Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-31

anticipating the time when they would moi be
able 10 resist the demands Of the growing po.
pulaiion Of the west. aud awaiting thsmseIvr. OF
their great aseendsncy in both branches a. the
! Legislature, adopted The amendment which
hrsd the basis of represent ation H. The
! popular branch upon the compound bss,. OF
taxes and white populations. 1hi IL ennsiiiu-
ton Hnihoi ised amendments, by ma
! jorIlips of two thirds OF both Houses OF
! the Legislature, ut two successive sessions Ii
WAS by such n concurrent vote hat his n,nrnd-
mcnt was adopted, aud there cdn be no Hron
ger evidence of tho ascendanGy which ~ ihnt
time the eastern districts had ia the Legislature.
That mn overwhelming majority then, should
have imposed such term upon toe minority,
eau IN my humble judgment furnish no good
reason. why the minority here should imnose
like terms npon majority, But the snbse-
qucnI history OF 5, Carolina lurnishes Tho
strongest retaliation OF the argument when up
held The policy oiihis mrassre there, aad NV
recommends II 10 MS for nuiwii haIanding this
erpedisnt 81 the compannd nas,s. The political
nnwei, IN thu popular branch Of the Legislature.
has passed from tOe eastern slave noders Go
wcs'ern fTsnn,ru aud yet the COVE uncut pts-
cecds IN perfect harmony, am ] an, we'll in
formed, thai danger TO the pronerly Of he
East ia IN 40 Wise threatened, aud Is ~ logger
feared. Why then should dagger he lea -,
from permitting thu western ireemeD Of pnftiia
10 acquire political powrr In the pt'pnlnr
branch OF the Nhg'nin LegsIaiute2
b the Constitution oi GeolgA, adopted IN
1903, thcii Senate Is composed oi one member
frs.n zach county. and their House Of keprsA
sentatives has graduated represrntnion as
ed upon the federal number. How This oper-
ates ia the p,not,tel distribution of rnwrr. or
upon the n,ees OF society, we nre sot in,
formed We cannot therefore appreciate tho
example.
But II tins question were rien b, the exam
pie ri onr sister state, surely the weight Of au-
,horiiy would greatly pfepondcraie agniast The
Ii, .iiaton which Is proposed upon thr power
OF the free inhabitants. Among the sInye hold
ing States, " lie Ma,ylnna AID n. Carolina
Save n county representation without regard
to nnmbors, Louisiana has lls House OF Repre-
senlatves apportioned nceordingto The qlaii-
fed voters, aud Senate with fixed numnels
from prescribed Enthusiastically its re-.
prese ;niives npporioned 10 the qualified elccA
tors, aud Senate To the free male inhabitantg
aboyr u years.--MIsiissippi has representa-
lives apporlInned 10 lrce white Inhahtints,
her senators 10 the free white ,aaabis
nhah,tsuts, --AIabama, has both Hauses
basel upon hee white lnhabitauis,--
Missouri. both based upon free whine male
inhabitants, aud Tennessee upon tho fGrHbi>
mhabitants--thai is, as | am well informed,
posed. Here are ala slave holding States, in
most il not all of which, ,hc slave population
is very mequuy distributed. IN none oi them
has il been deemed necessary 10 protect their
slaves by restraints on the power Of the tree in
habnants aud in meme OF hem do we luaru
thai there has been The least cause 10 appre-
mend any danger In this property from The rs-
ereise oil that power OF these States, kcniuc'
by and Tennessee have each had brtweru ihir.
~ and forty years, cKPerlrnGe.
In States where there ARE no slaves aud
where political power Is distributed among the
different districts essentially in proportion 10
the number al inhabitants. we have III, exam
Plies of Pennsylvants, New, fnrk, OhIo ln-
diana, aud Illinois, IN which there has been aO
ATTEMPT 10 guard property hy giving II repre-
senistion, IN the old Constitution Of New
York. thrre wasa distinction made beiwecn
the qualification % voters ior members VI ihs
two Houses, higher property qualification
being required for the voter IN elections 10 the
Senate but this has been aba pdonGd IN the
recent change oi their constltution.
! profess, however, Nj Chairman, 10 pay
bui ille spac, 10 any The examples nom
the Constitution Of our sister States quoted on
the one side OF the other, None Of them can
be very well understood by us III OF them
have been subjected 10 the test of but n span
of lime, compared with the life OF na'ions.--
md all Of them are taken from the infancy Of
our institutions, where our sparse population,
the facility OF acquiring property, aud ouf ag-
ricpltural pursuits secure 10 ms more vlitue, and
more freedom from temptation than, ~ future
times. We can reasonably hope 10 enjoy
Having disposed of the precedsnis which
are supposed 20 bear ON the question N debate.
ct MS conJdcT the two proposluon with fr.
ference To their practical operntioD--nnd ia
apr onchlng this subtci. ! musl express my
deep roget Al the appeal which has been made
10 the spirit Of party pplilcs W. are told Nv
the gentleman from GhesterGnld TINT one of
The objects Fihis Convention Is 10 chang. the
policy oil this ) tate in reference a. thu men-
sunrs Of the General Govern aud he has
ehdeayored To alarm The party politician with
The apprehension thai his fhvorite doctin- Of
State Rights would be endangered, by a trrrsp
fer of power from the east 10 the W ST. Mr..
Chairman, has not the subjrci under cons,ler-
alton intrinsic difficulties enough Are there
not prejudices naturally perhaps IL eparably
belonging TO a. which pre-eDt almost msepara-
bic obstacles 10 candid discussion, 10 iusi and
wise cUnclusions respecting ~ Shall w ~
invoking the demon of parry spirit, multiply
these difficulties, nliams I ese pr.juiicrs, brng
discord INTO onr ranks. and Confusion 20 our
coansels' Has II come 10 ths,-that rublig
opinion is - be controlled, by retaining n lnicai
power in the hands OF the minority 2 DO our
brethren ofths east mear 10 deny us freedom
Vt opinion respecting the ahairs OF he Genelat
Government Do they 'nsid upon the privi-
lege Of thinking for US. as we'll as Iegislatng
for us The generous feelings Of my fiiend
from Chesterfield. when III excitement # dent
debate has subsIded, will disc.aim, I am sure.
al s,d from blind party zeal and trust hat
this Comm tee will not for moment submit
10 its influence.
Il has been objected to the resolution ofths
Select Committed, that by transferring The
power 10 The west, il will endapger the basis OF
representation in the House Of Representatives
Of the United STATES, that is TO say--ihat II
the basis OF white population sh ould be- eslab-
lished for the House Of Delegates, the people
of the west, following the precedent, " i'll Insist
! AIRING uR The Gnngreasiaaal aisiri.ls In