Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-02-21

sentatyes upon fair and honorable terms; now siler
u Ieh uls has been spent aud of course much money
hnay We are 10 make bargain and sale Of the rights
and interest of the freemen of the west Yes sir.
what else can be called what are the propositions
o. the gcntiemens The gcntoman from PETERSBURG
Would give 10 the seven congressional districts west
oi the Blue Ridge representatives each in conven
Gon while he would give to the fifteen congressional
districts east OF the Blue Ridge FIVE representatives
cuch. Nice bicedt bate; but we western men wont
swallow the hook. Notwithstanding the nigh re-.
SaEo sustain for the opinions of that gentleman ON
SUBJECTS otlegsiation generally, must be permitted
90 Ten that gentleman. and TO say to this House and
10 the gentleman from Powhatan thot the freemcn OF
rights
AR Speaker, the doctrine advanced bv tho gentle
nun ito Fetersourg IN support h. proposition is
new to me- 1t is novel; il is without precedent in this
or any other State, in this Union What is it1 II ia
tat inc slave population in this State is more than
property; and the gentleman undertakes To prove il
sAeGsnS that certain laws on your statute book
1of the protection OF slaver-hence, he undertakes
to say to this House, that they are people, and of
course are TO be considered part ofthe body poll
TIC. Surely the gentleman is not sincere when he,
says that to the House-but if he be in earnest
would ask linn, where those political septlcmenp
Ind why Is 1t N this land ofhtery and yep,blicar-
sm that they arc not here III this House 10 asse,,
their political rights, If any they hayeo Sir, they
have no political rights under any law Of the S,ute
TO illustrate the gcntlemans idea still farther Of
tins slave people the law. they are the most
valuable people IN the world, for if hung by the neck
Ike deg, they are paid for by the people of the
commonwealth.
NJ. Speaker, in answer to the gentleman from
Powatan he In his great hberslity il willing to no q
yen further, than the gentlemen from Petersbur1hc
tes us that he Will tce to the seven congressional
districts west ofthe Blue Ridge six rcpr
to eome and if that will not satisfy the West, TINT
some districts should have seven-I don't know hat
The gentleman possesses the power to give any THING
more than what majority Of the Legislature please
10 do i ain aware MIR. Speaker that the y-entiemap
don't wish to change the features or name of his frs.
born bantlng, winch he has endcayourcd TO nourish
while spark OF life appears to rcmGn.-I can say
to the gentleman that go for che principle and nj
though he had the power TO extend to the number of
ten representatives to district, numbers would
not satisfy the Just rights due TO the whole people OF
The West, whose politics and morals, were deem
involved n the great question just now about 70 b
decided
And Mr. Speaker, / call on gentlemen not only
from the West, but also from the East to enquire 81
them what will the people say if we shall pass the
original bill as reported by the select committee for
TIE eastern gentlemen may have the mower to pcss
the Dill say the answer is easily given-and thu,
tltt the bill passed without receiving in its MASSAGE
single vote west of the Biue Bidge This | stand
mere warranted IN saying that out of 90 members on
the hoor OF this House, the bill in your hand will m,
receive vote. Did ever such thinr hammer since
the formation OF this government that anv bill hes
ovcr before been obnoxious to the rood peope M
estern Virginia. that not an individual could either
voluntarily, by coercion threats be prevailed unop
10 vote TOR the measured Surely this is the only one
for upwards of fifty years. | trust therefore tbn
the original bill reported by the committee cannot,
pass Sir 1t ought not to pass. The peace and safe
ty of this great commonw ealth frbds that il should
pass Inc voice OF the freemen IN your land, Mr.
Speaker torbIds that IT should pass II cannot mass
Mr. Speaker, much has been said on the oririnal
formation OF our government, and also on tho forrna
u'n OF other governments. Some gentlemen say
mat they are founded IN fraud; some say, they arc
founded only IN consent; others tell us what I m
more inclined to favor myself that in all popwlar 90
vernmentsk like ours the majority ought to govern h nd
that in that majority consists the physical force ~ II
government; and OF course the minority must y:'f
But gentlemen say, when we tell them of nh. Il.
force, to obtain our Just claims which have So ,.,
been withheld from us, that we menace them: o,i.-3
say that Is almost reasonable for gentlemen from
the West, to say any thing upon the subject OF power
Now VIII say this, Mr. Speaker; that am a wee
tern man, and that nm not ashamed to own Il; am
though 1t has been said, that we are poor vet poy-r
" IS not crime; therefore conclude that we eyrr
De poor that we are honorable men--and some Of
Us as high minded gentlemen who ride in their
coach ana TWO or four. And to such ! will say that
my course has been az IT ever shall be- nn1onp my peo-
pie at home, to endeavour to keep down all excitcnen
among my neighbours upon the subject Of reflrninr
our government, as the memorials now in the clerks
Office OF this Horse will show, that year acrvcar
they BY Of nor persons or MYSELF ,yb,cb mo
amongst the people of my County--even when na-S
gentlemen Of high standing who were in favor of r..
form, were opposed to the OF petitiunnr tho
Legislature nj all, the subject, whilst Of course thev
we're stimulating the people to 20 into convention
without the aid Of the legislature. ] add to this
that although should be one of the last 20 excite
commotion among the people, yet if after al attempts
10 obtain our just rights in the vest we were driven
TO the lost extremity to assert those rights then
would say let nal fast the white fac to the ton OF
the mast and so to the bottom, or rise to establish
the rights of freenen, upon fair land solid basis o.
Tree republican principles in land Of liberty, where
;he Eagle Of Freedom will delight to speed her Gil
dcd wings over the happy land.
Mr.. Speaker: much has been said on the extension
of the right Of suffrage to the free white male clL
zens Of this common wealth who arc over the are O:
twenty one years Sir, it ought to be extended for
many reasons first, because they cur fathers and
brothers, our friends and neighbours. who alike with
ourselves bear the burthcns of government and tor.
Of mar whenever called on. Next, that they arc
honest ard industrious, and well disposed, good or
dory citizens he found in any othor class Of
society. But these are not all the reasons wllv tic