be found IN the
| Unequa. dlstcibu ion of the government, and
that their RI ardy was 80 be sought in a gene
| raj Convention to reform his, and many other
| fancied or real defects of the Constitution
| Under the excitement of Ibis occasion, that
meeting in Staunton was he 4, which has been
| denomlnated the Siaunton Convention. The
county of Augusta did not participate IN tue
! feverish excitement which then prevailed, and
while il was willing o seek by temperate and
| prudent measu rs, substantial IellcI rom &C
know Vie ged evils, il was unwilling 10 Ell coun
IL, the hazards of general reform. 1t therefore
| deputed Ia the meeting two members, of whom
| | was one aud rha ge'l them with the duty OF
endeavorng TO infuse inio h" proceedings as
| much of temper and prudence AS possible aud
| to restrain them 10 a resp ctiul memorial, ask
ing of ihr Legislature that proper measures
/ ght be led Tor organizing Conve alton
| 10 amend tn Constitution Of the Stale, but
" It'll powers hunted 10 The objects OF equa!zlng
| the ieuresentation and taxes, and Of providing
under proper ca ions, for future amendmen S.
! The deliberations OF t"is meetin, result Il ~
IN mortal To Oh, Legislature asking general
| Convention anH ~ protest by small m'no-
INV . VIII CHI the Augusta depne' belonged,
| + g Object whereof was. to lint the powers Of
he Convention to the three ohjecs which
have men ioned. The memorial aud protest
wr,e Iaia before the legis allure at their session
| Of 1916 aud bill passed the House OF Dele
gat,s providing thar the voice OF thu people
| snouII be tskn, on the question, whether n
| Convention should be called, with powers i'm
! tied 10 ,hesa three objects and one Other only,
,hr II, ensiOn of the rig hi OF suffrage MS
| bill was amended in the Senate, so Us TO limit
| the powers oil the Convention 10 taxes and rep
resen alton only, and was laid on the table to
aw ait the coming OF hill then In progress, Tor
reforming the Senatorial Districts, and Tor
re-ass sssment of the lands. This bill came to
the Senate, and passed by majority, thInk'
of one the bill for the Convention havIng been
rejected by a ma GRITTY of two.-Both were We
nv obnoxi to the western memhefs, ana
were opposed by them both were acceptable
! TO me, and advocated by me. preferred the
I Convention hill, because thought II would
rive more adequate and permanent relief but
when il was lost, espOused the other, though
lis onera,ion was announcement and harsh, ana
its relief temporary The Convention bull was
ia truth preferred to its rival, by large MAJOR
ilv of tie Senate, and would have passed, ou'
for one of those amusing incidents in legislation
| bs which false calculations Of majorlies some
times cheat US OF our votes. Here Mr.. j. re-
lated an anec6ote, shelving thai one oliae DC"
stsrs being deceived in his calcultonS, hao
been induced to give vote, which s'cureo 'pe
| massage of the bill, which he most desired TO
defeat /.
Tbis bill reforming the districts upon the ba'
sis of white population as a3ce,tained, ny inc
census OF 1910, gave to the country beyond the
Blue Ridge, nine Senators. That country had
then about its due share in the representation
of The House Of Delegates, upon the same pa
| sis ;-and an adequate provision was maze, LOT
a just apportionment of the taxes. c.u.
hi. nfecedent,-would preserve something
like a practical equality of representation. NJ
Roth Houses. by occasional reforms of the