Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-03-21

moueiiihg our institutions, to settle them finally
nn the safest and most satisfactory foundations
with these views, as an individual citizen of the
State, | could not say that ,oished the call of a
convention at the time when the proposition was
first submitted l was however. always anxiops
and urged upon my friends in the LIE yislature tina,
the sense of the people should be taken Oh the
subject; and 1t a MAJORITY should decide in "a .
YOUR of II, was then prepared honestly aud zeal
"'isy to- cooperate with the friends of tha meas
ure i'll reforming all the defects of the Cons,itu-
ton, OF which, as i have already said. | believed
there were many which would demand correction.
whenever the task Of revision should be under.
taken. In the Legislative department. for ex.
ample, the Inequality of representation was de-
feet SO conspicuous and prominent as would evil
IDENTITY call Tor correction. The reduction of the
numbers Of the House of Delegates. more ius,
Proportion, in this respect, between the twu
branches, and ahrid5lnI the term of service
OF the SENATORS, were also questions demanding
the gravest consideration. In the Executive
branch, the whole department appeared to re-
qp;re new modelling, involving the mode of its
election, the form of its oruan,z .,,ou lis p,wer
and its duties. The Judiciary department ais
seemed To me To call i"r the hand ,i rei;,ruatr
with II view to render IL rte efficient hy some
c'iange at ITS oryanizatrnl, aud with the further
view, perhaps, of rendering ii more responsible
regard to the rIglt of suiiayr, | have though,
that the Isriacipie was contained in the ,ecla
ration "t the Bill of Rights, that all men bay-
'iII s'lfh tent evidence OF permanent com on IN
tertSt wh aud attachment tn, the conm,l:ity
are entitled To the right of suffrage" That the
privilege may he materially extended beyond the.
''illi's now allowed, without departing from tins
piuncip'e, and thai It ought t., ne extended :, a.
I" s""l'0 Tie government t" the tl..c,ua COZ =
tr"nl oil real 'rnaJ 'rity of the community. |
nave u" d'uht A IL the particular manner and
precise limits, I"w'ver, at tins eXtrisnu il benz
question involved, IN much of detail and rroujr.
iiig careful considerations, am not I,nw PREPARED
t" express deliberate opinion; nor do think
that person win" NAV be called to take part in
the deliberations "f the Convention ouuht either
I" t"tm or express tiIal opinion ON anv question
Oh tins sr On the contrary, | think the men :
hers "' the C"n'entirm should hr, as much as
possible, inrommI'teh as Z" particular projects
AMI plan, lh"t the, NAV he III a cnIl,tr ~ hem
"h' 'y ell tn. lGlt> which VIII I've aft .r,r il tn,
N"iv"ril, ~ =" ''-n tel: c,uciu>.,, ,,it,,rnt,-
y, - go .' Hi,'.'' 'itS "rtt:,n "Ii cn,.,p1r
90 '' ''- .''''' -..r., ~.'r >',''is !i irru-
''.'.' .''.' iF. -.''".!'tt. Nat.ir- ~ 10,
'',3...i.. rii ,r s,,,,,t.v i> -. Il, ,f ..,.
'i''i system ri caccli,i!.g .ui committing
'i"'nbers before hand IS To particular schemes ni
reirm, aud thus wi'tully shutting on, the light
winch would h'w from Continued reflection and
mutual ':elileraiion and there is less occasion
''r u, as Whatever may he dune by the Cu,veu.
trm will he afterwards submitted To the Tree ac
cen'anre ar r"Irri'"n at iI," people
In c"nchlsi"m, will add, thar, now that the
will al the people has hern declared IN favour of
Convention, shall not only c"-nperate with its
II iends IN all saluIa,y aud desirable reforu,s. but
that ~ tnfe have Witnessed evidences of its ne
crssIiy which cause me to entertain the most IA
V"rable aaughries of It's results, in regard to the
,ranqthts ard dignity, the prosperity aud happ
ness of the Commonwealth
Yours, very sincerely,
W.. G. RIVES