Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-05
THURSDAY, Ocronrp 90.

cd.
THURSDAY, ocronrp 20.
The Convention met nj II o'cioek-and wa
opened with prayer by The Rev Nj. Park. d
the Methodist Chnreu.
As soon ms The standing order was Rad by
he Clerk, Mr.. Doddridge moved that lie Con.
vention proceed 10 execute The order Of the
day-which WAS accol dinei agreed 10. aud The
President called Mr. Slanard oi Spotsylyania,
10 the Chair.
The Chair stated ihr question before the
Commitiee-whcu Mr.. Z. T.. Barbour rose 10
address ihem-iIe begun with ,emarking tina,
as The gentleman from Chesterfield [Mr
Leigh world have been Oh that morning en-.
titled 10 the floor. according TO Parliamentary
Usage, he thought II proper 10 state to the Com.
mIiiee. that he was about TO occupy their time
with thai gentloman's consent, that ho was afraid,
indeed, that hn should offer n very poor equiv.
olent for the rich repast. which that gentleman
would have spread before The Committee, but
his consolation was, thai il would not be uli,
mately lost, although II might be- Delayed
As for himself, he could only undertake to
lay before the Committee, in u brief manner,
the views which he entertained, and vindicaie
The course which he int 10 pursue.-He
would promise To occupy as small II portion
Of their time, III was necessary 10 do justice
To himsell-Ue would pursue this rule AZ all
'imrs but more especially ON the present oc.
cdsion was he disposed 10 do II. brcause The
gentleman from Northampton Mr.. Upshuf1
mad relieved him from much OF the labouT,
which would otherwise have devolved upon
him. lie should indeed be perfectly satisfied.
IL he could only enforce some Of the strong
points which that gentleman had presented in
so strong n manner.
Mr.. b. declared, that he had never gone into
any discussion with such feelings Of solemnily
as on the present occasion.--He had nj all pre-
~i""s '''""" hs"- .n'inD ,nnd-s u rnusi,intion
which was alrendy IN existence, and which was
calculated 10 correct any errors into which he
might hayo fallen But or the present occasion
they had assembled 10 form n Constitution it.
sell, and any errors in which he might fall
might be without an adequate corrective. We
had met together TO form IA government Tor thu
nod Of our common Commodwealih.-Besides
he could moi but feel an unusual deioreDce Tor
the body. Of which he had HE honor of being
"a member-selected as they were from the
whole body of the people, and graCed by men
who had become SO much distinguished IN the
councils Of their country, and among them,
men who had fifty years ago assisted in laying
the fonnda ions Of the very government, which
we were now called upon 10 amend.
The most important department Of the gov
ernmcnl, said Mr.. Barbour, was the Legisla
tive--in which the will OF The people is directly
represented, and which administers 30 large a
pot,iunof The powers of Society II became
the Convention. therefore, to lay well the fonn
dations Of this Department. He then stated
the question aud said il would be his parttU
show that the proposition OF The gentleman
from CUlpepper (Mr. Green) ought TO be adop
ted. lie would first examine the Arguments
of gentlemen on toe other side in favor Of their
proposition. They contend thai the will Of
the majority ms suDoanced IN the Bill Of Rights
ought TO prevail Mr.. Il. contended, that these
abstract principles ought 10 be modified by
circumstance, time and place. 1--we were TO
give practical effect 10 all the principles In the
Bill Of Rights, without limitation and restriction,
one Of its declarations would amount TO uniyer.
sal emancipation-It would libera,e nearly a
moiety OF our population, aud might bring up
on us The same scenes AS had overwhelmed the
island Of San Domingo. under a similar do.
ella ration from the National Assembly Of
France.
But suppose all men 10 be by nature free and
equal, what sort OF connection has snch a prin-
ciple with civil society Is !, not known, that
men when they enter into society, have TO
surrender a . portion of their natural rights. Tor
the preservation Of The remainder ! How can
\ state OF nature, bearing no sufficient analogy
10 n state OF society, regulate that condition
Suffrage pre- supposes represeDiation--and no
system Of rules, arising from the state ofnn-
turs, can bear upon another condition.. perfect
ly different from it.
But suppose this we're 60, is the argument Of
gentlemen consistent with itself? How came
women. minors paupers, and %convicts, to be
excluded from the right Of suffrage, upon their
| principles. DO not these rights belong 10 all
persons, al all times,and circumstances And
If they are so invariable, how came these nu'
merous exceptions which gentlemen have adj
mitted The females are q full moiety oil eve
nv ~society-and yet we are told that they are
excluded by rules derived from a stale of ma.
ture. Now, the laws OF nature are uniform
Mr.. B. said that gentlemen have pressed in
10 their service other principles derived from
The Bill Of Rights-as, that all power is deri
we'd from the people, and that a majority hat
an inalienablc right to alter the government fol
the good of the community. And the abl'
argument Of the gentleman Of Brooke (Mr
Doddridge) was urged TO show the power o
The majority. But in addition TO the argumen
Of the gentleman from Northampton, h
would say, that majority is q relative term.
/ Mr.. h. examined the structure of the Fede
rai and State Cover ments, TO show hew muc
) this rule of the will ofthe majority is overlook
e ed. In the Federal Government, il is mo-
, remarkably so. 1.-THE Executive should attac
2 his veto 10 a bill, it will require two thirds
Il Congress TO make II a law. In the Senate, b
Y ! sides its own structure, violating The rule.
requires two thirds OF It's votes in many me
sures--He illustrated it ID the Judiciary p