Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-19

out feeling tie pressure themselves but ,rrea,lv IA
'ne'r sasaiage 1t appears to me, therefore that i'm
every representative government, not the, persons
only but the rights and interest to b., alctci nv h-
gsiation, should be duly aud properly repr,scnied
au more especially, those rights which cannot from
nature oe cniiorn aud therefore, peculiarly La
oie 10 suIer from partial and unjust legislation
M. Chairman, the power of all free government is
most iel ny The people through the medium OF taxa
Ton; Ms is the power fsuch a government most
"otS 10 DC abused II Is this power that cxctcs so
u'l aAlety upon the subject ofour present dclibe-
rntons and II Is the hope RESTRAINING or
tns power that has sug gcsed the various proposition
tnat aaNe Deem presented TO this House. Ii would seem
rc'ore that taxation and representation are neces-
s"ny commemorative taxation should not only enter
INTO but mainly regulate. the apporti,nnent of ron
rSseh'aon as the only means OF guarding auanst the
"'uSc VI tslis power But il is the object of 90
.i"lie'' 10 ailori protection, both to the person,
WI P''UP''V OF It's citizens, representation based
upon the compound ratio Of population and taxation
would seem To afford the iarcst prospects, of o,Ic,
ing oo'h objects; and am in favor of adopting the
congressman Districts, us the bases of rrnrS,en
'''l""' because they are existing divisions of the
Slate, that approximate as near as practically no
Ces'ary' to tins combined principle; TO illustrate
which beg leave to state to the committees the
result OF calculations which | have made IN rcl,
ton 10 the Eastern, Middle, Valley. and nxtron,.
Western sections Uithis Commonwealth-Th three
Western Districts, for the election OF uoo,nbrrs of
congress, comprising % countless contain popula-
ton ot i3l,l86, ofwhch ri 49l are FREQ bites md
a
oi oo members, as proposed in the bill this section
would, by white population be entitled TO -2 mem
ucr>' anu ny taxation TO l-f-combncd ratio exclu-
sVe OF ta tractions) , and that is the number which
Is proposed to be given to them by the bill The
whey districts, comprising II counties contain y
population OF l67,il6, Of which 1870 IN are white
and pay tax of 94,5I.--They would be entitled
by white population 10 10 members Inv TAXATION g.,
ID 81. The combined ratio (exclud.nr f-actons( Ic
ana ms Is the number proposed to be given them in
me bul.-Ihe eastern districts, COMPRISING - com
tics' the cities OF Richmond and Williamsburg, and
the Borough OF Norfolk contain a population OF 3OI -
oo4, OF winch 1919 white. and nav tax of
Si2o.'5l 81 hey would be entitled, by white
popnia'lon, TO 195 members, and by taxation to 264
--co'rhined ratio p 7-8. which is one and m ciob
I ss than IS proposed TO re pven them i'm the bjIl :
ne middle districts, comprising b counties and
On town OF Petersburg, contain population of 10 y,
lC5, OF which 81 1850 are white. and pav tsx of
Sl95,3I4 94:--white population would cntitie tben,
10 81 20 members -taXa;iun TO 10 2-6--c,1nb;,e6
talIC traction less than So, the numbcr proposed TO
he given to them by the bill. From this il anpeare
That a. It be right to apportion the representation A.
gre, aoy TO white population and taxation the Con
g'e".i"nai Districts, as proposed in the BILL will as
nafy as Is practicable, effect this object; and surely
there Is nothing unreasonable or improper in prju-
ciple OF representation, that provides for the security
OF all heTghts and interests be alice cd BY egisa-
tatlon, whether of persons or properly.
Now, sir, it Ii demonstrabc. that reprrse,ts,;o,
upon the basis OF white population or. indeed unn,
any population, does not necessarily afford the least
security to the rights of property to illustrate INV
views Oh TINS SUBJECT permit me 90 call the attention
OF the committee OF two counties Us they stand in al
phahCtcal arrangements on the AUDITORS PeDort
ne county or powhatan (which | have the honor in
part TO reprcsent) with white population of 1902
pay TAX oil SiUol 8i-the county of Preston with
a white population of j5.i2. pays tax OF s653 Sit
NOW, suppose those two counties were 10 associate
aud form government, in which the representation
should DC apportioned agreeable to white uonulotior
Is At not manifest that Preston woald control tie whole
,nlTI - IA tinaIlt A,-.
appropriation OF the revenue; and, IN Tins state of
Things would II not be the interest OF Preston f.,
double, nay, treble the taxes when for every dopr
that she paid Powhatnn would have to paw six or So
ven ana she (PrCstOn) would have the uuco,troIlo5
disbursement OF the fund 20 raised. And. being he,
crest, can 1t be believed, that that interest Womb
nave no influence upon her Legislation. Would not
ti'e people oil Ec"hatan, III all probability become
thc pay-mnsterSIur all the necessary imroven,cnts
IN the county OF Preston and be told that these an
preparations were designed to benefit MeD, a. much
as 'iclr western brethren, iEasmuCh as the effect
would be- to Increase the facilities of intercourse he
tween dilcrcni parts OF the same State and a,thourb
II might De dicuI 10 make The people OF Poyyhatan
comprehend how the Increased facilities of ,ntrod
eng western stock and whskcv into fneir co,,nirv
N"mch would De an additional draught upon their cir
cuidtng mcdum,) would remuneratc then, fnr tio|
sums thus expended yet ,hcy would be bound TO sub
nlt-and thus the rights and interest of the pcops of
one section would be sacrificed at least tn wound
l'Ve no other security for them, than what uiolt bo
a lo|
Pcope OF another sccon precisely the same security
that the vcrcst slave has unicr the NEST absolute dos
Po'ism on Garth Take another example. furnished
by an arrangement Of districts upon this basis OF
population, crawn up by the gentleman from Rrookc
ana pr0poscd'a5 substitute Tor the first section ofthc
Dill Two of The eastern districts (thi5 and the one
GponingJ pay an aggregate tax of S56,4JG H. would
DC entitled to members in the convention. whilst 4
ui inc western districts paying aggregate tax OIL
SJ|1J2 81, would be entitled TO 10 representatives
Now SIR, what security would these two eastern die
trcts have, If associated IN government with those
four western districts, when they would have donble
nc representation, and pay considerably less than one
haltoi the revenue, These rights and interests must
/" cc7saTlly be endangered, If not sacrificed. Mr. C.
do not pretend that hose cases. which have mon
TONED, furnish fair representation of what would be-
the result n present OF t.c whole eastern and western
people associated upon his principle bat it shows,
mcs coucusvcy, that there 81 nothing in the princ
pie as that affords abiding security 10 ihe RIGHTS of
property iortuitous STATE Of Things may somciimes
exist whore from the sim lurity of property and it's O.
an q 1luff 49,