Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-14

pie sublecuon 10 unequal and onerous taxation will
not believe. gent'emen that your sagaciy la. al
ready discovered the real object Of these claims You
may depend upon II, they urged for the pur
pose Ter which hey were employed when the great
question OF I" Conv enon u Convention" was be-
fore the people, and renewed for the vain but
loudly cherished hope that by agstine the county
aud alarming the n'nhi and uniformed. ,h.y may YET
dvieat the great purpose Tor which Convention was
called, nainey-thc equaza ion OF reprc in
the Legislature. All history and sxperisuce shcv that
man Is 20 ord Of dominion, that he will never
der power which he has either u.urped or which tor
tune ha. placed ia his hands and hence it is, see
hr people oil the Eastern section OF the still cling
ing TO that now almost broken scep,re which they
nave weided 30 long with tenacity almost equal TO
that oil death. But gentlemen, let us for moment u
anime tho-c pretended Causes of alarm, aud see whe-
Their they have any foundation in fact: If i, really he
the int non OF those people to sec,r. their slave.
against the possibility Of how very easy
matter Is 1t to Introduce provision into the Con.titu
uon' ma' me rights oil property at present
ed, shall be sacred and inviolabIe. If thew indeed
wish to protect them against unjust and taxa
non VIII difficulty Is there in providing in the Consi
tuon that every shall contribute tow ,rs the pub
lie butihens In proportion the value of his estate
without regard TO its component parts, This lat sis
principle so just aud proser in ITSELF that dare believe
That no man can, or will ohject: and yet we fad that
instead OF seeking to engra hese provisions into the
Constitution, which will efcctually secure these very
OBJECTS, which they affect TO have much OF heart,
we see gentlemen rather choosing to conire up
these raw he,ds aud bloody bones for the pur.
| pose OF alarming and frightening the people. Every
appeal which human ingenuity can devise ia made
city TO their passions and pr.judces and thew are
vehemeny told. that their prope riy is in danger il the
power oil the government is put into the hands of the
mojo'hy the only place where IL can iegmateiy re-
side IL not the object too plainly Scent BY the pre-.
sent distribution OF in the Ho,e Of Dele
gates each county having two members the power OF
the State Tor years has been i'm the hands Of
Hnortiy ard no'c that the people this and are se.
termined TO remedy it, we fad an attempt now n,de
Tor the hrst time, TO produce the result, by
somewhat different process, viz: by bringing in ceaifh
as one OF the constituent elements upon which repre-.
sen'aiicn in the Legislature IL to be based say
principle introduced for the first time, because, al.
though, the present Constitution requires the
OF Freehold to qualify rote for mem TO
the General Assembly, yet il never intended for
what IS generally understood by property o,ta,fca-
tion, 10 increase the political power of ihs man j.
proportion TO the extent Of his the amon mt of
me tdr he was required to pay upon them, but was
only intended TO indicate class of persons, who were
supposed TO furnish, by these ans that evicnce of
permanent common interest with, and attachment 10
the community" required in the Bill of Rights-A
principle iavidious and arstocrac, repugnant TO the
feelings and genius of peope-o that political e.
qudhfy which has been boast and to all the max
inns and doctrines upon which all political inslitu-
uons nave been erected. Can il be believed gentle.
men, that the republican people Of Virtins are pre-.
pared to say that one in part of the State he
cause ne owns particular species of property,
ee, esa'e shaii have more political power and more
ihhuencet I'm the administration OF the government than
any other Tree man in other part of the State who
may perchance, have less property and that of differ
eh' kihu' or IN iact that the rich eo shall govern the
poorer mdny-tor this, let gentlemen disguise il as
tney wi Is Al last the true question; Could believe
would no longer subscribe to the doctne that m an was
capable OF self governments; would no longer advo
cafe The doctrine OF Sydney and Locke-the natural and
po"eai cquaIiiy oil men,; but would, unhesitatingly
however painful it might be- acknowledge that the re-
ation OF master and slave constituted the law of his ma
ue. Is pretended that there is such diversity OF
INTERESTS between the eastern and western divisions of
inc State, that ii would be unwi.e and dangerous 10
give 'ne power oil governing TO the mojorify-this
sen.'se", permit me to tell you, is all chimera,
mere hgnent OF the fincy So far the operations of
The government concerned there is perfect COM
muhity OF feeling and Of interest, among all the citi-
zens oil the Commonwealth: all are equally interested
that the right acquire and epiov pronertv he
secure anc involabe-lor the poor mans itle is lust
as necessary, nay, indeed, necessary to his com
or',hah me rich mans abundance 4 equally inter-
es'edh their property little or a. not
De Invaded or taken from them without their un-
LOT puos purposes, and not then without just
Pensauoh M are equally interested, that their pro-
pery shall not be unnecessarily, unduIy or uneouaIly
faxed. IL these are secured in the Constitutions which
'ney may be, for all have common interest in secu
ring them, there is every protection for pronertv
which any m'n can ask or desire.
BHt, Gentlemen, you are told, (or what il left un,
'o That The Eastern section of the State nav more nj
me pnoIc revenue than the West Is not the re ason
oi this perfectly obvious? II pays more only because
~. ma: more to pay with And suppose, Gentlemen they
CO. IN iact pay less, in proportion TO their means
whose iau in the name of Heaven ha. il been. The
td1ing pocer has all along been in the hands of be
n'nor"g-he people Of the East; and if, in imposing
he ioans' Tor The support Of the government the IPesf
mas not ocen taxed in due proportion, it is not its fault
u mas been altogether the wrong of the East; and il
'ounu maxim, ooh IN morals and law, that man shall
not TAKE advantage oil his wrong. Ii has be % al
so SAID that public money may be expended upon in.
ernai improvements in the western section of the state
III his, IL does me, no man. who will t.ke an
ged and statesnan like view Of the subject can or
WIN condemn All the territory OF tn State and the
whoie property therein, of every kind, although held
anu owned ny individuals, constitute the public wealth
statesman looks with impartial and paternal eve
10 every part of the Commonwealth, and shapes hi.
M so as to augment the strength and
oil the Stae-the prosperity and happiness of the whole
hat tlev
are heavily taxed, aud pay undue proportion of the
puohc burtheDs, and il must be obvious TO Ihs
most hcial observer,tbat, without making some
improvements IN The West,-without doing something
70 ameIorate the condition Of the people there this
same stansard OF taxation must forever continue and
he East will still be burtheDed with the imposon. of
wbich they now complain but s,ippo.e a portion
be applied TO improve the West, and removing
many oil the physical difficulties under which
'hey present abour, do you not perceive and ,nus,
not every man perceive, that the condition of that
country IS ameorated, and the wealth of its people in
creAses IN The same proportion, the subjects of
'u'ure taxation be augmented and it will be observed
az e same time, that the increase Of their
does not aud viii not diminish oursi will rather con.
route towards s advancement; for ia the exact po-
portion that the public revenue increases there il NAV
De diminished here. As an ally in the same care Cen
tiemen, the operations of the Federal have
oeeh referred to- and from the fear Of some We nv remote
ana uhuenned mischief, which, told NAV come
upon us from tba source, either be cheated
OF sarmed INTO The notion, that IL is dangerous and uu
or us 10 preserve aud act upon that principle OF no.
.'cd eqtdhfy among citizens which is contained
~ Tie Bill OF Rights and which, by education has bee
deeply Implanted in, and impressed upon the hearts Of
the great body OF III md